Gaborik donned a Rangers sweater for 255 games from 2009-13, after he signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract in the summer of 2009.

Bringing blazing speed and a dynamic scoring touch to a team that desperately needed an offensive playmaker, Gaborik topped the 40-goal mark twice and led the Rangers in points for two of his three full seasons.

The Slovakia native set the bar high in his first season in New York, scoring 42 goals and a career-high 86 points. In 2011-12, he earned his third and final All-Star nod with 41 goals and 76 points, and won MVP honors at the 2012 NHL All-Star Game.

Gaborik’s 42-goal season in 2009-10 ranks fourth among Rangers in the 21st century, trailing only Jaromir Jagr (54), Chris Kreider (52), and Artemi Panarin (49).

But Gaborik’s legacy in New York is defined as much by his production as it is by a tumultuous relationship with former Rangers coach John Tortorella.

“Yeah, it was up and down,” Gaborik admitted last week on Spittin’ Chiclets. “But he played the top guys a lot. He just tried to squeeze the best out of you that he could.”

Gaborik and Tortorella frequently butted heads, as the star forward’s finesse-style game often clashed with the hard-nosed, defense-oriented system Tortorella favored.

One of their most infamous battles came against the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when Tortorella benched his star forward during Game 2 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Final.

“We almost got into a fight,” Gaborik recalled. “I went to block a shot — and I was in a shooting lane. It was going wide, and somebody tipped it in.”

The shot, off the stick of Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador, was redirected by fourth-line center Ryan Carter and beat Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Moments before Carter’s goal, which tied the game 2-2 at 18:09 of the second period, Gaborik also failed to clear the puck from the defensive zone.

“During the intermission, I went to see [athletic trainer Jim Ramsey]. He stretched me out, and ‘Torts’ storms in and he’s saying, ‘you’ve gotta f—ing block the shot.’ I was like, ‘I was in a shooting lane’, and we were this close,” Gaborik said with a smile, pinching his thumb and index finger together.

“And I remember if Mike Rupp wasn’t in the training room, I don’t know what would’ve happened. He stepped in between us and kinda got in the way.”

It’s a familiar tale for Tortorella, who earned a love-hate reputation as a fiery coach who held his players to high standards, particularly on defense.

“I remember walking into the [locker] room, and guys were looking at me because they could hear every f—ing single word,” chuckled Gaborik.

Tortorella benched Gaborik, New York’s leading scorer that season with 41 goals, for the majority of the third period. New Jersey’s David Clarkson delivered the game-deciding goal at 2:31 of the third, and the Devils ultimately won the series in six games, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final on Adam Henrique’s overtime winner.

“Sometimes it was heated,” Gaborik reflected. “But at the same time, I understand you had to have really thick skin to play for Torts because he just tried to push the guys to the limits. He just tried to take [the] maximum that you can bring.”

Tortorella was well known for holding his players to task, both on and off the ice — something Gaborik affirmed during the nearly 90-minute interview.

“About Torts, I remember after s—-y game, coming down to the rink next day, you know that you’re gonna get a f—ing hour of video,” he divulged. “When he was doing his video clips, he used to have subtitles on the bottom before the clip started. So it was something like this: ‘No. 10 — where the f— you think you’re going?’, and then he just ripped you apart.

“At the end of the day, you laugh about it, but it was not very pleasant back then.”

Former Rangers star Marian Gaborik believes ‘everybody should play in New York’

Gaborik’s run with the Rangers concluded on something of a sour note. Thirty-five games into the 2012-13 season, the Rangers traded Gaborik to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a package headlined by center Derrick Brassard.

Though Columbus was one of 10 teams on his no-trade list, Gaborik told Spittin’ Chiclets hosts Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonette, and Keith Yandle that he agreed to sign off on the deal, saying that he no longer felt wanted by the organization.

Despite the disappointing ending, Gaborik maintains positive feelings about his tenure with the Rangers.

“It was fun. I say everybody should play in New York to get experience of playing in the Big Apple, and live there,” he said. “It was amazing. Madison Square Garden and the organization — top notch.”

Gaborik also acknowledged that Tortorella’s coaching style helped prepare him to play for Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter. Under Sutter, Gaborik helped the Kings lift the Stanley Cup in 2014, defeating the Rangers in a five-game Final.

Marian Gaborik had ‘no doubt’ Kings would defeat Rangers in 2014 Stanley Cup Final

Gaborik was traded to the Kings in March 2014 and put up five goals and 16 points in 19 regular-season games. But his biggest impact came in the playoffs. The 31-year-old led all postseason skaters with 14 goals and finished with 22 points in 26 games.

Though it was Alain Vigneault — not Tortorella — behind the bench for the Rangers, Gaborik still exacted revenge on his former team. He scored twice in the Stanley Cup Final and delivered the third-period equalizer in Game 5 before Alec Martinez’s Cup-winning goal in double overtime.

“That was a topic journalists were asking me, playing New York in the Final,” Gaborik recalled. “Coming into that series, I had no f—ing doubt that we were gonna win. It was amazing feeling I had with myself and the team that there’s no chance that we [were] gonna f— this up.”

Ironically, New York had the upper hand initially.

“Then the first game, we’re playing at home — after 15 minutes, we could’ve been down 3-0,” he recollected. “They had like two breakaways, [Chris] Kreider flying, [Benoit] Pouliot flying, they were like flying. [Jonathan Quick] stood on his head, obviously they hit a couple posts as well, but we got kind of lucky.”

Los Angeles rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Rangers 3-2 in overtime. The Kings jumped out to a 3-0 series lead before getting the job done at home in Game 5.

It was an emotional victory for Gaborik, who pondered retiring amid injury issues at the beginning of the 2013-14 season.

“I was going to honestly hang it up,” Gaborik revealed, only returning to the NHL after receiving words of encouragement from his wife. “And six months later, I was f—ing holding the Stanley Cup.”

Two years after coming within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final with the Rangers in 2012, Gaborik hoisted the Stanley Cup for the only time in his 17-year, 1,035-game NHL career.

“I thought that ‘I’m never gonna win the Cup’ when you’re at that age,” he admitted. “With everything that was going on, you really appreciate it that you win later in your career than if you win your first or second year. It was the best feeling ever in sports.”

