Rangers agree to terms with general manager Chris Drury on a multiyear contract extension

The New York Rangers agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension with general manager Chris Drury on Wednesday, keeping him in charge of their hockey operations moving forward after underachieving this season and missing the playoffs.

Owner James Dolan announced the move several days after Drury fired coach Peter Laviolette. Drury was asked upon making the coaching change if he was concerned about his job security and said he would not reveal the contents of his conversations with Dolan.

“Over his tenure, Chris has shown passion for the Rangers, relentless work ethic, and a tireless pursuit of excellence,” Dolan said in a statement. “While we are all disappointed in what transpired this past season, I am confident in his ability to guide this organization to success.”

The Rangers had Stanley Cup-contending aspirations coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference final. Instead, they struggled through off-ice drama involving captain Jacob Trouba, who was traded to Anaheim in December.

Drury, who took over as GM and president of hockey operations in 2021 when Dolan abruptly fired John Davidson and Jeff Gorton and directed the former captain-turned-executive to speed up the rebuilding process. New York reached the playoffs in each of his first three seasons in charge, winning four series over that time.

“I am honored to sign this contract extension and continue in this position with the team I grew up supporting,” Drury said. “As I said when I began in this role nearly four years ago, there isn’t a more special organization in hockey and I look forward to continuing our work this offseason to help us reach our goals for next season and in the coming years.”

The 48-year-old has a massively important stretch ahead of him to hire a coach and make changes to a roster that proved to be flawed, falling six points short of the East’s second and final wild-card spot.

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