Confirmed with Link: Chris Drury named new assistant GM

[KingDeathMetal]

Love this move. Drury is a class act, respected everywhere, especially in college hockey where player recruitment into the pros is becoming a bigger part of the NHL management process, and has proven to be effective in his previous role. He kind of did a bit of everything - scouting, player relations, recruitment, etc. I could see Drury being in the mold of Steve Yzerman in terms of a former player quickly taking to management and doing a great job.

As far as his playing days, Drury and Gomez for that matter (since they'll be forever linked) were fine. Their contracts weren't. We signed them to be something they never were. Both basically had average Drury/Gomez seasons with us for the most part, until injuries ravaged Drury. But hey, Drury didn't stay past his welcome and Gomez was magically turned into McDonagh, so it all worked out. And now Drury is helping us win in other ways. All's well that ends well, right?

 

[Off Sides]

Cronyism works to a point, yet when teams start making choices based on it without listening to anyone on the outside they start making choices like Montreal and Edmonton have.

I have no issue with Drury here, but I just hope they do not decide to surround themselves exclusively with this Boston connection thing.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Most players do not have the acumen for dealing with this stuff. This is why Sather was a terrible GM for as long as he was. They go by their "gut". That they know the game blah blah blah

GM you basically need to be a lawyer and a negotiator. How many full time athletes have spent the time in school etc learning the ins and outs of contracts etc. Then add in all the analytics now and PR etc

its simply the continuation of the good ol' boys club of the NHL.

How is it a continuation of that when Gorton is using Drury to replace some of the members of the existing good ol' boys club? Drury is college educated and is a very intelligent person. Leave the negotiations to Gorton and let Drury be the one to tell Gorton who we need to target. Drury can evaluate, Gorton can wheel and deal and then we win.

I think Drury is a bit more cerebral than you are giving him credit for.

 

[Inferno]

I'll never forget it. I was watching the game with my brother. Think we sat in silence from the time between Drury scoring and Afinogenov scoring.

No angry outbursts. No wall punching. Nothing thrown. Just... silence. Disbelief.

That 06-07 squad was the second best Rangers team since the lockout. I had big hopes for them.

basically my reaction...like that Picard meme with him holding his head....thats how i was for hours.

but that series to me was all about Ryan Miller...he was insanely good in that one.

 

[KingDeathMetal]

Most players do not have the acumen for dealing with this stuff. This is why Sather was a terrible GM for as long as he was. They go by their "gut". That they know the game blah blah blah

GM you basically need to be a lawyer and a negotiator. How many full time athletes have spent the time in school etc learning the ins and outs of contracts etc. Then add in all the analytics now and PR etc

its simply the continuation of the good ol' boys club of the NHL.

Drury is intelligent, college educated, knows the game and how to evaluate players, and has been working his way up through the ranks over the past few years, proving himself along the way. And now he gets to learn at the feet of Gorton. This wasn't a case of a rock headed ex-player getting promoted to Asst. GM upon retirement, the guy has been working and getting ***** done.

It isn't just hockey, management across all sports is filled with ex-players. Good ol' boys club? Or is it the simple fact that you needed to have been there (at least to some degree) to know what the F you're talking about?

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

That was a KILLER. One of the worst goals against, ever. I remember being with a large group of family members and having to leave to go outside to throw a tantrum and everyone that was there that wasnt a big hockey/Ranger fan was like uhhh... omg wtf.

This was one of the worst moments in my life at the time. I know, crazy. I really thought we were moving on and the team was so good I was confident we could make it to the finals.

I was at my friends house, a junior in high school. It was with a chick I liked and was trying to date at the time. She didn't care about hockey at all. Drury scored and then MA and I started crying. I knew there was no chance to come back and I thought at the time that was as close as the Rangers would get to a cup in the near future.

The Stanley cup is really so damn hard to win.

 

[darko]

I like it a lot. Drury seems like a really smart guy.

 

[Draft Guru]

I like it a lot. Drury seems like a really smart guy.

My thoughts.

Don't understand the hate for Drury based on his time here.

