Don Sweeney, Peter Chiarelli Could Support Harvard Coach Search
Harvard Crimson men’s hockey head coach Ted Donato has announced his plans to step away from the school after 22 years with the team. The news leaves a vacancy in one of the most reserved seats in college hockey, behind a Crimson squad that has added more NHL talent in recent years. To match their growing roster, the Crimson could look towards their NHL alum to support their coaching search. Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney and former Bruins and Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli could both be tapped to aid the search per NHL.com’s Mark Divver. School legend Brad Kwong could also chime in.
All three overlapped on the 1984-85 Crimson roster. That season marked Sweeney’s freshman year, while Chiarelli was a sophomore and Kwong was Harvard’s senior captain. The Crimson wouldn’t reach championship heights that season but they did win an ECAC Conference Championship in the 1986-87 season, led by Chiarelli as captain and Sweeney as a top-pair defender. Chiarelli – who would retire from playing one year later – scored a career-high 15 points in 34 games that season. Sweeney played one more year for the Crimson and secured 1988 all-star honors after scoring 29 points in 30 games.
Sweeney went on to become a core component of the Bruins lineup from 1988 to 2003, before ending his playing career with a one-off season on the Dallas Stars. He still holds the fifth-most games played (1,052) in Bruins history and has since reached new heights with the team as a manager.
Chiarelli preceded Sweeney as Boston’s GM. He was with the team form 2006 to 2015 and oversaw their run to the Stanley Cup in 2010. The Bruins made two other appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals under Chiarelli’s reign in 2011 and 2013. Some of the best and worst moments of Chiarelli’s career came with the Bruins. He added franchise a legend trading for Tuukka Rask. Chiarelli also added core components of the Cup-winning roster, including Marc Savard, Johnny Boychuk, and Mark Recchi. Most notably, he also orchestrated a trade that sent winger Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for draft picks that would turn into Tyler Seguin (2010 first-round), Jared Knight (2010 second-round), and Dougie Hamilton (2011 first-round).
But those draft picks would not shine for Chiarelli. One of the darkest stains on his career occurred a few years later when Seguin was traded to the Dallas Stars alongside Rich Peverley and Ryan Button in exchange for Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, Matt Fraser, and Joe Morrow. Seguin continues to stand as a difference-maker in Dallas’ lineup – when healthy. He was a star amid some of Dallas’ toughest seasons, leaving the unanswered question of if he could have been the injection of youth that pushed Boston back to championship success.
Success with the Bruins aside, the experience that Sweeney and Chiarelli gained just across town will be invaluable as Harvard looks to keep their hockey club on the right track. Both GMs bring strong thinking and hockey awareness to the Crimson’s search. The same can be said about Kwong, who continues to invest in hockey and owned the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints from 2009 to 2024. The trio will face a tough task attempting to replace Donato, a former Bruins forward and father of current Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato.
Donato led Harvard to the postseason in each of his first two seasons with the club, before hitting a cold spell from 2007 to 2014. With an injection of NHL prospects like Alexander Kerfoot, Jimmy Vesey, and Colin Blackwell – the Crimson turned those fortunes around in 2015. Back in the playoffs, the yclimbed all the way to the Frozen Four in 2017, with the additions of Ryan Donato, Adam Fox, and John Marino. Harvard has made an additional six postseasons in nine seasons since – and won the ECAC for the first time since 1989’s National Championship in 2022, then supported by NHL talent including Matthew Coronato, Alex Laferriere, and Ian Moore. Keeping postseason experience the norm in Harvard will be top priority in a coaching search.
Photo courtesy of Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images.
Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer Wins 2026 Calder Trophy
The National Hockey League officially announced today that New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer has been awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy for the 2025-26 season. The honor, voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association, recognizes the league’s most proficient player in their debut campaign.
Schaefer’s victory is one for the history books. At just 18 years and 223 days old on the final day of the regular season, he became the youngest Calder Trophy winner in NHL history. He is the sixth Islander to take home the hardware, joining a list of franchise legends including Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, and Mat Barzal. Notably, he is only the fourth defenseman, and the 13th first-overall pick, to win the award, following in the footsteps of Aaron Ekblad and fellow Islanders blueliners Potvin and Bryan Berard. He becomes the first rookie to unanimously win the Calder Trophy since Teemu Selanne in the 1992-93 season with the Winnipeg Jets.