It was a feeling Lundqvist and that era of Rangers squads never got to experience. 2014 still marks New York’s only appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since raising winning it all in 1994.

Having to watch Gaborik lift the trophy after shipping him away one season prior was merely salt in the wound.

Dubbed “The King” early in his career, Lundqvist was the undisputed No. 1 goalie and face of the Rangers franchise for 15 seasons, beginning in 2005-06. He’s the winningest goalie in Rangers history, and sixth all-time in the NHL, with 459 victories. His six Game 7 victories in the Stanley Cup Playoffs are tied with fellow Hall-of-Famers Martin Brodeur and Patrick Yor for most in League history.

But like any athlete, Lundqvist had some rough patches during his career. He wasn’t perfect.

And Lundqvist revealed on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast that one difficult stretch prompted coach John Tortorella to shred the superstar goalie during a 1-on-1 meeting.

“I was playing good, but then had a few games when I was not very good. I was terrible, OK?,” Lundqvist told co-hosts Paul Bissonnette, Ryan Whitney and Keith Yandle. “And I get a text one day, ‘Hey Hank, Torts wants you in his office tomorrow morning at nine.’ So, I get there and we have this long conversation. ‘I don’t know what you’re doing. Where’s your focus at? I saw you at The Garden watching a show the other night and you’re not playing great,’ and this and that. And there was a list of things he didn’t like.

“He ends with, ‘People treat you like you’re The King around here. Guess what? You’re not The f***ing King!” Then there was a lot of yelling, not from my side, mostly from Torts.”

Woah!

Remember, Tortorella coached the Rangers from 2009-13 during the rise of Lundqvist’s powers, including his Vezina Trophy-winning season in 2011-12. So, that was a serious power play by Torts.

Though not thrilled with the coach’s outburst, there was one thing more than anything which upset Lundqvist. It was the notion that attending a concert on a night off hurt Lundqvist’s focus on doing his job properly.

“I didn’t say much because I knew I didn’t play great,” Lundqvist explained. “I just said, ‘You can never question my commitment to the game.’ I know that in my heart always.”

Related: Keith Yandle explains unspoken Henrik Lundqvist rule he broke after joining Rangers in 2015

Henrik Lundqvist appreciated ‘that energy and fire’ of former Rangers coach John Tortorella

What you need to know about Lundqvist is that — aside from the jab at his focus — he accepted what Tortorella said and didn’t hold a grudge. All in all, the two had a very good relationship.

In fact, Lundqvist told the Spittin’ Chiclets crew that Tortorella is the one coach who impacted him most of the four he played for in New York (also Tom Renney, Alain Vigneault, David Quinn).

“I resonated with him a lot, in terms of that energy and fire. That part I really enjoyed … that part of Torts is what really resonated with me. The fire,” Lundqvist explained. “I love going out into a game and feeling like we’re going to war. And if I had a coach that helped us as a group get there, even better.”

Tortorella certainly was that.

“That passion that he brought to every game, every practice, the speeches, I was fired up for every game.”

And when it came to confrontation with Tortorella — who seemed to thrive on such moments — Lundqvist pointed out one very important factor that helped make Torts such a successful coach.

“That’s the good thing about him, you clear the air and move on. It’s over.”

Though there’s rampant optimism with the Sullivan hire, it’s worth taking a look at the highs and lows, successes and misses with Rangers coaches over the years.

As the Rangers approach their centennial season, we take a look back on their 99 years of coaching history, including some of the best and worst numbers, most successful and least successful coaches, and the coaches who’ve helped the Rangers win the four Stanley Cup championships in franchise history.

Here’s a look at the history of Blueshirts bench bosses.

Related: Mike Sullivan hire by Rangers a ‘home run’: Brian Boyle

Longest-tenured Rangers coaches

1. Emile Francis – 654 games
2. Lester Patrick – 604 games
3. Frank Boucher – 527 games
4. Alain Vigneault – 410 games
5. Tom Renney – 327 games

No surprise here that the longest-tenured coaches go way back, leading the way with Emile Francis and Lester Patrick each coaching more than 600 games. More recently, however, Alain Vigneault earned a spot in the top five by coaching 410 games from 2014-18. Tom Renney also cracks the top five, coaching from 2005-09.

Most wins as Rangers coach

1. Emile Francis – 342
2. Lester Patrick – 281
3. Alain Vigneault – 226
4. Frank Boucher – 181
5. John Tortorella – 171

Coaching the longest goes hand in hand with earning the most wins, which is why this list and the next, most losses, will look pretty similar. Again, Francis, Patrick, Vigneault, and Boucher all find themselves in the top five. But cracking the list is John Tortorella, who earned 171 wins with the Rangers from 2009-13.

Related: Only 1 other coach topped Peter Laviolette in 1st season with Rangers

Most losses as Rangers coach

1. Frank Boucher – 263
2. Lester Patrick – 216
3. Emile Francis – 209
4. Alain Vigneault – 147
5. Phil Watson – 124

Best Rangers coaching records by points percentage

1. Mike Keenan – .667 (52-24-8)
2. Gerard Gallant – .662 (99-46-19)
3. Peter Laviolette – .607 (94-59-11)
4. Emile Francis – .602 (342-209, 103 ties)
5. Alain Vigneault – .596 (226-147-37)

Worst Rangers coaching records by points percentage

1. Alf Pike – .378 (36-66-21)
2. Red Sullivan – .385 (58-103-35)
3. Tom Webster – .389 (5-9-4)
4. Bill Cook – .393 (34-59-24)
5. Muzz Patrick – .415 (43-66-27)

Most Rangers games coached in postseason

1. Emile Francis – 75
2. Lester Patrick – 65
3. Alain Vigneault – 61
4. John Tortorella – 44
5. Colin Campbell – 36
6. Roger Neilson – 29
7. Frank Boucher – 27 *Won Stanley Cup 1940
8. Gerard Gallant – 27
9. Fred Shero – 27
10. Tom Renney/Herb Brooks – 24

Best Rangers playoff record by coach (points percentage)

