BREAKING NEWS: After Firing 3rd Coach in 4 Years, Rangers GM Chris Drury Stands Alone — And Is Running Out of Cards to Play
April 21, 2025 — In a move that has sent shockwaves through the hockey world, the New York Rangers have fired head coach Peter Laviolette after just one season behind the bench — marking the third head coach dismissed under general manager Chris Drury’s watch in just four years.
The decision, announced Monday morning, reflects mounting frustration in the Rangers organization after yet another early playoff exit despite a roster stacked with star talent. Laviolette, who led the team to a 101-point regular season and a second-place finish in the Metropolitan Division, could not guide New York past the first round — a recurring theme for a franchise desperate to break through.
With this latest dismissal, the spotlight shifts squarely onto Drury. Once hailed as a rising executive after taking over in 2021, the Rangers GM now stands increasingly isolated, his margin for error shrinking rapidly.
“This is a results-driven business,” Drury said in a terse press conference Monday. “We didn’t meet our expectations. I made this decision with the belief that our group needs a new direction to reach the next level.”
But critics and fans alike are beginning to question whether it’s truly the coach — or the man assembling the roster — who bears the lion’s share of the blame.
Since taking over, Drury has fired David Quinn, Gerard Gallant, and now Laviolette. In each case, the coaches were let go after failing to deliver deep playoff runs despite respectable regular-season records. Meanwhile, the Rangers’ core — led by Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, and Igor Shesterkin — has remained largely unchanged, and many are wondering whether the right pieces are even in place for postseason success.
“He’s run out of scapegoats,” one Eastern Conference executive told The Athletic anonymously. “At some point, you have to look at the construction of the team and ask, is this a group built to win in May and June?”
Internally, there is a growing sense of urgency. The team’s window to contend is wide open — but it won’t stay that way forever. Shesterkin is due for a massive extension, Kreider is aging, and Panarin’s postseason inconsistency continues to be a storyline. Young players like Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko have yet to fully blossom, and questions about the team’s identity persist.
Now, with no coach in place and no obvious successor lined up, Drury faces the most pivotal offseason of his tenure. Rumors are already swirling about big-name targets, including the potential longshot of prying Mike Sullivan from Pittsburgh. Others have floated names like Craig Berube or Jay Woodcroft.
Whoever Drury hires next, the message is clear: this is likely his last chance to get it right. One more misstep, and it may be Drury — not the head coach — who’s shown the door.
As the pressure intensifies on Broadway, one thing is certain: the clock is ticking. And Chris Drury is officially on the hot seat.