The Hamilton, Ontario native’s rookie season was nothing short of historic. Schaefer suited up for all 82 games, racking up 59 points (23 goals, 36 assists). His 23 goals tied Brian Leetch’s long-standing record for the most goals by a rookie defenseman in a single season. Beyond the scoring totals, Schaefer displayed veteran-level stamina, averaging 24:41 of ice time—the highest ever recorded by an 18-year-old skater. He even logged a staggering 31:59 during a single contest on March 24, setting a new benchmark for teenage durability in the modern era.
Schaefer excelled when it mattered most. As the top NHL rookie in power-play goals (8) and shots on goal (222), he kept his draft class in check with four game-winning goals. He also became the youngest defenseman ever to reach the 20-goal and 50-point mark. Back with the Islanders, the 18-year-old superstar led the team in ice time and plus/minus (+13), and finished second in total points.
By securing the Calder, Schaefer cements his status as the cornerstone of the Islanders’ future and the premier young talent in the game today.
Toronto Maple Leafs Part Ways With Head Coach Craig Berube
In a significant move to kick off a hopeful, transformative offseason, Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager John Chayka announced today that the club has parted ways with head coach Craig Berube. The decision comes as Chayka and the Toronto front office look to pivot following a 2025-26 campaign that fell short of the organization’s high expectations.
“Craig is a tremendous coach and an even better person,” Chayka said in the team’s official release. “This decision is more reflective of an organizational shift and an opportunity for a fresh start than it is an evaluation of Craig. We are grateful for his leadership, professionalism, and commitment to the Maple Leafs organization.”
Despite Chayka’s framing of the move as an “organizational shift,” the results on the ice were difficult to ignore. After a strong first year, the Maple Leafs struggled with consistency during the 2025-26 season, ultimately missing the postseason for the first time in a decade. Berube, who was hired in 2024 to bring a rugged, playoff-ready identity to the roster, leaves Toronto with an 84-62-18 record.
With the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft already secured, Chayka now has the opportunity to pair a generational prospect with a head coach of his own choosing. The coaching market remains robust, with several veteran options and high-upside AHL candidates available to steer a roster still led by Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
By acting early in the offseason, the Maple Leafs ensure they can secure their top target before the draft and free agency. For a club entering a pivotal summer, this “fresh start” behind the bench marks the official beginning of the Chayka era in Toronto.
Berube, who led the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup in 2019, departs Toronto with two years remaining on his contract. He instantly becomes one of the most experienced options on the coaching market for other clubs seeking veteran leadership.
Canucks Expected To Promote Ryan Johnson
The Vancouver Canucks are expected to promote Abbotsford Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson sometime in the near future. The anticipation is that the position will be that of either Director of Hockey Operations or General Manager, as reported by Rick Dhaliwal of Cheknews. Dhaliwal also stated that both Daniel and Henrik Sedin will have a big say in the final decision that will be a pivotal one for the Canucks’ front office.
The search itself has been an extensive one, with Canucks ownership and front office interviewing more than 15 candidates before narrowing the field. In recent weeks, the race had reportedly come down to Johnson and Boston Bruins assistant GM Evan Gold, before momentum shifted decisively in Johnson’s favor, and Dhaliwal reported he does not believe Gold remains in the mix.
The search to fill key front office vacancies has been ongoing for the last month following the dismissal of former GM Patrik Allvin. Adding to the shake-up, the team announced last week that President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford will also be stepping down from his role, though he will remain with the organization in an advisory capacity and as an alternate governor.
The changes in Vancouver do not come as a shock following an extremely disappointing 2025-26 season. The Canucks finished the season a staggering 25-49-8 with 58 points, which was last in the NHL by 14 points. Moreover, the Canucks were forced to part with franchise defenseman Quinn Hughes back in December, after he indicated he had no intention of re-signing with the team.
