What a week this has been for the New York Rangers.
It’s only Wednesday, but they’ve been in the middle of one of the biggest controversies of the NHL season, proceeded to toss gasoline on the fire and now they’ve canned their two top executives.
According to multiple reports, first being the New York Post‘s Larry Brooks, the Rangers on Wednesday fired president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton.
The Rangers were eliminated from the postseason Monday night. It was on that night that Tom Wilson committed his now-infamous punch to the back of Pavel Buchnevich’s head before bodyslamming Blueshirts star Artemi Panarin, who was without a helmet.
After Wilson only was fined, the Rangers sent out a scathing statement, ripping into the NHL and deeming George Parros unfit to do his job.
Gorton and Davidson distanced themselves from that statement, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli, but TSN’s Darren Dreger said that ultimately was not the reason for the firing.
Brooks indicated that it was a matter of James Dolan, who owns the team, wanting to go in a different direction.
Wrote Brooks: “But a divergence of philosophies emerged between Dolan and the Davidson-Gorton ticket, with sources indicating that the CEO believes that it is time to take the next step in this process while the front office people have continued to preach patience and a longer-view panoramic take of situation.”
The timing is incredibly curious with everything going on, especially as the Rangers are set to face the Capitals once again Wednesday night.
They entered a full-fledged rebuild in 2018, but getting two high picks in the draft, which netted them Alexis Lafreniere and Kappo Kakko, plus the signing of Panarin, has accelerated that rebuild.
Now, it’ll be somebody else — possibly Chris Drury, who at present is the assistant GM — steering the ship from here on.
