In terms of culture shock, Greg Cronin is in for a doozy, going from the sunshine, beaches and traffic of Southern California to the relatively quiet winter weather and flat landscape of Des Moines, Iowa.

But on the hockey rink, the new head coach of the Iowa Wild — Minnesota’s top minor league team — should feel right at home. On Monday, the Wild made it official, naming Cronin, 62, their new head coach after he was dismissed from his NHL job running the Anaheim Ducks shortly after the regular season’s conclusion.

Originally from Massachusetts, with a background in college hockey and with USA Hockey, Cronin coached the Ducks for the past two seasons and led them to their most successful campaign in nearly a decade but failed to produce a playoff entry.

“We are thrilled to have a coach of Greg’s caliber behind the bench in Iowa,” Iowa Wild general manager Matt Hendricks said in a statement. “He brings a thorough, detail-oriented approach and an extremely high understanding of the game of hockey. With (his) extensive background in player development and a proven track record of leading winning organizations, we are excited to bring Greg’s passion for coaching to our organization.”

The Iowa gig will be Cronin’s third stint as an AHL head coach, having previously guided the top developmental teams for the New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche. He was an Islanders assistant coach for nine seasons, and spent a year as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs, as well.

The change in Des Moines comes after Brett McLean was named an assistant coach on the staff that Adam Foote is putting together since being named the new head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. McLean, 48, had spent the previous eight seasons as a member of the Wild organization, coaching Iowa to a 27-37-6-2 record last season. They finished sixth in the AHL’s Central Division and missed the playoffs in a year where the NHL club was routinely calling up players because of injuries.

The Iowa Wild have been Minnesota’s AHL team since 2013, when the franchise relocated the Houston Aeros to Des Moines. They play in the 15,000-seat Wells Fargo Arena in downtown.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – Anthony Petruzzelli has spent a lot of time the last few summers helping to grow the sport of hockey in Fort Wayne.

Monday, he dropped the puck on the second year of his own summer camp, through his P13 Hockey School.

A group of 44 kids stepped onto the ice at the SportOne Parkview Icehouse to learn from Petruzzelli and his staff this week.

“I look forward to this every year,” Petruzzelli said. “This is somethign that I enjoy doing. It’s great to give back to the community and help grow the game of hockey.”

The summer camp will continue throughout the week, wrapping up on Friday afternoon.

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After a long year of lectures, late-night study sessions and too many dining hall meals, I’m finally back home from Penn State — and wow, it’s nice to eat something that didn’t come from a buffet line. And let’s talk about Amazon orders. Remember when you’d forget what you bought by the time it finally arrived on campus? Now they’re at my door in 48 hours, right on schedule, like they missed me too.

As much as I loved the buzz of campus life, there’s something uniquely comforting about being back in my own bed, with my own space and my own family just down the hall instead of hours away. After a stressful academic year, this slower pace is exactly what I needed.

Before fully settling into summer at home, I had a whirlwind transition. I spent a single week between finals and a three-week study abroad trip to Florence, Italy. Talk about zero time to exhale. But it ended up being one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had.

I completed my general arts credit through an apparel design course at Florence University of the Arts. It was a beautiful blend of creativity, culture and exploration. From sketching garments inspired by Renaissance art to walking past centuries-old monuments on my way to class, the experience was surreal.

I loved every moment of getting lost in narrow cobblestone streets, trying new foods (yes, gelato counts as a food group) and taking in the beauty of the Duomo or the Uffizi Gallery on a random Tuesday. It was a dream — and an exhausting one in the best way.

Returning from that kind of immersive travel and a packed academic year made returning home feel especially important. One of the first things I did was resume my position as a front desk attendant at my local community center — a job I’ve held since July 2023 and pick up whenever I’m home. It’s familiar, grounding and surprisingly fulfilling.

Whether I’m helping residents sign up for programs, greeting regulars or simply keeping things organized behind the counter, it’s a way for me to stay connected with my hometown and contribute to a space that has always felt like a second home.

I also have a virtual internship with Penn State’s College of Engineering, which I complete on my own schedule. The flexibility has been a game-changer. I’m gaining professional experience while still getting to enjoy family dinners, take walks in the neighborhood and yes, even catch up on Netflix without feeling like I’m neglecting my homework.

One of the best parts about being home again is having time to sew. It’s something I’ve loved doing since I was seven, but it’s hard to find the space and time during the school year to dive into a project. After being inspired by my apparel design course in Florence, I’ve been sketching, cutting fabric and actually finishing pieces.