1. Mike Keenan – .696 (16-7) *Won Stanley Cup 1994
2. Peter Laviolette – .625 (10-6)
3. Lynn Patrick – .583 (7-5)
4. Fred Shero – .556 (15-12)
5. Lester Patrick – .546 (32-26-7) *Won Stanley Cup 1928, 1933

Worst Rangers playoff record by coach (points percentage)

1. David Quinn – .000 (0-3)
2. Phil Esposito – .200 (2-8)
3. Phil Watson – .250 (4-12)
4. Doug Harvey – .333 (2-4)
5. Jean-Guy Talbot – .333 (1-2)

Related: Dave Maloney explains why former Rangers coach Jean-Guy Talbot was ‘colorful character’

New York Rangers Stanley Cup Winners

Lester Patrick: 1927-28, 1932-33

Lester Patrick guided the New York Rangers to their first Stanley Cup championship in 1927-28, their second season in the NHL. The Rangers played 44 regular-season games, and were 19-16-9, followed by nine playoff games. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, splitting the series 1-1 but winning 6-4 on aggregate goals. They were 1-0-1 against the Boston Bruins, but again won on aggregate goals, 5-2. That earned them a trip to the best-of-5 Stanley Cup Final, where they rallied from a 2-1 series deficit to defeat the Montreal Maroons 3-2 despite playing all five games at the Montreal Forum.

Patrick led the Rangers to their second championship in 1932-33 after a 48-game regular season in when they finished 23-17-8. The Rangers were 1-0-1 against the Montreal Canadiens, winning 8-5 on aggregate goals, and defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 in a best-of-3 Semifinal series. The Final was again a best-of-5, and the Rangers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1. Andy Aitkenhead shut out the Maple Leafs 1-0 in the clincher, when Bill Cook scored the only goal.

Frank Boucher: 1939-40

Frank Boucher, who was named coach after the 1938-39 season when Patrick opted to focus solely on being general manager, led the Rangers to the Stanley Cup in his first season. The Rangers played 48 regular-season games, finishing 27-11-10 and coming in second to the Boston Bruins in the seven-team NHL. By now, all playoff series were best-of-7, and the Rangers defeated the Bruins in six games in the Semifinals. Despite playing only two home games (the circus had first call on dates at Madison Square Garden in those days), they again defeated the Maple Leafs in six games to win the Stanley Cup for the third time in franchise history. Bryan Hextall scored 2:07 into overtime to give New York a 3-2 victory in Game 6 and its third championship in 14 seasons since joining the NHL in 1926.

Mike Keenan: 1993-94

It took 54 years before Mike Keenan helped deliver the fourth Stanley Cup in team history in 1993-94. New York won the Presidents’ Trophy as the regular-season champion with a 52-24-8 record in an 84-game season. They swept the New York Islanders in the opening round and blitzed the Washington Capitals in five games in Round 2. The New Jersey Devils were a tough out, but the Rangers came back from down 3-2 in the series to win in seven, taking the deciding game 2-1 in double overtime on a goal by Stephane Matteau. They raced to a 3-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final against the Vancouver Canucks, lost the next two games, then won 3-2 in Game 7 for a championship that, in the words of Sam Rosen, “would last a lifetime.”

This not a surprise, of course. Chris Drury has coveted the two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach ever since he was named general manager in May 2021. Drury pursued Sullivan before hiring Gerard Gallant in 2021 and Peter Laviolette in 2023. Each time, Sullivan remained coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

When Sullivan parted ways with the Penguins earlier this week after 10 seasons, he immediately became the favorite to replace the fired Laviolette and fill the Rangers vacancy.

Sullivan reportedly makes more than $5 million annually on a lucrative extension he signed with the Penguins in 2023. Kaplan made it seem like he will zoom past that amount with the Rangers.

“It is expected to be one of the richest coaching contracts in NHL history,” Kaplan posted on X (formerly Twitter).

There are several coaching openings in the NHL, outside of the Penguins. So, Sullivan has options. But a return to the Rangers, where he was an assistant under John Tortorella from 2009-13, has been expected by NHL insiders since his departure from the Penguins.

Elliotte Friedman spoke for many when he said Monday, “Until someone beats the Rangers out for Sullivan’s services, that’s who I’m picking … He’s their No. 1.”

Added Frank Seravalli on the Daily Cuppa Hockey podcast, “The Rangers will have their coach by the end of this week,” likely alluding to Sullivan.

The 57-year-old guided the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017, his first two seasons as their coach. Sullivan is the coaching wins leader in Penguins history with a record of 409-255-89, and the 14th coach all-time in the NHL to win 400 games with one team.

Sullivan also coached the Boston Bruins from 2003-06, and his 479 wins are 32nd in NHL history.

WATCH Mollie Walker interview on RINK RAP podcast at Forever Blueshirts YouTube page

Rangers could reunite with former coach John Tortorella in different role

In an intriguing twist, Kaplan and Kevin Weekes are reporting that Tortorella could return to the Rangers as Sullivan’s assistant, a role reversal for them behind the Blueshirts bench. Tortorella was an assistant when Sullivan coached the United States at the 4 Nations Face-off in February, so it’s not without precedent.

“Sounds like John Tortorella is a strong possibility to re-join the organization as well,” Kaplan posted on X.

Tortorella was fired as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers on March 27. His 171 wins with the Rangers are fifth most by a coach in franchise history; and his 770 wins with five teams is ninth all-time in the NHL, and second most among United States-born coaches, behind Laviolette (846).

In 2011-12 with Tortorella as coach and Sullivan his top assistant, the Rangers won 51 games and had 109 points to finish first in the Atlantic Division. The Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final, losing in six games to the New Jersey Devils.

Sullivan was also Tortorella’s assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vancouver Canucks.

If Tortorella returns to the Rangers, this would be his third tenure with the organization. He also was an assistant under John Muckler in 1999-2000, and finished that season as interim coach for four games (0-3 with one tie) after Muckler was fired.

In one final twist, Drury played for Tortorella and Sullivan in his final two NHL seasons with the Rangers from 2009-11.

Tortorella is a polarizing figure. Abrasive. No-nonsense. Combative. Effective.

He guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2004 and has the ninth-most wins (770) in NHL history. Only Laviolette has more wins among United States-born coaches in League history; he’s seventh overall with 841.

