When it comes down to any successful sports franchise, it takes unity. Not just unity between the personnel actually playing the game, but those in the suits, too. From the coaching staff to the front office to the ownership, everyone must share the same common goal and most importantly: the philosophy to achieve that goal. Unbeknownst to pretty much everyone, this was not the case behind the curtains with the New York Rangers.
After three years of constructing what has been an impressively expedited and exciting rebuild, James Dolan surprisingly lays the axe on both brains behind the project in John Davidson and Jeff Gorton. If there’s one thing that this makes abundantly clear, it’s that Dolan is unaware of what a rebuild is and/or takes.
It seems as though instead of understanding what this process has been about since the February 8, 2018 rebuild manifesto letter, Dolan rashly pulled the trigger on wiping out his front office.
In reality, he disagreed with Davidson and Gorton’s philosophy on how to move forward with the future of the team. This was allegedly stewing for a while with Dolan and he couldn’t help but scratch the itch after recent events.
It seems that the back-to-back shutouts to the New York Islanders and the Tom Wilson bedlam were the tipping points. Yes, you certainly do need some muscle on a competitive NHL team, and yes, the Rangers have none. They were bullied around the last few games to let the season go down the tubes. But is this really how you run an organization…?
The real head-scratcher here is the timing. In what world was this an appropriate move with three games left in an abridged 56-game season? Especially right after the Tom Wilson statement made, the organization now looks like a chicken running with its head cut off.
New York sports has always been about “win now” mentalities and cash throws at headline names. When this rebuild started, I truly questioned how a team built from scratch would sit with everyone. The irony is that it wasn’t the media nor the fans that became impatient, it was ownership itself.
I’m not sure exactly what Dolan expected at this point, as it’s just not realistic to have thought the Rangers would be top dog contenders with the road they set on three years ago. Time will tell if David Quinn sticks around this offseason, as one of the key guys that poached him from Boston University was new GM, Chris Drury.
The relief for most of the Rangers community from all of this is that I’d put my money on Quinn packing his bags, too. All season long the quote has been “if you want to fire Quinn, you’ll have to fire the front office, too. Everything he’s doing is coming straight from the top”. Well, here we are.
If ownership wants immediate results, Quinn is not the answer. His hiring was based upon his strong connection with young players and ability to develop them. But he’s shown stretches of panic and lack of response or control. If you’re going to clean house, just clean house. There are a bevy of experienced coaching options out there that can steer the ship right from the get-go next season.
Another positive we can scrape up from this is that Drury will be running the show with Glen Sather in his ear. He’s been around for several years to see what goes on in the kitchen, is a former Rangers captain, and has succeeded in all facets of his career. And if the speculation of Mark Messier joining the party comes into fruition, then maybe all things happen for a reason after all. Because who wouldn’t want that?
The last few games have only emphasized the fact that the Rangers certainly do have too many players cut from the same fabric in their lineup. But this season was supposed to be about getting those youngsters experience and then adding those deeper pieces around them.
Winning and losing cultures start with ownership in all professional sports. Many organizations become labeled as perennial winners or losers because of it. If this decision—and its execution—should age poorly, then I think we’ll have our clear cut answer as to why this franchise has one cup since 1940.
I think any follower of the Rangers—whether it be fans or media—would love to see the Rangers in contention sooner than later, but haste makes waste. And the last thing we all want to see is the last three years of construction gone to waste.