The guy was a good Captain and teammate. He gave it his all, just didn't have much left. Can't hate on him for the contract. We needed a guy like Drury at the time. Preferred we had just kept Nylander, who had great chemistry with Jagr, rather than sign Gomez who just never fit with 68.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Don't understand the hate for Drury based on his time here.

Didn't understand it then and don't now. The fact is Drury is well respected in the league. And if he is going to be a role model/standard for future Rangers, I'm all for it.

 

[The Gloaming]

This was awesome.

 

[Leslie Treff]

Folks, I did not mean that he would be Schoenfeld. Just that Gorton would rely on Drury in the same way that Sather relied on Schoenfeld.

Drury is smart and very good at player development. He has a sharp eye for players and what they need to do to improve. The young players respect him, at least in part, because he played the game too.

I, in no way, meant to imply anything about cronyism.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

This was awesome.

This is the first thing I think of every time I hear or see the word Drury

 

[we want cup]

This was awesome.

Some guys just know how to be in the right place at the right time.

 

[nevesis]

I'll never forget it. I was watching the game with my brother. Think we sat in silence from the time between Drury scoring and Afinogenov scoring.

No angry outbursts. No wall punching. Nothing thrown. Just... silence. Disbelief.

That 06-07 squad was the second best Rangers team since the lockout. I had big hopes for them.

I destroyed an exit sign at MSG walking out of the viewing party after that disaster. Terrible, terrible memory.

 

[FLYLine27*]

I destroyed an exit sign at MSG walking out of the viewing party after that disaster. Terrible, terrible memory.

I was there also. I remember being so pissed the jerks stopped serving beer for OT.

 

[Draft Guru]

I destroyed an exit sign at MSG walking out of the viewing party after that disaster. Terrible, terrible memory.

Still hate Tyutin the most for icing that puck.

 

[mti79]

I'll never forget it. I was watching the game with my brother. Think we sat in silence from the time between Drury scoring and Afinogenov scoring.

No angry outbursts. No wall punching. Nothing thrown. Just... silence. Disbelief.

That 06-07 squad was the second best Rangers team since the lockout. I had big hopes for them.

I was watching with my gf/now wife at her apartment. I had lived in Buffalo for the better part of 6 years prior to that and had a mass text ready to be sent out to people with some sort of message to gloat.... then Drury ruined my weekend.

Stunned is an understatement.

 

[RangerBoy]

First with the news....nearly 3 hours after the Rangers made it official and nearly 4 hours after the guy in Boston broke the story.

 

[Kane One]

Most players do not have the acumen for dealing with this stuff. This is why Sather was a terrible GM for as long as he was. They go by their "gut". That they know the game blah blah blah

GM you basically need to be a lawyer and a negotiator. How many full time athletes have spent the time in school etc learning the ins and outs of contracts etc. Then add in all the analytics now and PR etc

its simply the continuation of the good ol' boys club of the NHL.

How many NHL GMs were former lawyers?

Drury won't become a GM overnight and he didn't become an Assistant GM out of nowhere; he worked his way up.

 

[NYR Viper]

Drury has always been VERY good with young players. It's part of the reason the Sabres were so good when they were. He really helped mold a lot of those younger guys and get the most out of them.

Very happy to see him as part of this organization in a larger role.

 

[Irishguy42]

First with the news....nearly 3 hours after the Rangers made it official and nearly 4 hours after the guy in Boston broke the story.

Hartnett had it way earlier (on my TL before the Rangers announced it, anyway). Zipay always sucks when it comes to reporting news on time.

 

[haveandare]

I like this. Having former players in management roles for no reason is toxic. Having them in management roles they've worked up to by demonstrating competence is great - shows guys that there are roles for them after playing if they have or are willing to work to develop the relevant skills.

Vesey said Drury was a big part of his signing. Drury was in Russia last year with Buch for a little bit. Seems to be capable and have put in the work. Good for him and good for the club.

 

[Infinitum Vitae*]

Drury is probably a advanced stat guy. We need more of those kind of people in the FO.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

Drury is probably a advanced stat guy. We need more of those kind of people in the FO.

Is there anything in particular that makes you think so?

 

[Irishguy42]

Is there anything in particular that makes you think so?

His PizzaOilFor% and Pepperonis/60 looked pretty good, so I think he knows what he's doing.