His 171 wins with the Rangers are fifth-most in franchise history, and his .583 points percentage with them is the sixth-best mark.

Tortorella coached the Rangers for the final four games of the 1999-2000 season after John Muckler was fired. He returned in the 2007-08 campaign after Tom Renney was relieved of his duties. In 319 regular-season games with the Rangers, Tortorella was 171-118-29 with one tie. He also guided the Rangers to the 2012 Eastern Conference Final where they lost in six games to the New Jersey Devils, and was 19-25 in 44 Stanley Cup Playoff games coaching them.

He was fired after the 2013 playoffs, when players complained about him in exit interviews.

Since then, Tortorella coached the Vancouver Canucks (for one controversial season), Columbus Blue Jackets and Flyers.

Now, at the age of 66 and 12 years after being dismissed by a different management group, is a reunion with Tortorella a good idea?

Related: John Tortorella fired by Flyers after damning comments earlier in the week

Assessing whether Rangers should fire Peter Laviolette, hire John Tortorella as coach

Members of the Forever Blueshirts staff weigh in on the two part question: should the Rangers fire Peter Laviolette and bring back John Tortorella as their coach?

Jim Cerny – Executive Editor

Let me start with this: Call me crazy, but I think Peter Laviolette returns as Rangers coach next season. If I’m wrong and he doesn’t, I do believe the Rangers must at least consider John Tortorella as his replacement. Ultimately, I would pass on a Torts reunion, though.

Listen, Tortorella would bring the accountability this team needs and is a good fit for a team that has immediate championship aspirations. It’s doubtful the Rangers would have as many no-show performances with Torts behind the bench. They’d compete. But only for a season or two. So, the Rangers would have to win the Stanley Cup quickly after his hire, or else it’d go south quickly.

Replacing a more stern coach with another — as it would be going from Laviolette to Tortorella — would be an unconventional move. But these players don’t need nor deserve another players coach, like Gerard Gallant.

General manager Chris Drury knows Tortorella well enough since he played for him as Rangers captain. Torts has mellowed since then. But I don’t think Drury would or should turn to a Tortorella reunion to fix the issues with this team. If he fires Laviolette, this would be his third coaching hire in four years, and likely his last as GM. If I’m him, i don’t trust that next move to be Tortorella.

Torts checks some boxes, but I don’t like the feel of it. I say no to his return.

John Kreiser – Senior Writer

There’s no rational way that firing Laviolette is a good decision right now. Axing him and bringing back Tortorella would be sheer madness.

I remember being at Peter’s first press conference, when the Islanders hired him in 2001. He coached them to their first playoff berth in eight years in 2001-02, got them to the postseason again in 2002-03 – and was fired. It was the start of a career that has seen him have a great record of short-term success — including a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, leading an undermanned Flyers team to the Final in 2010 and getting the Nashville Predators within two wins of the Cup in 2017. He stepped into a messy situation when he arrived on Broadway in 2023 and promptly led the Rangers to the best regular season in their history, the Presidents’ Trophy and the Eastern Conference Final. He hasn’t won 841 games by accident.

This season hasn’t been nearly as good, and I can see there’s a case for letting him go after the way the Rangers fell apart in mid-November and have never completely recovered. His systems don’t work nearly as well this season, and the special teams have fallen into a black hole. The overall compete level has been spotty. Several key vets have seen their game regress, and Igor Shesterkin’s play is the only thing that’s kept the Rangers in the race for a playoff berth.

But Torts is not the answer. He’s a terrific coach – but not for this team, at this time.

Dane Walsh – Staff Writer

Bringing back John Tortorella would be a big mistake for the Rangers. Look how he’s handled his young players in Philadelphia. You have Matvei Michkov who’s primed to become a star in the league, but he gets punished with fourth-line minutes, and is even scratched at times. Same goes for Cam York. With key youngsters like Brennan Othmann and Brett Berard, and with Gabe Perreault soon to be looking to make an impact for the Rangers, Tortorella is not the guy for the job.

The Rangers have been historically bad over the past several years developing young talent. Laviolette is not great in this area, but he’s not abusive toward the youngsters like Tortorella can be. If they move on from Laviolette, they need to bring in a fresh face that can help all of the team grow. Look at a guy like Spencer Carberry and what he’s done with the Washington Capitals. That’s the direction the Rangers should take.

Eric Charles – Staff Writer

It’s fair to ask if this inconsistent and undisciplined Rangers team could use a Broadway reunion with Torts. The way I see it, though, wrong place at the wrong time. 

After a strong start to the season, the Rangers hit a roadblock in late November that’s been heavily documented. A team that for the first year-plus under Laviolette found ways to win now finds ways to lose. It’s fair to blame Laviolette. A move to Torts might have made sense if he were available in say, December or January, when this was still a team of veterans who were underachieving. Even after acquiring J.T. Miller, whose mindset is not so different from Torts, a reunion with the former coach doesn’t feel at all like a good fit.

A culture change needs to be addressed this offseason in order for this group to be a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference once again. While Torts’ ideologies of doing whatever it takes to win should be present in the locker room, I don’t see how the Rangers’ younger players will thrive with him at the helm. We’ve seen how the roller-coaster Michkov experiment has gone with Torts this season in Philly. Simply put, Tortorella instills a strong culture, but he doesn’t cultivate young talent to reach their full potential.

Laviolette’s days may be numbered, but his replacement should be someone who can bring the best out of both veterans and younger core players. I don’t think Tortorella can adapt enough to succeed with the entirety of the Rangers’ roster.

The Flyers relieved Tortorella of his duties and named associate coach Brad Shaw as interim coach, effective immediately.

Philadelphia is 28-36-9, last in the Metropolitan Division and 28th in the 32-team league. The Flyers are 0-5-1 in their past six games and 1-10-1 in their previous 12 entering a Thursday night home game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Tortorella, who coached the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004, was in his third season with Philadelphia. The Flyers are all but assured of missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth straight season.

“It’s my job to prepare this team in this type of situation,” Tortorella said Tuesday. “Haven’t done a good enough job the past couple games.”

