Rangers give president/GM Chris Drury multi-year extension after trainwreck season
Chris Drury will get the chance to right the ship after arguably the most disappointing season in New York Rangers history.
The Rangers announced Wednesday that Drury, their president and general manager, agreed to terms on a multi-year contract extension Wednesday.
“I am pleased that Chris will continue to lead the Rangers hockey operations in his role as President and General Manager,” owner James Dolan said in a statement. “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 Rangers have had their ups and downs since Drury became their 12th GM and 12th president on May 5, 2021. This season was a major downer; the Rangers finished 39-36-7 and became the fourth team in NHL history to fail to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs one season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy as regular-season champion. They finished 11th in the Eastern Conference with 85 points, six behind the New Jersey Devils for third place in the Metropolitan Division and six behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the conference.
The Rangers fired coach Peter Laviolette on Saturday; no successor has been named. But Drury publicly accepted his share of blame for the 29-point collapse and failure to make the postseason, when he told reporters that “It starts with me. I need to do a better job and give the staff and players the opportunity to succeed.”
New York is 193-105-30 in 328 regular-season games and 23-20 in Stanley Cup Playoff games during Drury’s tenure. The Rangers qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his first three seasons at the helm, and they got as far as Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final in 2022 and 2024. The Rangers’ 193 wins during Drury’s four full seasons are the most they’ve had during any four-year span since entering the NHL in the 1926-27 season.
Related: Chris Drury deserves much blame for dismal Rangers season
Rangers give president/GM Chris Drury contract extension
The Rangers set franchise records in 2023-24 with 55 wins and 114 points. Two years earlier, they finished with 52 wins and 110 points, and Drury was chosen as a finalist for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award.
“I am honored to sign this contract extension and continue in this position with the team I grew up supporting,” Drury said. “As I said when I began in this role nearly four years ago, there isn’t a more special organization in hockey and I look forward to continuing our work this offseason to help us reach our goals for next season and in the coming years.”
Before being named president and GM, Drury spent six seasons in the Rangers front office. The Trumbull, Connecticut, native was named Director of Player Development on Sept. 4, 2015. On Sept. 2, 2016, he was promoted to assistant general manager, then named associate GM on Feb. 5, 2021. During his time in the Rangers front office, he also served as general manager of their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Drury played the final four of his 12 NHL seasons with the Rangers after signing with them as a free agent on July 1, 2007. He was named 25th captain in franchise history on Oct. 3, 2008, and wore the “C” for his final three seasons before retiring in 2011.
In all, Drury skated in 892 NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, and the Rangers, finishing his career with 615 points (255 goals, 360 assists). He was a member of Colorado’s Stanley Cup-winning team in 2001, and was second in the NHL with 11 goals in 23 games during the title run. Drury won the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in 1998-99, and his teams qualified for the playoffs nine times in his 12 NHL seasons, reaching the conference final six times.
Drury also helped Boston University win the NCAA championship in 1995, was a two-time First-Team All-America selection, and in 1997-98 became the first player in BU history to win the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in NCAA men’s hockey. He also played on two silver medal-winning teams (2002 and 2010) for the United States at the Winter Olympics.
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