Avalanche Pick Aaron Schneekloth To Run Colorado Eagles

The Colorado Avalanche have found Greg Cronin’s replacement in the AHL, and they didn’t have to go very far to find him.

Aaron Schneekloth, who has spent the last 10 years on the Colorado Eagles coaching staff, including two very successful seasons as their head coach, will, once again, be the leading man in Loveland. On Thursday, the Avalanche announced that Schneekloth is the new Head Coach, taking over for Cronin, who was hired by the Anaheim Ducks last month.

Including his final seven years as a player, the upcoming 2023-24 campaign will mark Schneekloth’s 18th consecutive season with the Eagles organization.

Here’s what people inside the organization had to say, including Schneekloth himself…

“Aaron has been a valuable member of the Eagles’ coaching staff for a decade now,” said Avalanche Assistant General Manager Kevin McDonald. “He has head coaching experience, is passionate about development and teaching and brings a championship mentality having won both as a coach and player. We are excited to have him lead our group up north.”

“I am very grateful to both the Avalanche and Eagles for this opportunity,” said Schneekloth. “The Eagles organization and Northern Colorado have been my home for nearly 20 years and I am proud of everything we have accomplished there. Thank you to the Kroenke family, Joe Sakic, Chris MacFarland and Kevin McDonald for their trust in me and for giving me the chance to lead their AHL franchise. I would also like to thank Martin Lind, Ryan Bach and the entire Eagles organization for their many years of support and friendship. I am excited and ready for this challenge and look forward to the season.”

“I couldn’t be happier for Aaron and his new role in the Eagles organization,” said Eagles President Ryan Bach. “I feel he has every quality the Colorado Avalanche is looking for in a head coach for its AHL affiliate. He will have an opportunity to build an environment and culture of high performance, hard work and accountability. He is a character individual who is perfect to lead the Colorado Eagles.”

As the head coach from 2016-18, Schneekloth led the Eagles to back-to-back Kelly Cup championships in the ECHL. He posted a 95-38-11 record in the regular season, and went 32-12 in the playoffs.

This was the expected move from Colorado, and maintains some stability inside the organization.

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