The Rangers stayed in-house as they promoted Keith McCambridge to be the head coach of AHL Hartford following one season as an assistant.
McCambridge takes over for Ken Gernander, who was fired on May 16 after 10 seasons as the headman of the Wolf Pack.
McCambridge joined the Rangers organization after five seasons as the head coach of the Jets’ AHL affiliate, which was the St. John’s IceCaps from 2011-2015 and then the Manitoba Moose in 2015-16. He had a record of 179-158-23-20 (wins-losses-overtime losses-shootout losses) during his five seasons, leading to two playoff berths during that span.
He has a close relationship with Rangers associate coach Scott Arniel, who was the head coach of the Moose in 2009-10 when McCambridge was an assistant.
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This comes as part of a small offseason shakeup. Jim Schoenfeld left his role as general manager of the Wolf Pack to focus more on the going-ons in New York in his job as an assistant general manager under Jeff Gorton. Adding the title of Hartford GM was Chris Drury, who remains in place as an assistant GM to Gorton as well.
McCambridge, 43, from Thompson, Manitoba, played 11 seasons of professional hockey in AHL, ECHL and IHL from 1995-2006. In his final pro season, he won the ECHL championship, the Kelly Cup, as captain of the Alaska Aces, and in his final season as a junior, he won the Memorial Cup with the Kamloops Blazers. He was a eighth-round pick (201st overall) of the Flames in 1994.
McCambridge becomes the sixth head coach in Wolf Pack history.