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Rangers add Phil Housley and Dan Muse to revamped coaching staff

By Marvin Azrak

BASEL, SWITZERLAND - APRIL 30: head coach Dan Muse of United States during final of U18 Ice Hockey World Championship match between United States and Sweden at St. Jakob-Park at St. Jakob-Park on April 30, 2023 in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo by Jari Pestelacci/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
BASEL, SWITZERLAND - APRIL 30: head coach Dan Muse of United States during final of U18 Ice Hockey World Championship match between United States and Sweden at St. Jakob-Park at St. Jakob-Park on April 30, 2023 in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo by Jari Pestelacci/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images) /
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The New York Rangers have added two new assistants to their revamped coaching staff. Phil Housley and Dan Muse will join head coach Peter Laviolette. The Rangers want to win the Stanley Cup, and Housley and Muse are a good step towards that goal.

Housley, 59, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Rangers’ defense. He’s a seven-time All-Star and a 2015 Hockey Hall of Fame member. He played for eight teams during his NHL career, including the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and Washington Capitals. He’s one of the best offensive defensemen in NHL history.

He scored 338 goals and had 1,232 points in 895 games. Housley returned the favor to Buffalo, serving as their coach from 2017-2019. But the Sabres went  58- 84-22  in his two seasons at the helm.

Housley was also an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators(2013-2017), and Arizona Coyotes(2019-2022). He worked under Laviolette in Nashville. Together they helped develop some of the best defensemen in the game, including Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis.

Housley will be responsible for coaching the defensemen, a role that he is well-suited for given his experience and track record of success in developing young players. He will be working with Laviolette to implement systems and roster decisions that are driven by analytics.

Muse, 40, has a reputation for being an excellent teacher and developer of young players. They’ve worked with some of the best young players in the game, including Jack Hughes, Trevor Zegras, and Cole Caufield. The experience with them bodes well for Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere.

Recently hired Micheal Peca’s experience as a player and coach will also be valuable to the Rangers. He played for several teams during his 14-year NHL career, including the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Peca’s experience coaching forwards will be valuable to the Rangers’ young and talented group of forwards.

Goaltending coach Benoit Allaire and skills coach Mark Ciaccio will remain. They’re from Gerard Gallant’s reign. The addition of Housley and Muse, along with Peca’s expertise, will provide great support for Laviolette.

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