New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the team has named Gord Murphy, Mike Kelly, and Jim Midgley Assistant Coaches with the Rangers, and that Steve Smith has been named an Assistant Coach with the Rangers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The 2021-22 season will be Murphy's first full season with the Rangers coaching staff, as he has previously worked with the Rangers coaching staff during his tenure with the organization. Murphy served as an assistant coach with the Blueshirts during the Qualifying Round of the postseason in 2020, and he also assisted the Rangers coaching staff for several games in March of 2021.
Murphy enters the 2021-22 season with 18 years of professional coaching experience, including parts of 16 seasons as an assistant coach in the NHL. He previously served as an associate head coach with the Rangers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, for the past two seasons. Murphy has served an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets (2002-03 - 2009-10), Florida Panthers (2010-11 - 2013-14), and Philadelphia Flyers (2014-15 - 2018-19) in his coaching career. He was on the same coaching staff with Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant in Columbus for parts of four seasons (2002-03 - 2006-07).
Rangers Announce Coaching Staff Additions
Gord Murphy, Mike Kelly, and Jim Midgley named Assistant Coaches with the Rangers; Steve Smith named Assistant Coach with Hartford Wolf Pack