Report: Rangers Set To Hire Low
Former Edmonton coach Ron Low is set to rejoin former Oilers boss Glen Sather with the New York Rangers, the Hartford Courant reported Wednesday.
The newspaper said Low, who coached the Oilers for parts of five seasons, will be introduced as the replacement for fired coach John Muckler within the next week.
"Unless there's a sudden change, I expect him to get the job," an unidentified source told the Courant.
Sather, who resigned as Edmonton's general manager following last season to become the New York GM, was unavailable for comment.
A Rangers spokesman said Wednesday that Sather was out of town and that an announcement of a new coach was not expected before the July 8 wedding of Sather's son.
Low was 139-162-40 with Edmonton, leading the Oilers to first-round playoff upsets of Dallas and Colorado in 1997 and 1998. He coached Houston of the International Hockey League last season.
Until recently, John Paddock, the coach of the Rangers' American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford appeared to be in line for the job with the parent club.
"Glen hasn't told me anything, but I guess it's more than likely I'll be back in Hartford next season," Paddock told the Courant.
Kevin Lowe, who coached the Oilers last season, was believed to be Sather's first choice but instead took over for Sather as the Oilers' GM. Assistant Craig MacTavish, who was also considered, took over for Lowe behind the Edmonton bench.
Another candidate who has been mentioned is Walt Kyle, the coach of Hamilton Edmonton's AHL affiliate.
Muckler and general manager Neil Smith were fired on March 28, with only a handful of games left in the regular season, when it became clear the Rangers would not make the playoffs for the third straight year.
New York, which had the NHL's highest payroll of $61 million, was 29-41-12.
Sather worked as a consultant with the Oilers for a few weeks following his resignation as GM. He was introduced as the Rangers' new boss the morning of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals.
Rangers assistant John Tortorella coached New York's last four games and is not considered a candidate to keep the job.
©2000 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed