The New York Rangers rebuild is seemingly not going well. It was well known a mere three years ago that the team was committed to coach David Quinn for the next five seasons, as he would usher them through a rebuilding period. The former Boston University coach was a highly regarded up and comer and it seemed as if in just a few seasons the Rangers could be back in competition for the Stanley Cup Finals. After all, they were just seven years removed from a finals appearance.
One of the players on that team was still playing for the Rangers, Chris Kreider. Kreider even had this to say about how the season was going: “I think the group really came together over the course of the year,” Kreider told reporters at his end-of-season news conference. “Youngest team in hockey, a lot of new faces, lot of new guys stepping into roles and positions they may not have been in the past. I think the entire year was a terrific learning experience.”
The front office disagreed, and decided to fire head coach Quinn and three of his assistant coaches last week. The assistant coaches fired were David Oliver, Jacques Martin and Greg Brown with only goalie coach Benoit Allaire unscathed. These moves come right after a series of front office moves, as last week the team fired general manager Jeff Gorton and team president John Davidson.
In the absence of a general manager, the team promoted from within, giving the role to Chris Drury. Drury will also lead the search for a new head coach. He gave a statement yesterday Wednesday about the firings. “I would like to thank David Quinn, David Oliver, Jacques Martin, and Greg Brown for all of their efforts and dedication to the Rangers,” Drury said in his statement. “I wish each of them the best in their future endeavors. We will begin our search for a new head coach immediately.”
The Rangers are expected to turn to veterans for their solution, and their options are seemingly Gerard Gallant, Rick Tocchet, Patrick Roy or their former coach, John Tortorella. If New York decides to keep it in the family, AHL coach Kris Knoblauch is considered a strong candidate.
