News Article: Do the Rangers have a culture problem? An exclusive look at what's bubbling at MSG

[Pawnee Rangers]

Yeah those arent good choices.

I actually think Vally could be a decent front office management. Not that i am advocating for it. But out of former players he seems like he could be successful.

There's countless guys all over the league and in the minors that would be more qualified for this job. Typical Ranger fans only care about name recognition. If Messier wanted the job all he had to do was spend a few years working in the organization. Dolan would have handed it to him on a silver platter. Instead, we should just give it to a guy because he wants it. Ironic considering everyone is complaining about players and their entitled attitude. Vally would be interesting.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

What angle are you going to take when Rempe doesn’t change anything and only further confirms that he can’t play at this level?

The only reason Rempe was called up now is to distract us all from the shit trade they made.

 

[Ruggs225]

Why isn't a 5 time stanley cup champion the right guy to watch over the day to day operations of an nhl hockey team as a president? Not asking him to coach, gm or any of that, just to make sure the team and gm are working together for the same goals.

Well first off he doesnt have experience. But i would be willing to give him a try in a lower role.

HOF type players seldom make good coaches or execs though.

 

[McRanger92]

It's not what you do, it's how you do it. Hank being bought out was discussed between him and management before it took place. It didn't come as a surprise or shock. And he deserved as much because of what he meant to the organization.

The Goodrow stuff is a lesson in how not to do things in my opinion. I believe Drury took the wrong approach there.

The Trouba stuff I blame on Trouba. He had every right to do what he did in the summer. But he crossed the boss by doing so.

Regarding Brad Richards many thought he was going to be amnestied the previous offseason after Torts scratched him against Boston. He had a bit of a resurgence in 2013-2014 but he had been demoted either by or during the Final. Everyone knew the buyout was coming.

I dont disagree, but the only people surprised by the Rangers looking to offload Trouba/Goodrow were the apparently clueless players. Every fan wanted these guys contracts gone.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Yeah those arent good choices.

I actually think Vally could be a decent front office management. Not that i am advocating for it. But out of former players he seems like he could be successful.

I don’t think he’d be a good GM but yeah as a person inside the org he’d absolutely be of value.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Well first off he doesnt have experience. But i would be willing to give him a try in a lower role.

HOF type players seldom make good coaches or execs though.

He has tons of experience being a leader of a hockey team, probably the most qualified. Nobody is asking him to be gm or coach.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

The only reason Rempe was called up now is to distract us all from the shit trade they made.

And also because we’re short on wingers now.

 

[McRanger92]

I don’t think he’d be a good GM but yeah as a person inside the org he’d absolutely be of value.

I think Vally already has some input with the organization tbh. I know for a fact they use CSA. And credit to Valliquete, Hes the only guy on MSG Pravda who will call out the team.

 

[EdJovanovski]

What angle are you going to take when Rempe doesn’t change anything and only further confirms that he can’t play at this level?

What angle are you going to take when he does?

 

[Jack Hanson]

I mean Goodrow is why we made it to the conference finals. Looking at his regular season kinda misses the point. We completely lack leadership and he had that. 6 goals in the playoffs. And then we just take a dump on him. 3.5mm in the scheme of things is chump change. I agree Trouba needed to go. Goodrow, especially how it went down, that was a mistake. Drury with his mercenary bullshit got inside their heads and f***ed up their self confidence. Its the opposite of leadership.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

I don’t think he’d be a good GM but yeah as a person inside the org he’d absolutely be of value.

Vally would be an excellent hire , assistant to the gm or something, not this gm he'd never listen to him anyway

 

[Charlie Conway]

Yeah those arent good choices.

I actually think Vally could be a decent front office management. Not that i am advocating for it. But out of former players he seems like he could be successful.

I've always felt you need guys who worked their asses off to get where they were and had to work to understand the game.

