The New York Rangers have lost Tuomo Ruutu to the Florida Panthers. Ruutu was instrumental in helping Kaapo Kakko transition over to North America after being drafted in 2019.
He served as the assistant director of player development with the Rangers this past season and will now become an assistant coach in Florida.
“We are proud to welcome Tuomo to the Panthers and receive him as an addition to Joel’s coaching staff,” said Panthers General Manager Bill Zito. “With his career in hockey spanning multiple decades, we believe his experience both as a player and working in player development in the NHL and internationally will be an invaluable addition to our organization as we prepare for an exciting 2021-22 campaign.