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New York Rangers Fire Hartford Wolf Pack Head Coach and Assistants
The New York Rangers announced the firing of Hartford Wolf Pack head coach Grant Potulny and assistants Jamie Tardif and Paul Mara. The Wolf Pack finished last in the Atlantic Division with 60 points this season and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The organization also reported other staff changes in player development.
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The Wolf Pack ended the season with 60 points, placing last in the Atlantic Division and missing the Calder Cup Playoffs for the second straight year. This performance aligned with the Rangers' season, where the team finished last in the Eastern Conference.
Potulny had led the Wolf Pack for the past two seasons, assuming the role after the 2023-24 season when Kris Knoblauch departed to become head coach of the Oilers and Steve Smith served as interim coach. Before joining Hartford, Potulny coached Northern Michigan for seven seasons.
Jamie Tardif had been an assistant coach with Hartford since the 2022-23 season. Paul Mara joined the staff in December 2023, after starting as a player development assistant in August of that year.
Ortmeyer, who served as director of player development since 2017, left to pursue other opportunities, as reported by The Post’s Mollie Walker on Friday. Tanner Glass, assistant director of player development since 2019, was promoted, according to the Rangers’ website update following Ortmeyer’s departure.
The Rangers have faced challenges in developing prospects in recent years, with exceptions including Gabe Perreault, a 2023 first-round pick, and Noah Laba, a 2022 fourth-round pick, who secured roles with the NHL team last year. Recent top-10 draft picks Alexis Lafrenière from 2020, Kaapo Kakko from 2019, and Vitali Kravtsov from 2018 have not met expectations, with Kakko and Kravtsov no longer with the Rangers, and Lafrenière working to build on recent progress.
The Rangers' issues primarily stem from their NHL roster, which contributed to the past season's results. The organization's initial offseason actions have targeted player development and related staff.
