NHL Rangers President & GM Glen Sather on Wednesday said that he was "relinquishing his role" as GM in favor of Assistant GM Jeff Gorton, but that he will "remain team president," according to Allan Kreda of the N.Y. TIMES. Sather, who has "been at the helm of the Rangers" since '00, won five Stanley Cups with the Oilers from '84-90. He had been an NHL GM since the '80-81 season. Sather: "It’s been a long time. I’ve pretty much spent my life doing this -- playing, coaching and managing. I just felt it was time to move a little bit. The clock ticks for everyone." Gorton becomes "the 11th general manager for the Rangers" after serving as Assistant GM "for the past four seasons." He will be "only the third" GM of the Rangers since '89. Sather’s role "may be changing, but he is not planning to move" from N.Y. next season in his continuing role as President (N.Y. TIMES, 7/2). In New Jersey, Andrew Gross writes the transition from Sather to Gorton as GM "should be a seamless" one. Gorton has "been involved heavily in day-to-day decisions" during the past four seasons. Wednesday’s move had "been anticipated, since Sather indicated shortly after the Rangers were eliminated from the Eastern Conference Final that he was unsure of his future" (Bergen RECORD, 7/2). On Long Island, Steve Zipay notes the Rangers also added Senior VP to the title of Assistant GM Jim Schoenfeld. He will "continue" as Rangers Assistant GM and AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack GM (NEWSDAY, 7/2).
ARE TIMES A CHANGIN'? In N.Y., Pat Leonard writes Gorton "deserves this opportunity and [was] likely assured it existed this spring" when the Bruins, his previous employer, "showed interest during their own GM search." Gorton "stayed loyal" to the Rangers, and Sather "protected him." But the question remains how much Wednesday's announcement "changes the Rangers' inner-workings at all," as Gorton has "been heavily involved, particularly on the contract end, for the last four years as assistant GM" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/2). Gorton: "I would say that there is not a lot changing, other than I will have the final decision on players." But in N.Y., Brett Cyrgalis writes that is "quite a bit" of change. Sather has "been making those calls" since '00 and has "led the Rangers through both highs and lows" (N.Y. POST, 7/2).
WHEELER DEALER: THE HOCKEY NEWS' Ken Campbell wrote there are few execs in NHL history that "enjoyed the horse-trading business more than Sather did." It is also safe to say that "nobody in the history of the game made more transactions than Sather did." The league "just got a little less exciting" without Sather as a GM, and his stepping down "certainly marks the end of an era for the league" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 7/1). In N.Y., Larry Brooks writes Sather "had vision made for New York," as he "breathed big and he dealt in marquee names." He "reached for the stars in New York and he reached for the sky and he came up just a little bit short, but never for a lack of imagination." Gorton's style "will be different, because everyone’s style is different and different than Sather’s" (N.Y. POST, 7/2).