OFFICIAL: The Flyers have relieved John Tortorella of his duties as head coach. Philadelphia Flyers Associate Coach, Brad Shaw, has been named interim head coach and will assume duties immediately. https://t.co/qJuAybRMFT pic.twitter.com/saaH0u62lT

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 27, 2025

The Flyers allowed seven goals in each of their past two games, losses to the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs. They haven’t won in regulation since Feb. 25, when they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-1.

In addition, major personnel moves prior to the NHL Trade Deadline – including trading Scott Laughton, Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost, among others – left the team in a sense of disarray heading down the stretch..

“I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we’re at right now,” Tortorella said 36 hours before being fired.

He had one year left on his contract for $4 million.

“Today I made the very difficult decision to move on from John as our head coach,” Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said. “John played a vital role in our rebuild. He set a standard of play and re-established what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer. John’s passion on the bench was only equaled by his charitable work in our community. As we move into the next chapter of this rebuild, I felt this was the best for our team to move forward. I’d like to thank John for his tireless work and commitment to the Flyers.”

Latest Rangers news: Breaking down why power play could be on verge of breakout

The Flyers were 97-107-33 under Tortorella. They came close to making the playoffs last season, finishing 38-33-11 and ending up four points behind the Washington Capitals for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia has not made the playoffs going 41-21-7 in 2019-20.

Ex-Rangers coach Tortorella fired by slumping Flyers

The 1999-2000 Rangers were Tortorella’s first coaching stop; they were 0-3-1 in the final four games of the season after he replaced John Muckler. The Lightning hired him midway through the 2000-01 season, and he led the franchise to its first championship three years later, winning the Cup by defeating the Calgary Flames 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Lightning fired Tortorella after missing the playoffs in 2007-08, and he returned to the Rangers midway through the following season. They finished first in the Eastern Conference in 2011-12 with a 51-24-7 record and won their first two playoff rounds, defeating the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals by winning Game 7 each time, before losing to the New Jersey Devils in six games in the Eastern Conference Final.

The Rangers made the playoffs again in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season and defeated the Capitals in the first round, again winning in seven games, before being eliminated by the Boston Bruins in a five-game second-round series.

That was the end of Tortorella’s time in New York; he was fired despite going 171-115-29.

He was quickly hired by the Vancouver Canucks but lasted only one season. After serving as a TV commentator during the 2014-15 season, he went back behind the bench with the Columbus Blue Jackets early in the 2015-16 season.

The Jackets, who entered the NHL in 2000, made the playoffs in four consecutive seasons under Tortorella and set team records for wins (50) and points (108) in 2016-17. They also pulled off one of the greatest playoff upsets in NHL history in the spring of 2019, sweeping the Lightning in the first round after Tampa Bay had tied an NHL single-season record with 62 wins and won the Presidents’ Trophy with 128 points. Columbus was the first team to sweep a regular-season champion in the opening round of the playoffs.

But Tortorella was fired after the Blue Jackets missed the playoffs in the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season.

After a season on the sidelines, the Flyers became the 66-year-old’s fifth coaching stop when he was hired in the summer of 2022. Philadelphia went 31-38-13 in his first season, then came close to a playoff berth in 2023-24 and was in the hunt for a wild-card spot this season before collapsing after play resumed in late February following the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Shaw, a 60-year-old former NHL defenseman, is in his third season with the Flyers after joining their coaching staff in July 2022. He spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks after five seasons (2016-21) as an assistant with the Blue Jackets, helping them earn a playoff berth four times during that span.

This time, it’s the Philadelphia Flyers who will try to slow down the Rangers while enhancing their own playoff position. The Flyers are tied with the Rangers at 50 points, 11th in the East, just two points out of the second wild card.

The Rangers (23-20-4) snagged five of a possible six points against conference rivals in their past three games. They shut out both the Columbus Blue Jackets (1-0 in a shootout) and Ottawa Senators (5-0 on Tuesday), sandwiched around a 5-4 overtime loss Sunday in Montreal to the Canadiens.

New York carries a season-long nine-game point streak (6-0-3) into play Thursday. Philly is 5-0-1 in its past six and has won three in a row.

Related: Rangers Daily — Something’s got to give against Flyers, Kirill Kaprizov back for Wild

3 things to watch for when Rangers host Flyers

1. Did it once, do it again

The Rangers thoroughly dominated the Senators in every facet of the game Tuesday. They dictated how the game was played, spent a lot of time in the offensive zone, scored off the rush, were physical, limited Ottawa to 20 shots on goal, scored two power-play goals, killed off both Ottawa power plays and didn’t surrender a single shot on goal on the PK. The outcome of this game never felt in doubt, even when the score was 1-0 after one period and 2-0 after two.

Simply, the Rangers looked like a quality playoff team against the Senators. Now, they need to show another younger team in the hunt who’s boss again. The Rangers must follow up that terrific two-way game with another Thursday. Double down. Break the Flyers will, just as they did against the Senators.

2. Finish Flyers off

The Flyers are not the most skilled team. They are not the best defensively. Nor does their goaltending intimidate the opposition. Their special teams are mediocre. But they battle, scratch and claw for everything they get. They are, after all, coached by John Tortorella.

The Flyers do not give in easily. In fact they are a decent 7-10-1 when trailing after one period this season. More impressive is their 6-15-1 mark when trailing after two periods. Keep in mind that the Rangers are 1-17-1 when down after 40 minutes of play.

This reverts to the first key. The Rangers must take away the will of the Flyers. Pull away, give them no thought of a comeback in a close game. Finish them off.

3. Ride the hot hand

Igor Shesterkin starts for the seventh time in the past eight games after being activated from IR. Since missing four games with an upper-body injury, Shesterkin is 5-0-1 and allowed nine goals. He has back-to-back shutouts and is tied for fourth in the NHL with three shutouts this season.