When you understand something naturally and intuitively, it can be extremely difficult to communicate that to someone who doesn't understand. I've seen it with a ton of teachers and educators. I feel that's why Gretzky never made a great coach.

 

[haveandare]

Drury sounds like an egomaniac psychopath

He and Dolan both - and they’re the worst kind, the ones without the skill/genius to make dealing with it worthwhile

 

[Ruggs225]

He has tons of experience being a leader of a hockey team, probably the most qualified. Nobody is asking him to be gm or coach.

Being good at hockey and a leader in the locker room is alot different than leading an entire organization.

I mean i would have no problem hiring him in the front office to get some experience, but no freaking way i want him to actually lead the organization without it.

its easier to say he would be good, than for him to actually be good.

 

[fm]

The fact that anyone felt the need to write an "exclusive" like this shows how little self awareness there is among the players. As for the employees who apparently have an ax to grind, I will gladly take their job working for the New York Rangers if they don't like it.

How's the Straight Shot tour going? Find a new masseuse yet?

In all seriousness, great article. A fish rots from the head. The owner. Sather papered it over (remember he got Dolan to eff off after the lockout) and JD and Gorts couldn't keep him away. Drury is a dickhead. The players are babies. All true. Winning papers it over.

Anybody who's a Jets fan knows what it looks like when the owner gets involved. Especially a son of privilege who's not really a sports guy, not really a businessman, not really much of anything other than Winner of the Sperm Lottery. They're certainly not detail-oriented. They recognize names from 15 years ago -- names that are reminiscent of success. Rex Ryan. Sean Avery. Pat Kane.

Remember Kane? Rangers moved on from Kane and went with Tarasenko. Suddenly Kane is back in the mix. Dolan. Rangers get him anyway. Power play units fried. Team chemistry fried. I thought the front office trusted us? Not even enough cap space to field 18 skaters and 2 goalies. Team folds like a house of cards in Kane's first game. Team struggles down the stretch. Draws a tougher first round opponent. Team turns to mush like wet baby sh*t.

Beloved trainer gets ratf*cked. Only guy who's been in the org longer than Dolan. Spiteful, nasty stuff. The players should get over it, but anybody who's ever worked in a real job knows how these sort of firings affect company morale. Team morale is kinda the same, even though these guys are millionaires.

HR-speak memos circulating, barring normal employee interactions. Office Space. Morale killers. GM has to sign it, so he looks like the bad guy. Players rubbed the wrong way again.

Despite Drury's somehow-sterling reputation, it's obvious that he's at best a decent GM. You don't get the top hires when you don't give them full autonomy. You always get flawed candidates. Careerists. People who are not the best. Look at our other NY area sports teams. Look at NYPD when they have a mayor who micro-manages. It doesn't help that the guy's apparently so repellent that the team can't keep a first-round forward on the roster for more than 5 years. Drama in Hartford, now Drama in NY. When it was just Lias, I knew it was Lias' problem. Lias and Krav? They're both babies. But now Lias, Krav, and KK.

Now we have 3 of these guys on the outs. Three Crazy Exes. At what point are you the crazy ex? Now I've never seen *it* from KK at the NHL level (and I'm not sure the diabetic celiac with the perma-pout was ever gonna be a cornerstone of an NHL team), but god damn, there was *something* there. A normal team turns this kid into 30-30-60 two way middle 6 forward. It's a pattern. Leadership falls in love with the stars. Shiny toys that other teams draft and we get sloppy seconds on. We spoon feed them ice-time. We gargle their balls. We let them get complacent. The kids suffer. When the team realizes (too late) that the stars need their ice time cut, they pout. These are athletes, not Mensa engineers, so they lash out at whoever. Coaches. GMs. Eachother. A fish rots from the head.

At the same time, Dru had to get out of the Goodrow contract. And Trouba. Both players say they were never spoken to man-to-man. Only through the agent, only at the 11th hour. This is not how you do business. No wonder the vets are mutinying. This is not how you build a winning environment. The gills are rotten.

