NEW YORK – The New York Rangers have hired Gord Murphy, Mike Kelly and Jim Midgley as assistants to head coach Gerard Gallant.
Murphy, who has played 14 seasons in the NHL, will be in his 17th season as an assistant coach in the NHL. He has already rubbed shoulders with Gallant for four seasons behind the bench of the Columbus Blue Jackets between 2002 and 2007.
For her part, Kelly was Gallant’s assistant with the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights. This will be his ninth season as an assistant coach in the NHL.
Eventually, Midgley will be making his first NHL coaching experience. He coached for nine seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, including one season as head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads.
Midgley was an amateur scout for the Philadelphia Flyers last winter and is currently an assistant coach for the Canadian team at the World Women’s Hockey Championship.
Gallant was named the Rangers head coach in June. He guided Canada to gold at the World Hockey Championship this spring.
The Rangers also announced Tuesday that Steve Smith has been hired as an assistant coach for the Hartford Wolf Pack, in the American Hockey League. The former defenseman played 804 games in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup three times with the Edmonton Oilers.
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