The New York Rangers announced today that the team has named Chris Drury as director of player development.
In his role, Drury, 39, will be responsible for working with the team’s hockey operations department to assist in the development of Rangers prospects, both on and off the ice. He will serve as a liaison between the hockey operations department and prospects in the organization, and assist in the evaluation of the team’s prospects. Drury will work closely with the Rangers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, to further enhance the progression of Rangers prospects who are in professional hockey by providing encouragement and guidance. In addition, he will assist in overseeing and evaluating all players at the collegiate level.
During his 12-year NHL career, the Trumbull, Conn., native skated in 892 games with the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, and the Rangers, registering 255 goals and 360 assists for 615 points, along with 468 penalty minutes. Drury captured the Stanley Cup as a member of the Avalanche in 2000-01, ranking second in the NHL with 11 goals in 23 games during the team’s playoff run. In 1998-99, Drury received the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year after registering 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points with Colorado. Drury recorded at least 20 goals in nine different seasons in his career, and he registered at least 50 points in eight different seasons.
In addition, Drury reached the playoffs in nine of his 12 seasons in the NHL, and his teams advanced to the Conference Finals on six occasions. In 135 career playoff games, Drury registered 47 goals and 42 assists for 89 points, along with a plus-24 rating and 46 penalty minutes. Over the 12 seasons in which he played in the NHL, Drury led the league in playoff game-winning goals (17), ranked second in playoff overtime goals (four), ranked fourth in playoff goals, and ranked ninth in playoff games played.
Internationally, Drury represented the United States in numerous tournaments and earned several medals. He participated in three consecutive Winter Olympics (2002, 2006, 2010), capturing a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In addition, Drury earned a bronze medal at the 2004 IIHF World Championship.
