The NWHL has announced that professional pioneer and former CWHL goaltender Mandy Cronin will act as the general manager for the Buffalo Beauts in the 2019-20 season.
Cronin’s career spanned decades as she began with Maine University in 1999, played with the defunct NWHL from 2005-2007, and then the Brampton Thunder, Boston Blades, and Burlington Barracudas of the CWHL until 2012. Once her playing career ended, Cronin went on to coach in the USA Hockey program. “Her work with USA Hockey from 2009-2016 as a goalie coach and evaluator at national camps earned her a Level 4 certification. She represented USA Hockey at the IIHF High Performance and Development Camp in Finland in 2012,” the NWHL reports.
A founding member of the Canadian league, Cronin now seeks to continue to support women’s hockey in her new position.
“It is important to acknowledge that we are at a crossroads in women’s post-collegiate hockey. I believe we would all like to reach the same goal – to have one sustainable women’s professional league. We need to find a way to bridge the gap in our beliefs of what that looks like, and the correct path to get to that point. I am fully dedicated to playing whatever part necessary to aid in that mission.”
Cronin will be the team’s fifth general manager. At this time, it is unknown who will coach the Beauts, or if they will remain at HarborCenter, which has been the team’s home for its first four seasons.