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Chris Drury Given A Multi-Year Extension By The Rangers/James Dolan |
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If any doubt existed as to who the architect of the Rangers would be and who is in power in the organization, that was answered today as the Rangers announced a multi-year extension for president and general manager Chris Drury. The comments which came out of breakup day and the seeming burgeoning issues and possible toxic culture in the locker room is clearly viewed by owner James Dolan and a you and not Drury problem. Extending and keeping Drury maintains some continuity, which is good or bad depending on your view.
"I am pleased that Chris will continue to lead the Rangers hockey operations in his role as President and General Manager," James Dolan said via press release. "Over his tenure, Chris has shown passion for the Rangers, relentless work ethic, and a tireless pursuit of excellence. While we are all disappointed in what transpired this past season, I am confident in his ability to guide this organization to success."
The GM and the coach are aligned in their view of the team. If not those two, individuals who have the ear of the owner (maybe Glen Sather, maybe Mark Messier) clearly placed the blame on the coach and the players - ironically both of which were brought in under Drury's watch - and not the GM. A clear message has been sent to the players that the GM is in control and will be in control for the foreseeable future. He now can continue to implement his vision of what this team should be, which started in earnest after the loss in the 2024 ECF.
Drury has been the Blueshirts GM and president since 2021, following the dismissal of John Davidson and Jeff Gorton. There are those that believe he played a role in that decision, which has not been formally proven. Drury was rumored to be up for the Penguins' GM and others, so Dolan was aggressive in retaining and promoting him at the time. The organization has posted a 193-105-30 record in 328 regular-season games since he took over as GM.
All the pressure now is in Drury's court. He needs to get the new cach right, remediate the locker room and culture issues and fix the toxic reputation that exists. While not a definitive and collective view, friends of mine who root for other teams are ecstatic about this announcement because they view that the team will spectacularly implode.
I hope those that are concerned with this move are proven wrong and Drury builds a team that is a consistent contender not just stood up on the back of their goalie. He certainly has his work cut out for him given the issues noted above. Settle in, this certainly will be interesting.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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