Meet Christian Hmura, the new Rangers Skating Guru
By Marvin Azrak
The New York Rangers have appointed Christian Hmura as their new Skills and Performance Coach. The skating guru plans to help speed up the Blueshirts play.
The New York Rangers continue to flip the script this off-season. They’ve already made significant changes, like hiring Peter Laviolette as their new head coach and touting Dan Muse, Micheal Peca, and Phillip Housley as his assistants.
On Friday, the team announced their latest plot twist: hiring Christian Hmura. He’s sliding in as the Skills and Performance Development Coach. The message to the players? Get ready to skate your way into greatness!
“New Twist in Rangers’ Off-Season: Christian Hmura Named Skills and Performance Development Coach”
Hmura isn’t just your run-of-the-mill coach. He’s the brain behind HHD, a hockey development company that’s the guru’s guide to all things hockey. According to HHD’s playbook, Hmura’s got a golden rule: “Being a well-versed skater creates the time and space to utilize the skills that you practice day in and day out.” In other words, he’s all about making you glide like a hockey wizard.
Believe it or not, Hmura’s coaching journey began at age 19. After concussion curveballs messed up his playing days, he dived headfirst into coaching. He specializes in polishing skating techniques! He’s like a scientist, always cooking up new ways to make players’ skating skills top-notch as the game evolves.
Bringing in Hmura is a minor but needed move. Against the New Jersey Devils in the playoffs, the Rangers were racing, but the Devils had turbo engines. Their skating and speed game was on fire, which played a role in sending the Blueshirts packing in seven games.
Coincidentally, Hmura was the director of the same Chicago Mission AAA club where the Rangers’ 2023 first-round pick, Gabriel Perreault (23rd overall), honed his skills. It’s like a match made in hockey heaven!
The Rangers haven’t been praised for their prospect development game in recent years. However, they’re finally addressing that area of concern. Everyone’s got their eyes on Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. The new staff recruits during this off-season are like the cavalry arriving, bringing hope that these young guns will get the sense of direction, they need to be the best versions of themselves.