New York, NY

Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky are both interested in replacing coach John Tortorella as New York Rangers coach.

Tortorella who coached for four-plus seasons, leading the team to the playoffs the past three years, was fired after the Rangers were eliminated in five games by the Boston Bruins in the NHL Eastern Conference semifinals.

There were no issues with Tortorella according to Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather, who added that the coaching change was prompted because of the failure in their goal to win the Stanley Cup this year.

Messier, 52, is one of the most beloved players in franchise history and the captain for the last Stanley Cup-winning team in 1994. He won six Cups as a player, spending nine seasons in New York during his illustrious career.,

He has been a special assistant to Sather since 2009, but he has no NHL coaching experience. He coached Team Canada in 2010 during the Deutschland Cup and Spengler Cup and is considered a tremendous leader.

Gretzky, 52, is a four-time Cup winner who played for the Rangers from 1996 to 1999.

He was coach for the Phoenix Coyotes from 2005 to 2009, posting a 143-161-24 record. The "Great One" hasn't been involved in hockey since the NHL took over the Coyotes in 2009. He was a part owner of the team and also served as head of hockey operations.

There has been no word from the Rangers on their interest in either Hall of Famer for the job.

Sather hopes to have a coach hired prior to the June 30th draft. The Rangers have been granted permission to interview Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault and American Hockey League coach Dallas Eakins for the post. They are also taking a look at former Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff and current Coyotes coach Dave Tippett.

 

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NHL Greats Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky Eye Rangers Coach Post