Thanks, Tom

Renney relieved of coaching duties

So, not at all surprising news I read when I checked in today. Just goes to show how embarrassing it is to lose to Toronto (first Therrien, now this) - just kidding, Leafs fans, before you jump all over me...

I don't particularly want to analyse in much detail how and where things have unraveled for the Rangers over recent months and who is really to blame. I fully understand that the coach usually carries the can in these circumstances and anyone could see this coming (and Renney is far from blameless), but I'd rather concentrate on paying tribute to the job Renney has done in the last five years.

Three playoff appearances and two series wins won't sound like much at all to fans of many teams. Should the Rangers settle for that as a mark of excellence? No, not at all. But placed in the context of the complete disaster that was the barren seven-year period prior to the lockout, just getting to the playoffs and having a team that could play with some sort of structure for the last few years has been a much-needed pleasant change.

Yes, much of the (relative) success can be attributed to the contributions of players like Jagr, Straka and Shanahan (all, coincidentally, no longer around) and the unexpected emergence of Lundqvist as a Vezina-calibre goalie. But I don't think Tom Renney's input can be underestimated. As recently as a few months ago, I flat out disagreed with what appeared to be a pretty strong anti-Renney feeling among Rangers fans (only the vocal minority?) that was seemingly never behind Renney from the start. Has the team's swift decline proven those fans right? Maybe so.

The unwillingness to bench underperforming veteran players and the unfair treatment of Petr Prucha, I don't have an excuse for. However, I still place far more blame on those veteran players and the appalling management from above, but as I said, this was coming and I'm now far more accepting of the change, if disappointed it has come to this.

Above all, in a profession often populated by one-eyed screamers and antagonists, Renney stood out for his professional demeanour and good grace in a market that is not slow to denigrate a person's achievements. Unfortunately, these traits have likely contributed to his downfall, since the team has clearly stopped responding to the "player's coach" and he can certainly be accused of not wanting to show up his boss by calling out or benching the high-priced failures in front of him.

Still, I for one appreciate the work Tom Renney has put in and hope that he is kept on in his old player-development role. If not, he deserves another chance coaching in the NHL far more than Glen Sather deserves a fifth chance to appoint another coach (or Edmonton stooge) in New York.

Update
Looks like Tortorella already then. I'd cautiously welcome that, though I'm shocked that Sather would dare appoint anyone who might actually risk making decisions that would be an implicit criticism of his own management. Not sure this wouldn't place a block on Avery's return either.