New York, NY (My Sportsbook) - The New York Rangers fired first-year head coach Bryan Trottier on Wednesday. The Rangers are a disappointing 21-26-6-1 so far this season, and last in the Atlantic Division. With the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers are on the way to their sixth straight season without a playoff berth despite the league's highest payroll. New York has lost three straight games, including a pair to the lowly Atlanta Thrashers. "After the last three games we made the decision that the team is sliding in the wrong way," Rangers general manager Glen Sather said during a conference call. "I just felt that I had to do something and had to do it quickly if we were going to salvage the season." Trottier was named the 30th head coach in Rangers' franchise history on June 6, 2002. The 46-year-old had been an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche during the previous four seasons. He scored 524 goals and had 901 assists during his 18-year career as a player in the NHL. He spent 15 years with the cross-town rival New York Islanders and three with the Pittsburgh Penguins before being inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1997. in 1997. Possible replacements for Trottier include Rangers assistant coach Jim Schoenfeld or Director of Player Personnel Tom Renney. TSN-Canada also reported that the Rangers asked for permission to talk to John Paddock, head coach of the Senators farm team in Binghamton, but the request was denied by Ottawa. The Rangers host the Avalanche on Thursday night before entering the All-Star break. |