Where do we go from here? Sell the team James. Or go back on tour and f**k back off.

This year is a wash. Hope he gets bored of hockey before next year.

 

[McRanger92]

Vally would be an excellent hire , assistant to the gm or something, not this gm he'd never listen to him anyway

I have it on fairly good authority Vally and Drury are buddies that leave near each other in CT.

 

[Cmox]

You have no idea what that room is like. It's comical you've listened to one podcast by some dude and have determined everyone in there is crying in their stalls holding on to their stuffed teddy bears.

If you're talking about the Dangle pod. The thing is, not one person came out to say "This is bullshit". It caught enough traction to dismiss it.

 

[fm]

I hate homophobes but why on earth are team employees interfacing with tumblr-brained blue haired schizo girls? Because this culture does not attract the top talent. Not unless you overpay dearly

 

[Shesterkybomb]

I have it on fairly good authority Vally and Drury are buddies that leave near each other in CT.

Narcissists don't value other people's opinions unless they align with their own, doesn't matter how close they are.

 

[Jim Ramsay]

If this team could move Brian Leetch, Any of these current players are on the table

These players need to get over themselves. Cry me a river with your millions of dollars.

How about you show up for the hard working fans that pay money to watch you guys.

These players sound so much more softer than I thought.

 

[McRanger92]

If this team could move Brian Leetch, Any of these current players are on the table

These players need to get over themselves. Cry me a river with your millions of dollars.

How about you show up for the hard working fans that pay money to watch you guys.

These players sound so much more softer than I thought.

Speaks volumes coming from you, Jim.

 

[haveandare]

How's the Straight Shot tour going? Find a new masseuse yet?

In all seriousness, great article. A fish rots from the head. The owner. Sather papered it over (remember he got Dolan to eff off after the lockout) and JD and Gorts couldn't keep him away. Drury is a dickhead. The players are babies. All true. Winning papers it over.

Anybody who's a Jets fan knows what it looks like when the owner gets involved. Especially a son of privilege who's not really a sports guy, not really a businessman, not really much of anything other than Winner of the Sperm Lottery. They're certainly not detail-oriented. They recognize names from 15 years ago -- names that are reminiscent of success. Rex Ryan. Sean Avery. Pat Kane.

Remember Kane? Rangers moved on from Kane and went with Tarasenko. Suddenly Kane is back in the mix. Dolan. Rangers get him anyway. Power play units fried. Team chemistry fried. I thought the front office trusted us? Not even enough cap space to field 18 skaters and 2 goalies. Team folds like a house of cards in Kane's first game. Team struggles down the stretch. Draws a tougher first round opponent. Team turns to mush like wet baby sh*t.

Beloved trainer gets ratf*cked. Only guy who's been in the org longer than Dolan. Spiteful, nasty stuff. The players should get over it, but anybody who's ever worked in a real job knows how these sort of firings affect company morale. Team morale is kinda the same, even though these guys are millionaires.

HR-speak memos circulating, barring normal employee interactions. Office Space. Morale killers. GM has to sign it, so he looks like the bad guy. Players rubbed the wrong way again.

Despite Drury's somehow-sterling reputation, it's obvious that he's at best a decent GM. You don't get the top hires when you don't give them full autonomy. You always get flawed candidates. Careerists. People who are not the best. Look at our other NY area sports teams. Look at NYPD when they have a mayor who micro-manages. It doesn't help that the guy's apparently so repellent that the team can't keep a first-round forward on the roster for more than 5 years. Drama in Hartford, now Drama in NY. When it was just Lias, I knew it was Lias' problem. Lias and Krav? They're both babies. But now Lias, Krav, and KK.

