Rangers in Turmoil: Brawls on the Ice Follow Front Office Firings

A day of upheaval for the Rangers started with the ouster of two top executives and ended with a game between two teams that had a score to settle.

Hours after the firing of President John Davidson and General Manager Jeff Gorton, the Rangers began their game against the Washington Capitals with a choreographed show of vengeance that led to three simultaneous fights after the opening face-off.

Chris Drury, 44, the associate general manager, will become the team’s new president and general manager. Drury, the N.H.L. rookie of the year in 1999, spent the last four seasons of his playing career with the Rangers and joined the team’s front office in 2015. Glen Sather, who has been a senior adviser with the team since 2019, will work with Drury during the transition period.

“Chris is a very sought-after executive and a strong leader, who has proven himself to be one of the top young minds in hockey,” the team owner, James L. Dolan, said in a statement. “We are confident he will effectively guide the team to ensure the long-term success we promised Rangers fans.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/05/sports/hockey/rangers-fire-john-davidson-jeff-gorton.html