It’s no surprise that coach Peter Laviolette rides the hot hand again Thursday. Especially with a spread-out schedule, it’s easy to see Shesterkin also starting Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche and Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The next time we may see Jonathan Quick in his quest to become the 15th NHL goalie to win 400 games could be the first weekend in February, when the Rangers play a back to back. But right, now there’s no reason to mess with a good thing — and Shesterkin is better than good at the moment.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Panarin – Trocheck – Lafreniere

Cuylle – Zibanejad – Smith

Kreider – Chytil – Kaliyev

Edstrom – Carrick – Rempe

Lindgren – Fox

Miller – Borgen

Vaakanainen – Schneider

Shesterkin

Quick

Rangers vs. Flyers: When, where, what time, how to watch

Who: New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers

When: Thursday Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG

The former Rangers coach has the Flyers (22-20-6) even with the Blueshirts in the standings, each team with 50 points. Philly is on a six-game point streak (5-0-1) and won three straight following a 2-1 overtime victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.

Of course, the Rangers (23-20-4) are humming along right now with a season-long nine-game point streak (6-0-3). They’re coming a terrific 60-minute effort in a 5-0 win against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.

Something’s got to give Thursday at MSG in this ever-increasing tight race in the East.

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New York Rangers news

Tom Castro dives into why the surging Rangers do not need to trade for J.T. Miller, but still need to tweak the roster.

Good on Matt Rempe. He’s certainly had his share of ups and downs, but appears to be in a good place on the Rangers’ fourth line now, complete with a big goal against the Senators on Tuesday.

Peter Laviolette really liked how the Rangers “hung together” and stood up for Igor Shesterkin in that scrum with Ottawa the other night.

Will Cuylle has taken on more responsibility in a top-six role with the Rangers, and is doing quite well, thank you very much.

A pair of Rangers forward prospects are nominees for the 2025 Hobey Baker Award as the top men’s player in NCAA hockey. Gabe Perreault of Boston College and Noah Laba of Colorado College are among the nominees named Wednesday.

Also, if you missed it, here are our three takeaways from the Rangers impressive 5-0 win against the Senators.

NHL news

The New Jersey Devils suffered a massive blow with the news that goalie Jacob Markstrom will “miss some time” with an unspecified injury after leaving a 5-1 win against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday following a goal-mouth collision. Here’s how the Markstrom injury affects the Rangers.

The Minnesota Wild will have leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov back in the lineup Thursday when they host the Utah Hockey Club. Kaprizov was activated from long-term IR after he missed 13 games with a lower-body injury. Captain Jared Spurgeon will also return from a lower-body injury. The defenseman hasn’t played since Dec. 31.

Matthew Knies sustained an upper-body injury after a second-period collision against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday and did not return for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who lost 5-1.

Watch Adam Fantilli of the Blue Jackets record the first hat trick of his NHL career.

Former Rangers defenseman Neal Pionk scored 17 seconds into overtime to lift the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 win against the Avalanche.

Check out Pionk’s OT game-winner.

Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves to help the Los Angeles Kings slip past the Florida Panthers 2-1.

Unfortunately for the Rangers, success stories with their coaches are not easy to come by in the 21st century, as the past 24 years are littered with more misses than hits. That comes with the territory when you haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1994.

The Rangers have had 10 different coaches since 2000. Here’s a complete ranking from best to worst.

Related: Only 1 other coach topped Peter Laviolette in 1st season with Rangers

Ranking Rangers coaches in 21st century

There have been 23 NHL seasons played since the turn of the century, with the 2004-05 season canceled by a lockout. The Rangers have made the playoffs 15 times since 2000, reaching the Eastern Conference Final five times and the Stanley Cup Final once, in 2014. Eight times they failed to reach the postseason.

Let’s breakdown the work of the Rangers coaches since 2000.

10. Bryan Trottier — 2002-03, 54 games, .454 PTS%

Bryan Trottier isn’t just the worst Rangers coach since 2000 — he’s got a strong case for the worst coach in franchise history.

General manager Glen Sather’s hiring of the New York Islanders legend drew the ire of both Islanders and Rangers fans, the latter of which was further aggravated by the on-ice product.

Trottier was in over his head from the start, unprepared and uncomfortable in the role, and was fired after just 54 games in 2002-03 with the Blueshirts posting a 21-26-6-1 record in that span. Opting to play within a defensive-focused neutral zone trap that limited the team’s scoring capabilities, he limited the offensive potential of Hall of Famers like Mark Messier, Eric Lindros, and Pavel Bure.

Lindros went from scoring 37 goals under a full season with coach Ron Low the year before to just 15 in 54 games with Trottier.

The Rangers played above .500 in the final 28 games under Sather, who replaced Trottier as coach, but still finished under .500 and fourth in the division and out of the playoffs. It was a bold move entrusting the reigns to Trottier, not just a rival legend but someone who had never been an NHL head coach before and would never get the opportunity again. It ended up being one of the worst moves in franchise history.

9. John Muckler — 1998-2000, 185 games, .451 PTS%

John Muckler’s tenure marks the downturn of the Rangers in the late 90s and the beginning of one of the worst periods in recent franchise memory. Taking over for Colin Campbell in 1998, Muckler lasted two and a half seasons, never once posting a .500 record before being replaced by assistant John Tortorella for the final four games of the 1999-2000 season.

Muckler’s .451 points percentage is the lowest of any Rangers coach since 2000. After the Rangers were 8-15-2 with Muckler at the helm to close out the 1997-98 season, the Rangers finished fourth in the five-team Atlantic Division in back-to-back seasons, culminating in the coach’being fired, along with Stanley Cup-winning general manager Neil Smith.

Enjoying success with the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres previously, Muckler was never able to translate it to a Rangers’ roster that had the highest payroll in the NHL and a number of big free-agent signings that didn’t quite pan out.

It’s likely not all the fault of the Stanley Cup champion that an aging roster failed to miss the playoffs in his two-and-a-half seasons, but it doesn’t change the fact that Muckler’s Rangers teams greatly underperformed expectations and simply were no good. Muckler never coached again in the NHL.

8. Glen Sather — 2003-04, 90 games, .467 PTS%

After failing to find the right fit with Trottier and Ron Low, Sather, who was the Rangers general manager, stepped into the coaching role himself, taking over for the fired Trottier and staying into the 2003-04 season before ultimately selecting Tom Renney as his replacement.

His success with the Wayne Gretzky-era Oilers, when he won four Stanley Cup championships as coach, didn’t carry over and despite finishing the first season with an 11-10-4-3 record after Trottier’s dismissal, the Blueshirts dipped back below .500 with Sather in 2003-04, playing to a 22-29-7-4 record in his 62 games as coach that season.

