For several reasons, Kris Knoblauch is in the mix to be the 37th coach in New York Rangers history. Yes, Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury fired assistants Mike Kelly and Jim Midgley on Tuesday, only keeping Gord Murphy, who previously worked with Knoblauch and goaltending coach Benoit Allaire, on board.
True, Drury handpicked him to become the coach of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, in 2019.
He also has some NHL experience, assisting Dave Hakstol’s Philadelphia Flyers in the two seasons before landing the Hartford job. Before his Philadelphia stint, Knoblauch coached the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters from 2013-2017, taking the team to the Memorial Cup Final in 2017 and accumulating a 216-83-14 record.