Paul Mara Joins New York Rangers as Player Development Assistant Coach

NEW YORK - MARCH 08: Paul Mara #27 of the New York Rangers passes the puck against the Boston Bruins on March 8, 2009 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - MARCH 08: Paul Mara #27 of the New York Rangers passes the puck against the Boston Bruins on March 8, 2009 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Introducing Paul Mara: The Rangers’ New Player Development Assistant Coach. Get ready to dive into Mara’s journey from NHL standout to Olympic Gold Medalist as he gears up to nurture the future stars of New York!

Guess what, New York Rangers fans? There’s a new addition to the coaching staff! The New York Rangers scored big by bringing in former defenseman Paul Mara as a Player Development Assistant coach.

Mara’s teaming up with Mark Ciaccio, who’s traded in his Skills Development Coach jersey for one that reads “Prospects Development Coach.” These two are ready to tag-team and bring serious skills to the Rangers’ future stars.

Paul Mara Joins Rangers for Prospect Development:

Mara will be that guiding light for the Rangers’ prospects, both on and off the ice. He’s got quite the lineup on his resume, too. Before joining the Rangers, he coached the Boston Pride in the Premier Hockey Federation for two solid seasons. He’s also been boosting the USA National Women’s Team as their assistant coach since 2016.  In 2018, he was part of the squad that led Team USA to an Olympic Gold Medal.

However, let’s not forget his days as a player. Mara was a seventh overall pick in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, and boy, did he show his moves on the ice. He played a whopping 734 NHL games and notched up an impressive 253 points while wearing six team jerseys. And, of course, he left his mark with the Rangers, too. From 2006 to 2009, he gave the Blueshirts his all, registering eight goals, 43 points, and an 8.7 defensive points share while averaging 19:01 of ice time in 156 games.

So get ready for some Mara magic as he joins the ranks, ready to guide the next generation of hockey stars. The future’s looking bright, and Mara’s got the playbook to lead the way!