New York Rangers Hire Three New Assistant Coaches

Earlier this off-season, the New York Rangers hired Gerard Gallant to be their head coach. Now, they have added Mike Kelly, Gord Murphy and Jim Midgly as assistant coaches. Their coaching staff for the upcoming season is all set.

It’s all coming together. pic.twitter.com/9yBk2RJ4xS
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) August 24, 2021

Kelly is a particularly notable name, as he has plenty of experience working with Gallant. He was an assistant coach for the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights when Gallant ran their benches. These two having a strong sense of familiarity with one another should ultimately benefit the Rangers. At a minimum, it certainly will not do any harm.

Like Kelly, Murphy also has worked with Gallant in the past. He was an assistant coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2002 to 2007 when Gallant was their head coach. He also has spent a lot of time with the Rangers, too. He substituted as an assistant coach for the team during the 2020 postseason and did the same for some games this past March. Primarily, though, he was an associate coach for their AHL affiliate, the Hartford WolfPack.

This will be Midgly's first time behind an NHL bench. This past season, he worked as an amateur scout for the Philadelphia Flyers. He does have a lot of experience in junior hockey, as he spent six seasons coaching with the Halifax Mooseheads. During the 2017-18 season, he was their head coach.

We will have to see how they do in their new roles.