Johnson is no stranger to the NHL or to the Canucks organization. After wrapping up a 701-game playing career in 2011, he found his way back into the game in 2013-14, rejoining his former team of two seasons as a development coach. He climbed the ranks quickly: promoted to Assistant Director of Player Development within two years before being handed the reins of Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, as General Manager in 2017. When the affiliate relocated in 2021, Johnson became the first GM in Abbotsford Canucks history. Two years later, Patrik Allvin promoted him to Assistant General Manager in Vancouver while keeping him on in his role with Abbotsford. Across five seasons as Abbotsford GM, Johnson has compiled a 191-134-31 record and captured a Calder Cup in 2024-25.
With the 2026 NHL Draft Combine just weeks away and Vancouver holding the third overall pick, whoever ends up running hockey operations won’t have much time to settle in. Johnson, if officially named, will inherit a roster in transition, a fan base running thin on patience, and the heavy task of building the Canucks’ first Stanley Cup contender in over a decade.
Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy Suspended Six Games To Start 2026-27 Season
After a year bumps, bruises, and injury – top Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy will have to wait longer than most to play again. McAvoy has been suspended six games to start the 2026-27 season for his slash on Buffalo Sabres winger Zach Benson in Boston’s decisive loss on April 28, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic. McAvoy will forfeit just a bit more than $300K in salary due to the suspension, Johnston adds.
The incident leading to McAvoy’s slash occurred in the final 90 seconds of Boston’s season. On a race for a puck headed towards an empty net, Benson’s skate swept McAvoy’s legs from under him – causing the defender to crash into the end-boards. In response, McAvoy two-hand slashed Benson across his upper-body. He was assessed a game misconduct and major penalty on the play. Benson was also handed a minor penalty for tripping. The NHL explained that McAvoy used his stick as a weapon – even loading up for the strike – which led to the significant suspension.
This is McAvoy’s fourth run-in with the NHL Department of Player Safety. He was suspended one game in 2019 for a check to the head of Columbus Blue Jackets winger Josh Anderson. In 2022, McAvoy was fined $5K for tripping Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei. The first significant suspension of his career came at the start of the 2023-24 season, when McAvoy was forced to miss four games after a check to the head of Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Now, McAvoy’s record of suspensions will find a new low. His absence will leave a big hole in Boston’s lineup to start the season. He averaged 24:23 in ice time this season – three minutes more than anyone else on the roster. He finished the year with 11 goals and 61 points in 69 games, to go with 62 penalty minutes, 79 hits, and 129 shot blocks. Once again, his physical and relentless style of hockey made a difference for the Bruins – though it also led McAvoy to miss 13 games from a string of difficult injuries, including losing multiple teeth. A bit more discipline next season could go far in helping McAvoy avoid both injury and the Department of Safety.
The Bruins bumped Andrew Peeke up the lineup in McAvoy’s absence this season. They may not be able to do the same next season, with Peeke set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He finished the 2025-26 season with 14 points, 105 hits, and a team-leading 135 shot blocks. Those impacts helped Peeke climb to an average 19:23 in ice time, nearly a minute more than he managed in his first season with Boston last year. After another season offering impactful depth, Peeke should be a strong candidate to re-sign with the Bruins who will have more than $16MM in cap space per PuckPedia. If Peeke moves on, the top right-defense role will be open to a summer signing for the first games of the season.
NHL Announces General Manager Of The Year Finalists
The Wild’s Bill Guerin, the Avalanche’s Chris MacFarland, and the Ducks’ Pat Verbeek are the three finalists for this year’s Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award, the league announced today.
The award is presented annually “to the general manager who best excelled at his role during the regular season.” It is voted on by the League’s general managers and, per the league, “a panel of NHL executives and print and broadcast media” after the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs concludes.
This is the first time all three names have surfaced as finalists for the award. Of the three, Guerin is the longest-tenured lead executive. He was hired in 2019 to lead the Wild, and has guided the team to the playoffs in five of his seven campaigns in charge of the team. His Wild went 46-24-12 this season, good for third place in the Western Conference.
Guerin pulled off what most would likely consider this past season’s boldest transaction, putting together a package of players, prospects, and draft picks strong enough to land Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. The move gave the Wild one of the game’s best players and arguably the game’s top defenseman.
