New York Rangers coach Gerard Gallant is putting his staff together, hiring Mike Kelly and Gord Murphy as his assistant coaches. The news was first reported by Larry Brooks of The New York Post. It has not been formally announced by the team yet.
Rangers have hired Gord Murphy, Mike Kelly as assistants to join Gallant's staff, Post has learned. Both have prior experience with Gallant. Blueshirts still seeking third assistant.
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) July 12, 2021
The Mike Kelly hiring is no surprise, as he has worked with Gallant in three former hockey lives. He was an associate coach when Gallant was coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL and then joined him as Assistant Coach in Florida and Las Vegas. He was fired along with Gallant at his two previous NHL jobs.
Most recently, Kelly was Gallant’s assistant for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships where they won the gold medal. At any rate, he brings over 30 years of coaching experience to New York.
Kelly has a lot of experience with youthful players, making him well suited to working with the Rangers’ many young skaters. Besides his coaching gig in the QMJHL, he also coached Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2003 World Junior Championships. He clearly has a lot of experience and can relate to young players.
Gord Murphy was an Associate Coach for the Hartford Wolf Pack the last two seasons and was behind the Rangers’ bench this season when David Quinn and his staff were waylaid by COVID-19. His hiring means that Hartford coach Kris Knoblauch will be looking for one or two assistant coaches.
Murphy first worked with Gerard Gallant as an assistant coach when Gallant coached the Columbus Blue Jackets for two years. Murphy stayed on after Gallant was fired from that job in 2006 to work with Ken Hitchcock.
Murphy had been mentioned as a replacement for Lindy Ruff prior to this season, but the team hired Jacques Martin instead. He is another veteran presence having been in the coaching ranks for 19 year. He also played 14 years in the NHL for four different teams and played against Gallant during that time.
There had been some talk that Dan Girardi is on Gallant’s radar as a third assistant. If Murphy is going to run special teams there is still room for Girardi to focus on the defense. If Murphy will be responsible for the defense then there may be no job for Girardi, who worked as a coach for the Buffalo Sabres this season and may be invited back.