Three years into a rebuild, four years with little more than a sniff at the post season were just too many years for New York Rangers owner and CEO James Dolan.
Travis Konecny #11 of the Philadelphia Flyers gives Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers a shove after the whistle.
On Wednesday, a seismic shift in the bedrock under Madison Square Garden took place with Dolan firing team president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton.
Associate GM, Chris Drury , was elevated to the dual roles of president and GM.
“We want to thank ‘JD’ and Jeff for their contributions to the organization,” Dolan said. “They are both great hockey professionals who worked hard for the Rangers, however, in order for the team to succeed in the manner our fans deserve, there needs to be a change in leadership.
“Chris is a very sought-after executive and a strong leader, who has proven himself to be one of the top young minds in hockey. We are confident he will effectively guide the team to ensure the long-term success we promised Rangers fans.”
The personnel actions were a shock across the organization and hockey.
“We had normal meetings this morning and then obviously word got out what had happened,” New York head coach David Quinn said. “I’ve got so much respect for Jeff and JD. It’s sad but, unfortunately, it’s a tough part of sports. Everybody here feels for them. That being said, it’s an unbelievable opportunity for Chris, and we’ll do everything to support him. It’s been a tough day, but it’s the unfortunate part of sports.”
Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers and Travis Sanheim #6 of the Philadelphia Flyers battle in front of the Philadelphia Flyers crease.
The Rangers fan base has been restless of late. The understanding that a rebuild was necessary has given way to angst over the failure of the club to truly contend this season, even if the East Division was highly competitive.
And if the finger of blame is to fall anywhere else, it is squarely pointing at Quinn at this point.
“Listen, this is pro sports, and when you sign up for a job like this, and I certainly understood it when you get in the NHL, every day anything can happen,” he said. “That’s how I go about it. I don’t think anything further than that. All I thought about was Jeff and JD and how I felt for them.
“… At the right time myself, Chris and Mr. Dolan will certainly sit down and talk about every aspect of the organization, and coaching will be one of them.”
Reports are that Dolan has been mulling this decision for months. Perhaps the tipping point was a pair of losses, by shutout, to the New York Islanders in the last week.
The club has, at times this season, appeared unprepared. Despite urgency of schedule and position on the divisional ladder, the Rangers have been regularly putting little pressure on the opposition net in the third period of many games.
“From my experiences with JD and ‘Gorts’, they’re both great people,” the Rangers’ Ryan Strome said on NHL.com. “Gorts obviously traded for me, so I’m thankful for him for making me a New York Ranger. They’ve been a privilege to work with. It’s a tough day. At the same time, I think [Chris] is a great hockey mind. Getting to spend some time with him this year, especially when he was on the bench with us and getting a little bit closer with him this season, has been a good experience for me talking with him and seeing what he’s been through and his knowledge of the game. We’ll move forward here, finish these games up … do our best, do our exit meetings, and see what happens in the summer.”
Goalie Henrik Lundqvist #30 and Marc Staal #18 of the New York Rangers battleTravis Konecny #11 of the Philadelphia Flyers#NYR
Drury has been with the Rangers organization since he ended his playing career after seasons icing with the Blueshirts.
He has now gone from the off-Broadway associate role to the full center stage spotlight of the Broadway extravaganza. The Show is his.
The Rangers have talent, young talent, what they need is grit, and frankly, a hard-assed roster position to protect their assets like Artemi Panarin, Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, and other youngsters.
Tom Wilson abused and assaulted the Rangers lineup on Monday night, and for the first time in years, since the John Tortorella coaching days, the Rangers stood up against the Capitals on Wednesday night. They didn’t fare well, but the effort was not lacking.
“When your star player gets tossed around like that, I mean, it doesn’t matter what type of team you have, I think the response was appropriate,” Strome said after the game Wednesday night. “Proud of our guys. I think it says a lot about us.”
Brendan Smith challenged Wilson in the first period, and lost, but challenged as needed.
“I had no beef with anyone else on their team,” Smith said. “It had to be on my shoulders, and I thought I took it.”
Fighting is an archaic and ugly business in hockey, but there are occasions when a message is delivered at the end of a fist.
Dolan delivered a metaphorical fist to the organization on Wednesday. Whether that jab is followed by an upper cut by Drury remains to be seen.
The playoffs are not good enough for the roster and this organization, not when your last Stanley Cup was in the previous century.
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