He also secured the signature of franchise face Kirill Kaprizov on a massive contract extension, ensuring his team’s centerpiece player would not be departing in free agency. Kaprizov’s signing and the trade for Hughes represent two of the most consequential transactions in franchise history.
While Minnesota were pushed to the brink of elimination by the Avalanche last night, their loss should not diminish what Guerin accomplished this season – and that’s not even including his work constructing America’s roster for the Winter Olympics in Italy, work that resulted in a gold medal. He’s built the Wild into one of the NHL’s strongest teams, and his status as a finalist is a reflection of the strength of his body of work in 2025-26.
Verbeek, who like Guerin is a former longtime NHLer, has been running the Ducks’ hockey operations since February 2022. As GM in Anaheim, Verbeek has engineered a youth movement that is the envy of the NHL, securing high-end young pieces such as Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Beckett Sennecke.
But Verbeek hasn’t just stockpiled young talent. It’s his work to supplement his burgeoning young core with strong veteran contributors that has likely landed him as a finalist – and what has helped propel Anaheim to the second round of the playoffs.
Many rebuilding teams end up playing as many young players as possible, and the quality of the team overall suffers. The Ducks have taken a different approach, fusing a high number of young players with significant investments in veteran leaders. The result has been strong player development outcomes across the board, and the elevation of the Ducks into a winning, playoff-caliber team.
Verbeek signed Mikael Granlund and Alex Killorn as free agents, and landed Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba, and most recently John Carlson via trade. Those additions, combined with the offseason hire of three-time Stanley Cup champion head coach Joel Quenneville, have supercharged the Ducks’ rebuild and pushed them back to contention at a quick pace.
Of the three finalists, MacFarland has been GM for the shortest period of time, though his tenure in Colorado overall actually stretches back more than a decade. Joe Sakic’s longtime assistant GM took the reins in 2022, and has since helped turn the Avalanche into a Presidents’ Trophy winner.
MacFarland’s bold decision to move on from star forward Mikko Rantanen, who was inching closer to unrestricted free agency, appears to have paid off. His direct replacement Martin Necas had an 100-point season and is now signed through 2033-34. MacFarland was also able to retain veteran pivot Brock Nelson, who ended up a Selke Trophy finalist in his first full campaign in Denver.
MacFarland has been able to find diamonds in the rough, such as Sam Malinski and Parker Kelly to support a contending team with fewer available draft picks thanks to trades designed to secure veteran talent.
The work of MacFarland and his staff has Colorado in a position to potentially win its second Stanley Cup of the 2020s, and that’s why he’s a finalist for GM of the year.
Photos courtesy of Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
Blue Jackets Sign Charlie Coyle To Six-Year Extension
According to a team announcement, the Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Charlie Coyle to a six-year, $36MM ($6MM AAV) extension. Coyle was considered one of the top available unrestricted free agents heading into the offseason.
Earlier this morning, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reported that the Blue Jackets and Coyle were nearing an extension. Shortly thereafter, Pierre LeBrun of TSN added that both sides were ‘working on language’ as the talks progressed.
This contract will take Coyle through the 2031-32 season, when he’ll turn 40 years old. The length ties his previous high in contract years signed in Boston when he extended with the Bruins after the 2018-19 season.
The 34-year-old forward was set to be an unrestricted free agent coming off a six-year contract that paid him $31.50MM ($5.25MM AAV). Coyle finished the 2025-26 season in Columbus, resurging back to his former scoring ways. He was fourth on the Blue Jackets in scoring, tallying 20 goals for 58 points in his fifth consecutive season playing in 82 games. That mark with Columbus was his second-highest point total within that six-year contract span, with the highest production coming out of his 2023-24 campaign, where he reached 60 points in the Bruins centennial season.
Coyle’s new extension provides him with some stability in a time of his career where he has bounced around, to say the least. Coyle was a victim of the Bruins’ reset, where they dealt away the majority of their outer core to recoup future assets. The Weymouth, MA native was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche and produced 13 points in 19 regular-season games and added an assist in their seven-game, first-round loss to the Dallas Stars. The Avalanche then sent him to Columbus over the summer, where he played out the remainder of his deal before this extension.