Sather’s stint as coach marked the end of the Rangers’ run with their aging core. In his role as GM, Sather traded away Rangers legend Brian Leetch, as well as big pieces like Alex Kovalev and Petr Nedved.

7. Ron Low — 2000-02, 164 games, .463 PTS%

Ron Low was the successor to Muckler, continuing a dark era of Rangers hockey as the Rangers finished fourth in the Atlantic twice more, missing the playoffs for the fourth and fifth straight seasons.

Low drew a resurgent 79-point season from the 32-year-old Leetch and got strong individual years from Theo Fleury, Nedved, and Lindros in his two seasons as coach, but it never reflected in a competitive record.

His 80-point season in 2001-02 ended up being the high point in the Blueshirts’ seven-year postseason drought that spanned from 1998-2004, so he settles in above Trottier, Muckler, and Sather, but it’s a low bar and not great company to keep. Just another former Oilers coach that faild on Broadway.

6. David Quinn — 2018-21, 208 games, .522 PTS%

David Quinn took over in the first full season following the release of The Letter by Sather, then team president, and GM Jeff Gorton, which informed fans about the Rangers intent to sell core pieces and begin a rebuild. Understandably, Quinn’s three seasons were rough since he bridged an ugly gap between the highly competitive mid-2010s teams and the current Rangers.

The Blueshirts finished seventh in the Metropolitan Division in his first two seasons, landing the No. 2 and No. 1 overall picks in consecutive seasons, despite showing real promise in 2019-20 and qualifying for the expanded 24-team postseason. A regression in 2020-21 led to his firing at the end of the season and concluded his Rangers tenure in dismal fashion.

Despite the lack of on-ice success from a team perspective, Quinn did facilitate important developments that paid dividends in future seasons.

Under Quinn, Adam Fox blossomed into a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman, and K’Andre Miller and Ryan Lindgren blossomed into core pieces. Igor Shesterkin took over as the No. 1 goalie, although the bulk of credit there goes to goaltender guru Benoit Allaire.

Mika Zibanejad enjoyed some excellent seasons under Quinn, who paired him with Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich to great success. Quinn also notably paired Fox and Lindgren together, which has become an effective staple of the Blueshirts backend to this day.

Quinn left plenty to be desired with his development of young forwards and outlasted his welcome with his strict coaching style, but nonetheless helped set the foundation for the latest iterations of successful Rangers teams.

5. Gerard Gallant — 2021-23, 164 games, .662 PTS%

Gerard Gallant is the third most successful coach by points percentage in franchise history, his two-year tenure in New York leaves a tumultuous and complicated legacy.

Gallant succeeded where Quinn failed, taking the Rangers out of rebuilding purgatory and making them a certified contender with a 110-point season and a trip to the Eastern Conference Final in his first year at the helm in 2021-22.

That season was a nice surprise, one that reframed expectations for the current squad. But the Blueshirts struggled to find their footing the following season. They still finished third in the Metropolitan Division with 107 points but failed to make the most of a star-studded roster, falling to the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the playoffs after blowing a 2-0 series lead.

Gallant leaned heavily on his veterans and did little to facilitate the development of young forwards like Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko, and was criticized mightily for his lack of on-ice strategic adjustments, particularly in the postseason. His relationship with players, as well as GM Chris Drury, deteriorated, and he was fired despite back-to-back 100-point seasons.

4. Tom Renney — 2004-09, 327 games, .572 PTS%

Tom Renney helped the Rangers end a seven-year postseason drought, qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in every season after officially assuming the head coaching role following the lockout.

Led by MVP-level play from Jaromir Jagr, who set franchise records with 54 goals and 123 points in 2005-06, and the emergence of Henrik Lundqvist as an elite No. 1 goaltender, the Rangers were once again a competitive team and finished with between 94 and 100 points from 2005 to 2009.

Renney was never able to get the Blueshirts past the second round of the playoffs and came under fire for his constant juggling of lines, particularly towards the end of his time in New York. He also received blame for his perceived misuse of Petr Prucha, who scored 30 goals in his rookie campaign but saw his production dip in the years to come as he failed to live up to his promising start.

Still, Renney brought the Rangers out of the longest postseason drought in franchise history and ushered in the Lundqvist era.

3. John Tortorella — 2000 / 2009-13, 319 games, .583 PTS%

The polarizing John Tortorella was — if nothing else — entertaining to watch on and off the ice. “You either love him or you hate him” is a phrase that applies better to few people in the hockey world than Torts.

But beyond his often edgy personality and spats with the media, Tortorella helped forge a tough and gritty identity for the Rangers, culminating in some very successful seasons in the early 2010s. With players like Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Dan Girardi, Derek Stepan, and Carl Hagelin coming into their own, the Blueshirts became one of the fiercest defensive teams to play against.

His high mark came in 2011-12 when the Rangers finished first in the Atlantic Division with 107 points and reached Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final before falling to the Devils. It remains a surprise to many that he didn’t win the Jack Adams Award for his work that season.

Tortorella is rightly criticized for his treatment of Marian Gaborik, who he pushed to be traded because he didn’t believe the talented wing could succeed in the playoffs. Gaborik would do just that in 2014, scoring a team-high 14 goals for the Los Angeles Kings en-route to the Stanley Cup championship, taking down his former team in the process.

His hard-nosed attitude and open criticism through the media likely wore off on the team by his final season and the Rangers ultimately had their best seasons after he was fired, but the identity he established was a good fit for New York and helped the development of numerous young pieces who became key players by the mid-2010s.

2. Peter Laviolette — 2023-present, 82 games, .695 PTS%

If Laviolette stepped down today, his .695 points percentage would be the highest in the Rangers’ 97-year history. Winning the Presidents’ Trophy with a franchise-record 55 wins and 114 points, Laviolette set a high bar in his first season.

The magical year ended in the Eastern Conference Final when the Blueshirts were outclassed in six games by the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Still, Laviolette was a refreshing change from Gallant, implementing rigorous but engaging practices and active strategic adjustments that routinely worked out.

