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| - The New York Rangers fired president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton on Wednesday, a shock move made hours after the team ripped the NHL for not suspending a rival player. Chris Drury, a former Rangers captain, was named the new president and general manager by Rangers owner James Dolan. The whirlwind moves came after the Rangers were eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to Washington on Monday that saw the Capitals' Tom Wilson deliver a season-ending injury to New York's Artemi Panarin. Davidson, a Rangers goaltender in the 1970s, took over as president in 2019 after seven years each in the same role at Columbus and St. Louis to oversee a rebuild after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Gorton had been the Rangers general manager since 2015. The Rangers were swept out of last year's qualifying round of the NHL's expanded playoffs after the season was halted early due to Covid-19. After missing out this year, the team issued an unusually harsh statement Tuesday berating the league for not suspending Wilson over "his horrifying act of violence," saying it was "shocking" not to ban him for "dangerous and reckless actions." It concluding by calling out a league official, saying, "We view this as a dereliction of duty by NHL head of player safety, George Parros, and believe he is unfit to continue in his current role." It was unclear if the statement had any link to the firings. USA Today cited an unnamed source saying Dolan's unhappiness went deeper as the rebuilding wasn't producing faster results. The Rangers went 63-49 with 11 overtime losses with Davidson as president after going 66-75-23 from 2017-19. "We want to thank 'JD' and Jeff for their contributions to the organization," Dolan said in a statement. "They are both great hockey professionals who worked hard for the Rangers, however, in order for the team to succeed in the manner our fans deserve, there needs to be a change in leadership." Drury played for the Rangers from 2007-2011 and served as captain in his final three seasons. He was hired as director of player development by the Rangers in 2015 and served as the assistant general manager from September 2016 until being promoted to associate general manager three months ago. "Chris is a very sought-after executive and a strong leader, who has proven himself to be one of the top young minds in hockey," Dolan said. "We're confident he will effectively guide the team to ensure the long-term success we promised Rangers fans." In 12 NHL seasons, Drury scored 255 goals for the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres and the Rangers. He won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001. The Rangers fired coach Alain Vigneault following the 2017-18 season and hired current coach David Quinn to replace him. js/rcw
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