Now we have 3 of these guys on the outs. Three Crazy Exes. At what point are you the crazy ex? Now I've never seen *it* from KK at the NHL level (and I'm not sure the diabetic celiac with the perma-pout was ever gonna be a cornerstone of an NHL team), but god damn, there was *something* there. A normal team turns this kid into 30-30-60 two way middle 6 forward. It's a pattern. Leadership falls in love with the stars. Shiny toys that other teams draft and we get sloppy seconds on. We spoon feed them ice-time. We gargle their balls. We let them get complacent. The kids suffer. When the team realizes (too late) that the stars need their ice time cut, they pout. These are athletes, not Mensa engineers, so they lash out at whoever. Coaches. GMs. Eachother. A fish rots from the head.

At the same time, Dru had to get out of the Goodrow contract. And Trouba. Both players say they were never spoken to man-to-man. Only through the agent, only at the 11th hour. This is not how you do business. No wonder the vets are mutinying. This is not how you build a winning environment. The gills are rotten.

Where do we go from here? Sell the team James. Or go back on tour and f**k back off.

This year is a wash. Hope he gets bored of hockey before next year.

Louder for the people in the back!

 

[Mike in Houston]

I dont disagree, but the only people surprised by the Rangers looking to offload Trouba/Goodrow were the apparently clueless players. Every fan wanted these guys contracts gone.

And therein lies the difference between us fans and "clueless players". These guys are teammates. Family. They're with each other at least six months out of every year. Yes. They all understand the business aspect of the game. Doesn't mean they don't have feelings too. They don't have to like how their GM does business sometimes. We complain about Drury. We also give him credit. What makes us different? We have feelings just like the players do.

 

[Profet]

Not sure if this is paywalled at Lohud but I'm a subscriber and I thought I would post it here.

Do the Rangers have a culture problem? An exclusive look at what's bubbling at MSG​

Thanks to the power of social media, it didn’t take long for Jacob Trouba’s zinger of a quote to make the rounds on various text chains involving people currently and previously associated with the Rangers.

“It's a rite of passage to get fired from MSG,” the discarded captain told reporters after being traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6.

Trouba delivered the one-liner with a smile, but it hit home with many who know the inner workings of the Madison Square Garden Co. There’s a long history of comings and goings under Blueshirts owner James Dolan, but there’s been an especially noticeable cultural shift in recent years, casting a growing shadow over the team. Several examples were laid out by people with direct or indirect ties to the Rangers, who spoke to lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, on the condition of anonymity.

It began in 2021 when Chris Drury maneuvered his way into the team president and general manager chairs at the expense of John Davidson and Jeff Gorton, the latter of whom held the GM title throughout the Rangers’ late-2010s rebuild. That created factions of bad blood and set the stage for the Big Brother environment that has festered today.

The exact number of team employees who have been dismissed in the aftermath is unknown, but it’s not hyperbole to describe the changes as wholesale.

The upheaval itself is well within Drury’s (and ownership’s) purview, regardless of how many feathers it ruffled in the process. But it’s the escalation of paranoia and secrecy that has created a feeling of walking on eggshells within the organization, which is coinciding with the team's worst results in years and sagging morale.

"There was this wall put up," according to one source. "No one could talk to anyone."

For a while, the locker room was a safe space. Players had varying relationships with those were let go and peripheral awareness of changes in policy, but the core of the team remained intact and close-knit. Most importantly, they were winning, with Eastern Conference Finals appearances in two of the previous three seasons. But a series of events have steadily chipped away at that armor, and with the losses piling up recently, it’s become harder to block out the static.

The barrier has crumbled, the previously positive vibes have turned negative, and now the on-ice product has taken a hit.

“Obviously, it’s human beings that you have here,” said veteran center Mika Zibanejad, who has seen his play drop off more dramatically than anyone. “We’re not robots, so obviously you're going to have feelings and thoughts that go along with it. But at the same time, I don't think that's something that we get taught. We get taught to just keep doing what you're doing. Try to be professional and go about your about your business, and that's what we have to do."

Players recognize a pattern​

There have been a few very public examples that clearly affected team morale.

