St. Louis Blues Welcome Greg Cronin and Vinny Prospal to Assistant Coaching Roles

By Gabriel Foley | June 15, 2026 5:27 pm

The St. Louis Blues have strengthened their coaching staff by hiring Greg Cronin and Vinny Prospal as assistant coaches. This move follows the departure of Claude Julien and Mike Weber. In other front office news, Elliott Mondou has been promoted to assistant to the general manager, while Jeremy Coupal has taken over as video coach, as reported by NHL.com's Lou Korac.

Greg Cronin returns to the NHL after a one-year stint as head coach of the AHL's Iowa Wild. The team struggled during his tenure, finishing with a 27-36-9 record and missing the playoffs. Prior to his time in the minors, Cronin served as the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks for two seasons, the first NHL head coaching stint of his career. Although the Ducks failed to make the playoffs under his guidance, Cronin oversaw the development of young players like Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, and Leo Carlsson.

Cronin has a long background in coaching, dating back to 1988 when he began as an assistant at the University of Maine in Hockey East. He moved on to become the head coach at Maine in 1996. Since then, Cronin has accumulated over a decade of experience as an NHL assistant or associate coach, five years as an AHL head coach, and six years leading Northeastern University. His most successful stint was as the head coach of the AHL's Colorado Eagles, where he led the team to the playoffs in four of his five seasons.

Vaclav 'Vinny' Prospal, a former NHL player with 16 seasons under his belt, brings a unique background to the Blues' staff. Prospal retired in 2013 with 765 points and 1,108 games played, showcasing his ability to balance size and finesse on the ice. His best years came between 2002 and 2008, during which he notched 79- and 80-point seasons, and reached the Eastern Conference Finals with the 2008 Philadelphia Flyers.

Prospal transitioned to coaching after his retirement, starting with a season as a pro scout with the New York Rangers. He later coached his son's team in Tampa Bay and went on to work with Team Czechia at the 2016 World Cup and the 2018 Winter Olympics. Prospal spent several years coaching HC Motor České Budějovice in the Czech Republic's minor-pro league before joining the Rochester Americans as an assistant coach in 2020, a role he held for three seasons. This move marks his first chance to work behind an NHL bench in 13 years.

With this change, Mondou has been promoted to assistant to the general manager, bringing valuable experience to the role. His background in video coaching began at 15, working with the QMJHL's Shawinigan Cataractes. Mondou later joined Team Canada as a video coach, assisting at the U18 and U20 tournaments and the Winter Olympics. This connection led him to the Blues, where he has been a part of the organization ever since, also continuing to work with Team Canada internationally.

With the addition of Cronin and Prospal, the Blues aim to inject fresh perspectives into their coaching staff. Julien and Weber's departure has brought new opportunities for the team.

Greg Cronin's return to the NHL brings a wealth of experience, making it a promising move for the Blues.

No mention of Prospal's work with the Sabres' forward prospects in Rochester over the past three years, including Ostlund, Helenius, Kulich, and Kozak, would have added context to his coaching background. A missed opportunity in highlighting his accomplishments, Gabriel Foley notes.

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