Originally a first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, Coyle never donned the teal and orange after he was selected 28th overall in the 2010 NHL draft. He became a key part of the package traded to Minnesota in exchange for Brent Burns, where Coyle signed his entry-level contract. After providing back-to-back 30-point campaigns in his early twenties, the Wild extended Coyle to a five-year, $16MM ($3.2MM AAV) contract. In the final year of that deal, they dealt him to Boston for Ryan Donato. Coyle proved himself as a key piece in Boston, providing 16 points in 24 playoff games en route to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, where Boston lost in seven games. The Bruins signed him shortly after to the contract that he just finished up in Ohio.
Coyle will assumbly finish out his career in Columbus, adding a blend of scoring, steady two-way play, and veteran leadership to a team that is on the cusp of making the dance in a tough Eastern Conference.
Columbus entered their offseason with over $40MM in cap space before the Coyle extension. Now the Blue Jackets have around $34MM to work with in a summer where they’re looking to build off a 92-point campaign that saw them fall seven points short of an Eastern Conference Wild Card spot that would’ve snapped their Stanley Cup Playoffs drought dating back to the 2019-20 season.
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell will need to make several decisions this summer to supplement Coyle’s return. Unrestricted free agents for Columbus include forwards Mason Marchment, Danton Heinen, and captain Boone Jenner, as well as defensemen Erik Gudbranson and Brendan Smith. Along with Cole Sillinger and Egor Zamula as restricted free agents, former third overall pick Adam Fantilli, who scored a career-high 59 points at age 21, and goaltender Jet Greaves, who finished ninth in the NHL with 16.5 goals saved above expected, are restricted expiring deals.
They’ll have some added money from the expirations of buried and bought-out contracts from Adam Boqvist, Alexander Wennberg, and Ivan Fedotov. All three will come off the books and contribute $3.55MM to the space they can use to bring back key players.
Shane Doan, Maple Leafs Mutually Part Ways
The Toronto Maple Leafs have mutually parted ways with special assistant Shane Doan per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Doan’s contract in Toronto was set to expire on June 30. He was originally hired by former Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving in 2023 and will step away before he has a chance to work alongside new general manager John Chayka.
Chayka took over the Arizona Coyotes general manager role in 2016, at the record-setting age of 26. Doan was the team’s star, having spent the last 12 seasons as the Coyotes’ captain. He was 40 years old entering the 2016-17 season and had lost the spark of his previous peak. That was proved when Doan only managed 27 points in 74 games – a mark that was deemed too low to re-sign him through his 40s despite Doan’s desire to keep playing, per ESPN. Arizona sought a trade through the season but, when no offers came through, Doan made the decision to retire in 2017.
Doan was hired as Arizona’s Director of Hockey Administration in 2020. He continued on in that role until the Coyotes were relocated to Utah following the 2022-23 season. The Coyotes’ move opened the door for Doan to grow his roots in NHL front offices. He moved into a Maple Leafs advisory role left vacant when Jason Spezza joined Kyle Dubas in a move to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Spezza has since taken on an assistant general manager and AHL general manager role with the Penguins.
Those could be the roles next in line for Doan, who will now be a managerial free agent amid a lot of change in NHL front offices. He could find a chance to move back to the NHL’s Pacific Division with vacancies in the Seattle Kraken or Vancouver Canucks front offices. Doan also played five seasons with current Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere and could bring invaluable experience as Philadelphia looks to repeat their playoff berth this season.
Hurricanes Sign Mark Jankowski To Two-Year Extension
According to a team announcement, the Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Mark Jankowski to a two-year extension through the 2027-28 season. The two-year extension is worth $3.7MM ($1.85MM AAV). Jankowski is in the final season of a two-year, $1.6MM ($800K AAV) contract that he originally signed with the Nashville Predators.
In the announcement, General Manager Eric Tulsky said, “Mark has been an excellent fit for our organization throughout his time here. He’s proven he can contribute in different ways, and we are glad he’s chosen to remain with the organization.”
