Another legend is retiring from the New York Rangers' organization, and it is someone who arguably has had the greatest impact in recent history. Benoît Allaire is retiring after the Rangers wrap up the draft and free agency, and he leaves with quite a tremendous legacy.
Congratulations on an incredible career, Benny!
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 9, 2026
Wishing you all the best in retirement 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/s4MTuB9QvS
Allaire’s retirement marks the end of a remarkable 22-year run with the Blueshirts. Since arriving in July 2004, Allaire has been the primary reason the Rangers never had to worry about the most important position on the ice. While head coaches and GMs came and went, "Benny" remained the gold standard for goaltending development.
Allaire's impact was undeniable
His resume as a coach is quite impressive, and the crown jewel of his career was working with Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist joined the organization in 2000 as a seventh round draft pick, and Allaire was with him for his entire professional career. The Hall of Famer has always been adamant about how much Allaire means to him, and the two had an amazing relationship.
When Lundqvist retired, Igor Shesterkin skated into the crease and Allaire was there to help him too. Shesterkin was an accomplished prospect in the KHL who made his NHL debut in 2019, and it was no surprise that it took him just a few years to capture his first Vezina Trophy during the 2022 season.
While it is certainly easy to get great results out of bonafide elite goalies like Lundqvist and Shesterkin, Allaire's magic was on full display with the lesser known prospects, unheralded backups, and struggling veterans who were trying to extend their careers. A few examples of players who fall into this category would include Cam Talbot, Antti Raanta, Alexandar Georgiev, Martin Biron, and Jonathan Quick.
Allaire's work with Talbot allowed him to become a success NHL starting goalie. Raanta was very successful in two seasons with the Rangers after his initial debut with Chicago, and he had a 11 year career that includes a .915 save percentage and 2.48 goals against average. Georgiev was a complete unknown playing in Finland, and Allaire was able to help him develop as a backup who was able to be a decent starter for the Colorado Avalanche fell off a cliff.
Biron transitioned from being a starter to being a backup, and his four-year tenure with the Rangers saw him post a .908 save percentage and a 2.47 goals against average in 46 games. Quick looked like he was getting ready to retire after a rough final season with Los Angeles and a short stint with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he won another Stanley Cup, and was able to extend his career for a few more years in New York.
Allaire will be tough to replace
Jeff Malcolm stepped into the role of goalie coach when Allaire retired, and Allaire had most recently been the Rangers' director of goaltending. While someone like Shesterkin doesn't need much instruction at this point, the Rangers goaltending apparatus as a whole will need some guidance.
Dylan Garand is a promising prospect who could become Shesterkin's full-time backup, but the pipeline isn't as stocked as it has been in years past. There's no one who will ever be able to truly replace Allaire, but they will need someone with competence and experience to ensure the Rangers are able to maintain what has been an organizational strength for the last couple of decades. Could this potentially be a new job for Lundqvist or Quick?
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