Waiving playoff warrior Barclay Goodrow to circumvent his no-trade list last June grabbed everyone’s attention, with the cutthroat method and last-minute nature of that transaction stirring unease among certain players. That was immediately followed by a staredown with Trouba. The Rangers tried to force him to accept a trade over a summer, but he used his own no-trade power to block it while getting the message out to other teams that he preferred to stay in New York for family reasons.

That dragged an awkward situation into the season, with Trouba finally relenting to the pressure and agreeing to go to Anaheim earlier this month.

But while everyone knew something eventually had to give with the captain, who admitted the whole saga affected his ability to lead, the backdoor methods and general lack of eye-to-eye communication rubbed some the wrong way.

The inclusion of Chris Kreider in a memo soliciting trade offers from all 31 opposing GMs fueled those sentiments. Multiple players resent the manner in which the longest-tenured Ranger was shoved into the rumor mill with no fair warning, as well as the resulting storm of questions and distractions it generated.


It’s the messy side of the business and may be a necessary evil to accomplish what Drury understands must happen, namely a shakeup of a roster that’s grown stale on his watch. But it's undoubtedly caused friction between players and management.

"It's my job, and 31 other GMs’ jobs, to try and do everything we can to help our team," Drury said in a recent conference call. "There's things at our disposal in the (Collective Bargaining Agreement). I'm not trying to mess with players. I have a ton of respect for Barclay and certainly, as I've said already, for Jacob. I'm just trying to do the best I can to move the team forward and make changes that I think are necessary."

Some have accused the team of taking it all too personally, and they may have a valid point. But those with institutional knowledge stress that it goes beyond Drury’s heavy-handed tactics with players, which date back to a well-documented 2019 incident in which he berated former prospect Vitali Kravtsov in front of AHL Hartford teammates and staff and permanently fractured the relationship with the 2018 first-round pick.

Before seeing respected teammates unceremoniously dangled or cast aside, many Rangers were taking notice of other changes. There have been dismissals within the front office, scouting, public relations and social media departments, with the latter no longer permitted to travel with the team due to an incident last spring. But the one that hit home for the largest contingent of players was the firing of longtime head trainer Jim Ramsay at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.

There doesn’t appear to be one clear-cut episode or final straw that led to his removal after 29 seasons in that role, with the Rangers declining to go into specifics on this matter or any other recent firing.

"We don't comment on employee matters," a team spokesperson said.

Multiple sources indicated the shocking dismissal was framed as an ownership decision and had a chilling effect on the team. Ramsay was beloved by most players, who privately let their displeasure be known.

Kreider was among the most aggrieved, with his frustration boiling over Feb. 15, 2024 – the night Ramsay returned to MSG for the first time as head trainer for the Montreal Canadiens.

He netted a hat trick in the 7-4 win and was one of several players to embrace their former trainer after the game, yet Kreider curiously declined to speak to the media after being named the No. 1 star of the game. According to one source, it was because Kreider was so upset by the Rangers’ treatment of Ramsay and refusal to acknowledge his return and feared he might not be able to hold that anger back if interviewed.

The other memo​

Drury’s memo to all NHL GMs has garnered a ton of attention lately, but it was an internal memo − exclusively obtained by lohud.com/USA TODAY − that reverberated throughout the organization earlier this year.

In the aftermath of a PR person being fired for having dinner with a player following a media event prior to the new season, a letter signed by Drury, as well as Knicks president Leon Rose and MSG COO Jamaal Lesane, was distributed to all team employees issuing “a reminder regarding the expectations of behavior when interacting with the players or coaches of any of our Teams.”

Staffers were told that “absent written approval from an Executive Vice President (‘EVP’) or above,” they were prohibited from staying at the same hotel as any of the teams under the MSG umbrella, including the minor-league Hartford Wolf Pack and Westchester Knicks, traveling on team flights or buses, or attending team social gatherings or meals, according to the memo.

Furthermore, it mandated that employees keep as much distance as possible at the rink.

