Greg Cronin helped the Anaheim Ducks jump in the standings with a 21-point improvement this past season. While Cronin did oversee the improvement of the Ducks this season, he wasn't the main reason for the success.

After he won the Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996, Quenneville became head coach in St. Louis and led the Blues to the playoffs in seven of his eight seasons. After being fired in 2004, Quenneville returned to Colorado as head coach for three seasons.