Jankowski has spent his career bouncing between the NHL and AHL, including stints with the Calgary Flames, where he tallied a career-high 32 points in the 2018-19 season. He then played a year in Pittsburgh and Buffalo before signing with the Predators, playing between their farm system in Milwaukee and Nashville. This extension eclipses his previous highest contract value of $3.35MM ($1.68MM AAV) with the Flames in 2018-19.
The 31-year-old forward finished the 2025-26 regular season with 11 goals and 21 points in 68 games. He’s added an assist in eight playoff games so far this postseason. The Hamilton, Ontario native has been a mainstay for Carolina in their bottom-six since last year. The Hurricanes acquired Jankowski in a deal at the 2025 trade deadline that sent him from the Predators to the Hurricanes in exchange for their fifth-round pick in 2026.
The Hurricanes still have around $12.4MM in cap space entering this summer. Their unrestricted free agents include Nicolas Deslauriers in the forward group, as well as defenseman Mike Reilly and goaltender Frederik Andersen, with only Alexander Nikishin as a restricted free agent to round out their expiring deals. Carolina will also have Jusso Valimaki’s buried contract coming off the books, which will free up a small $850K.
Rangers’ Benoit Allaire To Retire After Free Agency
The 2025-26 season will be the last for longtime New York Rangers goalie coach Benoit Allaire, per a team announcement. Allaire will stick around the team through the NHL Draft and start of free agency, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic, before he calls a 29-year career in the NHL to a close.
Allaire has overseen some of the NHL’s top goaltenders as they rose to starting roles. His career began as a goaltending coach with the Montreal Canadiens in 1996. Right away, Allaire was involved in notable NHL careers, working with 20-year-olds Jose Theodore and Tomas Vokoun. Both were overshadowed by a 22-year-old Jocelyn Thibault, who played 61 games of the 1996-97 season.
Theodore and Vokoun went on to play in 647 and 700 games in their NHL careers, respectively, while Allaire jumped to the Phoenix Coyotes for their second season in 1997-98. He joined forces with Nikolai Khabibulin, who was in his third season as Phoenix’s starter. Khabibulin allowed the most goals in the NHL (184) in 1997-98, but, after a year with Allaire, reached a .923 save percentage in 63 games of the 1998-99 season. That mark would stand as the highest in Khabibulin’s 18-year NHL career, though he moved to the Tampa Bay Lightning for the 2000-01 season. Allaire stayed in Phoenix for five more seasons, leaning on Sean Burke to fill the Coyotes’ crease until Brian Boucher moved to Phoenix in 2002-03.
With the Coyotes goalie room stabilized by Boucher, Burke, and Brent Johnson, Allaire moved to the Rangers ahead of the 2005-06 season. It was on Broadway that Allaire would build his legacy. He took over goalie coach duties in Henrik Lundqvist‘s rookie season. Lundqvist finished the year as a Vezina Trophy finalist and fourth in Calder Trophy voting, after recording 30 wins and a .922 save percentage in 53 games.
He was an immediate star who would move through the 2010s as a perennial Vezina candidate with save percentages consistently north of .920. With Lundqvist’s career fading as 2020 approached, Allaire’s attention turned towards finding his next star. That successor would be Igor Shesterkin, who has seamlessly taken over Lundqvist’s spot on annual Vezina ballots. Shesterkin has a career .917 save percentage in 325 games, including a .912 in 51 games this season.
Allaire has molded countless goaltenders into long-term, NHL starters. He also worked with Kevin Weekes, Cam Talbot, Alexandar Georgiev, and Antti Raanta. His name rings loud in NHL circles, and the Rangers will feel the absence of their Director of Goaltending. New York promoted Allaire to a full-time director role in the 2024-25 season.
In the same year, they promoted Hartford Wolf Pack goalie coach Jeff Malcolm to the top flight. Malcolm is a veteran of the Hartford lineup as both a player and a coach – and has spent the last two seasons learning to make up for Allaire’s eventual retirement. He will take the reins moving forward, while the Rangers can rely on Shesterkin, who is signed through the 2032-33 season.