“Interactions between employees and players or coaches must be strictly limited except as necessary to satisfy the requirements of an employee’s role,” it read. “Failure to comply with the directives set forth in this memorandum may result in disciplinary action, including, without limitation, termination of employment.”

This was seen as a step too far by many who value the working, collegial relationships between players and staff, including trainers, equipment managers and PR. Some responded by boycotting the next team function after the memo was sent out, according to two sources.

The result was added tension in a workplace that had become increasingly strained.

No more 'buffer’​

The question many have raised is how much of that paranoia comes from Drury, and how much is above him?

The memo being signed not just by the Rangers' president, but also Rose and Lesane, suggests it could be Dolan's bidding, with multiple sources remarking about how the owner-management dynamic has shifted in recent years.

Under the previous regime, former team president Glen Sather remained very involved as a senior adviser and what one source described as "the buffer" between ownership and hockey operations. Dolan trusted Sather as much as any executive in recent memory, with another source describing Sather as "almost a father figure." Dolan would air grievances to Sather, who in turn kept the owner at an arm's length from Davidson and Gorton.

Multiple sources described Sather as having a skill for assuaging Dolan's concerns while tamping down any impulses he might share. The meddling during this period was kept to a minimum.

But since Drury took over, Sather has faded further into the background, culminating with his official retirement earlier this year. The result has been Drury answering directly to Dolan while fielding any complaints, suggestions or otherwise.

How much has that influence swayed certain decisions, whether they relate to roster construction, team employees or working environment? And could the message that put Kreider and Trouba on the trade block and escalated locker-room tension have been an attempt to appease an increasingly frustrated owner?

Where do they go from here?​

Those answers are unclear, but by all accounts, Drury has been mostly aligned with Dolan and earned his way into the circle of trust.

Despite the Rangers' recent nosedive, during which they've lost 11 of their last 14 games, no one believes that confidence has dwindled enough to jeopardize Drury's job. Of course, everything is subject to change if the losing continues.

That includes speculation about whether head coach Peter Laviolette could face the ax, but sources believe Drury doesn't have a strong appetite for going down that road at this time. The GM and coach were involved in an impromptu meeting in which concerns were aired following a 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 2, but their relationship is said to be in a far better place than Drury and Gerard Gallant in the leadup to the previous coach's firing.

"Those are things that I can't control," Laviolette said when asked about his job status prior to Tuesday's 2-0 loss in Nashville. "I've been in this a long time. There's always those conversations wherever you go, especially if you've been in it for a long time. My real concern – the main concern – is getting a win tonight, getting back on track, getting back into the playoff race. Those are the things that we need to control and stay focused on."

If Laviolette were to get bounced anytime soon, many believe it would be at the behest of ownership. But from Drury's perspective, such a move could also turn up the heat on him.

Laviolette would be the third coach he's let go in less than four years. How many cracks at finding the right voice will he get?

The focus, for now, is on tweaking a roster that's clearly needs a refresh. Drury pulled off a nifty bit of bookkeeping by finding a team to take on Trouba's full $8 million cap hit without needing to take back a bad contract, but it's proving difficult to uncover true impact additions at this time of year.

Kaapo Kakko, who didn't hold back his frustrations following Sunday's surprising scratch from the lineup, was the latest disgruntled domino to fall in a trade that broke Wednesday evening. The former No. 2 overall pick was sent to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen and two 2025 draft picks, a modest return that doesn't exactly boost New York's chances of success this season.

Others are likely to go in the coming weeks and months − but ultimately, it's going to take more than a few trades to rebuild a culture that's springing leaks all over the place. Relationships have fractured and the workplace has become far less enjoyable for players and staffers alike. Too many are spending time looking over their shoulder, rather than pulling in the same direction, and it's costing the Rangers in the standings.

At least post a link to the original article.

 

[Jim Ramsay]

And if Kreider is butthurt because they moved on from the medical trainer...trade him ASAP

So pathetic