Rangers retool front office by hiring their former…
When the Rangers had been eradicated from the playoffs back in 2024, Blake Wheeler wasn’t sure whether or not he’d need to come back and play another season.
He didn’t end up doing so, but the 39-year-old didn’t end up staying away from hockey for long.
Wheeler rejoined the Rangers Monday in a front-office position, taking the title of hockey operations advisor as half of a group of hirings and promotions announced by common supervisor Chris Drury.
As half of that, Ryane Clowe returned to the Blueshirts as an assistant common supervisor.
Blake Wheeler as a Ranger in 2023. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Ryan Martin was promoted from assistant GM to affiliate GM, while Jim Sullivan was promoted to assistant GM.
Martin will continue to maintain the final supervisor title for AHL Hartford.
Wheeler, who spent the majority of his 16-year enjoying profession with the Jets, where he was captain for six seasons, performed in New York for just one season, participating in 54 video games before struggling a ugly leg injury.
Though the injury appeared to be season-ending, Wheeler labored his manner back forward of the when anybody thought he’d be prepared and acquired into Game 4 of the convention finals, skating 9:18 in the 3-2 extra time loss to Florida, which ended up being the last sport of his profession.
“Not everybody would take the three-month journey to work their way back in that situation,” then-captain Jacob Trouba said at the time.
“That just speaks to the character of the man, of who he is. We saw how hard he worked the past three-plus months to come back and play and contribute to our team.”
As for Clowe, his earlier tenure in New York included two years as a hockey operations advisor and a yr as a co-senior advisor before leaving for San Jose, where he was an assistant common supervisor.
He announced his resignation from his position with the Sharks in a assertion Sunday, calling it an “extremely difficult decision” to go away a franchise with which he spent most of his enjoying profession.
Ryane Clowe during the 2013 NHL playoffs. Getty Images
“I loved being back in San Jose and working with [Sharks GM] Mike Grier and his entire team but at this point, this decision is in the best interest of my family,” Clowe said in the assertion. “The franchise has an exciting future ahead and is set up to be successful for a long period of time, and I am grateful to Mike and [team president] Jonathan Becher for giving me the opportunity to return to San Jose.”
Sullivan, who isn’t associated to coach Mike Sullivan, beforehand held the title of VP of hockey strategy and data management.
Rangers GM Chris Drury in May 2025. Robert Sabo for NY Post
He has labored for the Rangers for 17 seasons, beginning as a video analyst in 2009.
Martin joined the Rangers along with Drury in 2021 and labored 16 years for the Red Wings, including 11 as assistant GM, prior to that.
Until now, Martin was the only assistant common supervisor under Drury, so having two assistants plus an affiliate GM will likely be a change to how the Rangers operate.
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