The New York Rangers have shuffled their organization depth charts today, firing Hartford Wolf Pack head coach Ken Gernander and giving assistant GM Chris Drury the reins of the AHL team. Jim Schoenfeld, the former Wolf Pack GM will remain in the Rangers front office but will no longer have control of the AHL squad.
Neither move comes as much of a surprise, as the Wolf Pack finished the season in last place in the entire AHL. While some (most) of that has to do with the weak prospect group the Rangers have accumulated over the past few years—they haven’t had a first-round pick since 2012—it was time for Drury to be given control of a team. His ascension through the ranks was likely boosted even further when he recently turned down an opportunity to interview for the Sabres GM job, instead wanting to slowly grow and learn with the Rangers organization.
It will be interesting to follow Drury’s tenure with the Wolf Pack, including who he hires for the now-vacant coaching job. His first hire will be linked to him forever, and should give some insight into the type of team he wants to build. For Gernander, it will end a long relationship with the Wolf Pack after spending more than two decades with the Rangers affiliate, first as a player and then as a coach.