LOS ANGELES — Sure Glen Sather has been quiet. You see him quoted about as often as you see James Dolan speaking out in the newspapers, which is to say almost never.
But that does not mean the Rangers president and general manager has not been active behind the big blue curtain at Madison Square Garden en route to building this team about to begin its first Stanley Cup finals in 20 years when the Rangers play Game 1 against the Kings on Wednesday night at Staples Center.
“I don’t think we should be in the spotlight,’’ Sather said Tuesday during the NHL’s mandated media availability. “This is the coach’s world, the players’ world. I think the managers should be in the background and say very [little].’’
Sather, as he often was when he was coaching, was engaging and so quotable Tuesday it left you yearning for more of his banter during the season.
When he was asked to describe the dynamics of his job this week now that the team he helped build will play in the finals, he joked: “It’s really complicated. Today it took us about three hours to figure out which golf course we were going to play on this afternoon, then later on this evening we have the question about dinner, and then what are you going to watch on TV tonight? Is ‘Game of Thrones’ on?’’
All kidding aside, after his team failed to even reach the conference finals in 12 of his first 14 years with the Rangers and after leaking away some $100 million in mistake contracts that either ended up traded, bought out or buried in the minors, Sather’s spotty Rangers legacy can be erased with one Cup victory.
No one can argue that he hasn’t pushed the right buttons in recent years to get into this position.
Most recently, he traded away team captain Ryan Callahan for Martin St. Louis, who has turned out to be as much the impetus and heart to this Cup run as anyone.
Among his other moves that have helped construct this team were his trade of Scott Gomez to Montreal for the rights to defenseman Ryan McDonagh, extending goalie Henrik Lundqvist’s contract, signing Dominic Moore, who had the game-winning goal in Game 6 against the Canadiens, and bringing back Mats Zuccarello last year.
Sather, too, is the man behind replacing coach John Tortorella with Alain Vigneault, a move that has proven to be brilliant for the chemistry of this team.
Sather said he “can’t make a comment why it didn’t work’’ with Tortorella, adding, “It did work with Torts for a while.
“It’s like you start trying to train your kids [and] they get tired of listening to you after a while,’’ Sather said. “I went through it myself and everything for 10 years [coaching]. If it was easy, I could fire myself.’’
Sather said he’s “glad the opportunity was there’’ to land Vigneault, adding, “We’ve had nothing but fun with each other. We continue to do it. It’s been a good relationship. Coaches sometimes run out of time wherever they are.’’
With that, Vigneault interjected saying, “I don’t agree with that, but that’s all right.’’
“You mean the good part or the bad part?’’ Sather shot back.
Sather insisted he doesn’t believe his first 13-plus years with the Rangers have been “rocky.’’
“Every year there’s only two teams that fight for the Stanley Cup and there’s one that wins,’’ he said. “It takes time to get in this position. Anyone that’s been in the hockey business knows what it can be like, and it’s complicated. I don’t see any great personal satisfaction. I’m satisfied that the team is here. I think the job is partly done.’’