Having the time and freedom to create just for fun has reminded me why I love fashion in the first place. It’s been a quiet, satisfying way to reconnect with myself — no deadlines, no grades, just creating.

It might seem like taking a few months at home is just a luxury, but for many students, it’s actually an essential reset. The academic year can be draining — mentally, emotionally and even physically. Constant deadlines, social pressures and the hustle of campus life add up. Being home gives me the chance to breathe again.

There’s real value in re-centering yourself. Spending time with family helps you reconnect with who you are outside of your academic identity. You’re not just a student, or a member of this club or that team — you’re also a sibling, a friend, a neighbor. These roles remind you that you’re part of something bigger and more grounded than your GPA or extracurricular activities.

This time at home isn’t just about relaxing — it’s also a time to reflect. I can think clearly about what academic strategies worked for me this past school year and what didn’t. I’ve realized how important time management is, how much I value independence and how I need to prioritize sleep and mental health next semester (no more 2 a.m. doom scrolling through Instagram reels instead of studying).

With fewer distractions, I’ve been able to plan out future goals, polish my resume and even take a deep breath without worrying that I’m falling behind. Ironically, slowing down has helped me move forward with more clarity.

I won’t lie — there have been a few days where I did absolutely nothing productive and I regret none of them. But I’ve also kept myself engaged through work, my internship, sewing projects and reconnecting with old friends.

The key has been balance: enough activity to keep my brain working while still having enough downtime to let myself truly rest.

That’s something campus life doesn’t always allow for. Even during “breaks,” there’s pressure to fill every moment with resume-builders. Being home reminds me that rest is productive too. It’s not wasted time, but rather it’s preparation for the next chapter.

Soon enough, I’ll be packing up again and heading back to Penn State. I’ll be excited to return, but I’ll bring with me the lessons learned from this summer so far: the value of rest, the importance of reflection and the joy of reconnecting with the people who keep me grounded.

For now, I’m enjoying hot meals that weren’t cooked in bulk trays, packages that actually get delivered to my door and most of all, the comfort of being home. Sometimes, to grow and thrive, you need to step away from the chaos, take a deep breath and just exist.

And hey, not having to swipe in for every meal? That’s just a bonus.

MORE ABROAD COLUMNS

A young Eatinger guarding the net. Photo courtesy of Quinn Eatinger

From LEGO sets to leadership

Eatinger grew up in the heart of downtown Chicago, and her passion for engineering started early — with a The Hobbit-themed Lego set and a fascination with Minecraft. That early love of building evolved into a deeper interest in how things work, eventually leading her to an engineering track in high school and then to ASU, where she found the perfect mix of size, community and opportunity.

Eatinger wasn’t just looking for an engineering school; she needed somewhere she could keep stopping pucks and chasing goals.

“I needed a big school with women’s hockey and a good engineering program,” she says. “As soon as I stepped foot on ASU’s campus, I knew, ‘This was it.’”

Eatinger entered the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, as an engineering management major — a choice that turned out to be the perfect match for her strengths.

“I’m a people person,” she says. “I love organizing, managing and communicating. And I also love math.”

Eatinger strikes a celebration pose on the ice in front of her teammates at Salt Lake City Sports Complex in Utah after beating Utah in the WWCHL conference playoffs. Photo courtesy of Quinn Eatinger

She’s narrowed her academic focus in engineering management to electrical engineering, particularly power systems, a decision fueled by her interest in sustainability and real-world engineering applications.

She notes there are strong parallels between hockey and engineering.

“You’re part of a team, you’re managing pressure, and you’re constantly solving problems in real time,” she says.

Engineering with impact

Eatinger’s desire to make a difference pushed her beyond the classroom early in her college career. After meeting new friends during E2, the Fulton Schools orientation experience for engineering students, she joined Engineers Without Borders and took part in a multi-year project addressing plastic waste at Simien Mountains National Park in Ethiopia. The team worked on a full-cycle solution to collect, shred, melt and reuse a type of plastic called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, to create items for sale at a local visitor center.

“It was such an amazing idea,” she says. “Just seeing how engineering could impact a whole community stuck with me.”

Though her time working on the project was brief, the experience left a lasting impression and helped steer her toward engineering management, where she saw the need for stronger coordination, structure and leadership for large, collaborative efforts. These early hands-on experiences expanded her view of what engineering could be — not just technical problem-solving but a tool for service and change.