While the Rangers could formally announce the hiring of Alain Vigneault today as the 34th head coach in franchise history, his introductory press conference won’t be held before Thursday.
Glen Sather, currently at his home in La Quinta, Calif., is scheduled to fly from there to Boston for Wednesday’s meeting of NHL general managers that will precede Game 4 of the Final between the Bruins and Blackhawks.
The Blueshirts could hold a press conference in New York the following day, though the Garden is unavailable as a site because of the ongoing construction that will keep the club on the road for the first month of the season.
Meanwhile, Vigneault and Sather are attempting to construct a coaching staff. While goaltending instructor/assistant coach Benoit Allaire remains on the job, neither Jim Schoenfeld nor Mike Sullivan will return. Schoenfeld will remain as assistant GM, but Sullivan will not stay with the organization.
Rick Bowness, who was Vigneault’s lead assistant/associate coach throughout his seven-year tenure with the Canucks, signed to become the Lightning’s associate soon after he was dismissed by the Canucks.
The Blueshirts are believed to be interested in Ulf Samuelsson, who served as an assistant for five years with the Coyotes after a one-year apprenticeship in that position with the AHL Wolf Pack, but it’s unknown whether the former Rangers defenseman would be willing to leave his job as head coach of MODO of the Swedish Elite League to return to the NHL as an assistant.
ESPNNY.com reported Samuelsson had inquired about the Rangers’ head coaching job before the club reached agreement with Vigneault.