Cronin officially named Huskies coach

BOSTON – Greg Cronin was named head hockey coach at Northeastern University on Tuesday after working in the New York Islanders organization since 1998.

Cronin succeeds Bruce Crowder, a former Boston Bruin and Pittsburgh Penguin whose contract was not renewed after the Huskies went 15-18-5 in his ninth season as coach.

Cronin was in his second season as head coach of the Islanders’ top minor-league team, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. The Boston native also has been the Islanders’ director of player development since 2002.

“We wanted a coach who is passionate about hockey, understands what it takes to win, and expects to win,” Northeastern athletic director Dave O’Brien said. “He has top-flight college recruiting and (assistant) coaching experience at Colorado College and the University of Maine. He has national level skill development experience with USA Hockey.”

Cronin, a Colby College graduate, joined the Islanders as an assistant coach in 1998, handling penalty killing.

He was the interim head coach at the University of Maine during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons, going 21-13-2 while filling in for Shawn Walsh, who had received a one-year suspension for violating NCAA rules.