On top of career years from Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, Laviolette entrusted Lafreniere with top-six minutes, allowing the former No. 1 overall pick to blossom with a 28-goal, 57-point season and an eight-goal postseason that breeds excitement for his future.

Whether or not he can get the Blueshirts over the hump and into the Stanley Cup Final remains to be seen, but Laviolette has quickly ingratiated himself with Rangers fans after his inaugural season.

1. Alain Vigneault — 2013-2018, 410 games, .596 PTS%, 1 SCF appearance

It’s hard to argue for anyone over Alain Vigneault considering the Rangers lone appearance in a Stanley Cup Final since 1994 came during his tenure.

After finishing second in the Metro with 96 points, Vigneault took the Blueshirts to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final in his first season, falling to the Kings in five games. The following season, the Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy with a then-franchise record 113-point season, this time losing in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final after crucial injuries to Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh.

Despite two more 100-point seasons, the Rangers would not return to the conference final, losing in the first and second round the next two years before missing the playoffs entirely and finishing dead last in the division in his fifth and final season, after the Rangers traded McDonagh, J.T. Miller, and Rick Nash among others ahead of the deadline.

Like many of the coaches on this list, the ending was not pretty for Vigneault, who struggled with the handling of young talent and was reluctant to entrust players like Miller, Kevin Hayes, and Buchnevich with ice time despite the fact that the team needed to become more reliant on their young guns.

But nevertheless, he finished with 226 wins, third-most in Rangers history, and remains the only coach to lead the Blueshirts to a Stanley Cup Final since Mike Keenan did so in 1994.

Campbell was elected in the builders category, mainly for his work at the executive level in the NHL league office, where he’s currently an executive vice-president for the NHL and its director of hockey operations.

The former NHL defenseman was an associate coach with the Rangers under Roger Neilson for two seasons beginning in 1991-92. He then held the same position in 1993-94 under Mike Keenan when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup.

After Keenan left the Rangers, Campbell replaced him as coach for three-plus seasons, before joining the League’s front office.

Welcome to the Hockey Hall of Fame, ​Colin Campbell.#HHOF2024 | #HHOF pic.twitter.com/1wgmUa2llI

— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) June 25, 2024

Campbell is the 65th person with Rangers ties in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He joins Henrik Lundqvist, enshrined in 2023, and Kevin Lowe, in 2020, as the most recent Blueshirt inductees.

In all, 55 players and 10 builders with a connection to the Rangers are in the HHOF.

Unless there’s a shift in thinking regarding Mike Richter, or even John Vanbiesbrouck, it could be a while before another Blueshirt gains entry into the Hall.

Related: Rangers showing ‘serious interest’ in Ducks forward: report

Rangers next options to join Hockey Hall of Fame

On the current roster, it’s a bit too early anoint Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox or even Artemi Panarin a sure-fire future Hall of Famer. Shesterkin’s Vezina Trophy in 2022, Fox’s Norris Trophy the season before and Panarin’s sustained regular-season brilliance at least raise hopes each will one day reach the greatest of heights in the sport. Of course, some more hardware — the Stanley Cup (cough, cough) — would enhance each resume.

So, removing those three from the equation for now, let’s examine some options about who could be the next person with Rangers ties enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Jonathan Quick

Jonathan Quick is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and the winningest United States-born goalie in NHL history (393 wins). He has the second-most wins among active goalies (Sergei Bobrovsky, 396) and only 14 goalies are ahead of him on the all-time NHL wins list.

In short, he’s going to be in the Hall of Fame one day.

But for now, the 38-year-old is the No. 2 goalie for the Rangers behind Shesterkin, and had a renaissance season in 2023-24. So, there’s retirement talk just yet. But when he does hang ’em up, Quick will be immortalized in Toronto.

Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane played only 26 games with the Rangers (19 regular season, seven playoffs) after they acquired him ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. Playing through a hip injury that required significant surgery following that season, Kane totaled 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) with the Blueshirts and eventually signed with the Detroit Red Wings last season.

Like Quick, though, Kane is a no-doubt Hall of Famer. He’s also a three-time Stanley Cup champion, one with a Hart Trophy, Calder Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy and Art Ross Trophy on his lengthy resume. With 1,284 career points, Kane trails only Mike Modano for most by a United States-born skater in the NHL.

An unrestricted free agent July 1, there’s been some talk about a Rangers reunion with Kane next season.

Doug Weight

Speaking of great United States-born players in NHL history, consider Doug Weight. Though not nearly as dynamic as Kane, Weight had 1,033 points in 1,238 games, eighth most by a U.S.-born skater in NHL history, five more than his former Rangers teammate Brian Leetch. The Rangers selected Wight in the second round of the 1990 NHL Draft and he played two seasons in New York before being shipped to the Edmonton Oilers for Esa Tikkanen, who helped the Blueshirts win the Stanley Cup in 1994.

Weight helped the Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup in 2006 and won the King Clancy Trophy in 2011. Some consider him a compiler of stats since he only had one 100-point season and topped 80 points only three times. But he’s in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and has an outside shot at landing in Toronto.

Peter Laviolette

Peter Laviolette just led the Rangers to the most wins (55) and points (114) in franchise history. Not a bad start to his tenure on Broadway. But he’s been all about winning in his career. Laviolette is the winningest U.S.-born coach in NHL history, and seventh all-time, with 807 victories. He needs just 43 wins to pass Ken Hitchcock for sixth place all-time.

Laviolette led the Hurricanes to their only Stanley Cup championship in 2006.

John Tortorella

If we’re considering Laviolette, than John Tortorella must be included on this list too. The former Rangers coach, who now is behind the Philadelphia Flyers bench, is the second-winningest U.S.-born coach in NHL history, and ninth all-time, with 742 victories. He needs just 41 wins to pass Al Arbour for eighth place.

Tortorella guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2004.

Mike Keenan

Mike Keenan is a more controversial, and debatable, Hall of Fame candidate. He famously led the Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup championship and won 672 games as coach with eight teams, 15th most in League history. He’s the only NHL coach to take three different teams to the STanley Cup Final, though he only won with New York.

On the International stage, Keenan coached Canada to a Canada Cup championship in 1987 and won the Gagarin Cup with Metallurg in the KHL in 2014. He’s the only coach to win championships in both the NHL and KHL.