4/4/419 | Sather will remain part of the organization but not be involved in the day to day operations of the team. (Shannon)
John Shannon says that Sather’s relationship with James Dolan is “like no other” and that Sather will provide guidance to the next President. (Shannon)
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4/3/19 | Bob McKenzie tweets that Glen Sather is likely to step down as President of the Rangers in the “near future” and that this is Sather’s decision.
Sather would likely remain as an advisor to James Dolan but the Rangers would be in search of a new Team President.
Sather, 75, has been President of the Rangers since joining the organization in 2000 and stepped down as GM in the summer of 2015.
Adam Rotter: There are three candidates that immediately jump to mind to replace Sather: John Davidson, Adam Graves and Mark Messier. JD has been President of Hockey Ops in St. Louis and Columbus and has obvious ties to the Rangers and Dolan from his time as a broadcaster. I’m not sure he wants to leave Columbus, but he has to be at the top of the list. Adam Graves is already part of the organization and represents the Rangers in so many different ways, it would be hard to find someone better to lead and set the tone for the organization. Then, of course, there is Mark Messier. Mess was a special assistant to Glen Sather for a few years but has been out of the organization, in an official capacity, since being passed over for head coach by Alain Vigneault. Messier has the name, star power and obvious connection to the Rangers and it just seems right that he would follow Sather.
It’s not impossible that Jeff Gorton assumes the role of President and handles both that and GM like Sather did for so many years but the trend has been to separate those roles and my guess is that the Rangers will follow that. Other people with connections that would make sense include Jim Schoenfeld as he has been with the organization for nearly the entire time Sather has or possibly Don Maloney. Maloney was Sather’s assistant GM for years before becoming GM with the Coyotes. Mike Barnett is currently a special advisor to Sather as well so I’d imagine that Sather will have a big say in who takes over as President but the Rangers also need to decide what exactly they want the President to do.