Glen Sather
Encyclopedia
Glen Cameron "Slats" Sather (born September 2, 1943) is the President and general manager
of the New York Rangers
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). He has also served as the head coach of the Rangers, as well as General Manager and coach of the Edmonton Oilers
of the World Hockey Association
(WHA) and later NHL. Prior to coaching, Sather was a professional ice hockey
left winger
in the WHA and NHL. He played for the Boston Bruins
, Pittsburgh Penguins
, New York Rangers
, St. Louis Blues
, Montreal Canadiens
, Minnesota North Stars
, and Edmonton Oilers
(in their WHA incarnation). Also nicknamed "Tomato Face" due to his perpetually red face during his playing days, Sather was born in High River, Alberta
but grew up in Wainwright, Alberta
. He also lived in Viking Alberta where the hockey playing Sutter family grew up. Sather now resides in Palm Springs, California
in the off-season, but also has a home in Banff, Alberta
.
Memphis Wings
and Oklahoma City Blazers
, joining the Bruins at the end of the 1966–67 season and playing in 5 games. He earned the nickname "Slats" because of his propensity to ride the bench, as in "ride the pine slats".
(NHL) and another in the World Hockey Association
(WHA). He played 739 regular season games as a pro, scoring 99–146–245 and earning 801 minutes in penalties. In the playoffs he added 77 games played and scored 2–6–8 with 88PIM. His career as a player ended at the conclusion of the 1976–77 WHA season.
Sather replied, "Whatever you have to do, get him." This was considered a risky proposition in 1978, as many scouts and hockey pundits, notably Howie Meeker
, considered Gretzky too small, and unlikely to ever make it in the pro ranks. Upon acquiring Gretzky, Sather allowed him to live with his family.
In 1979, the Edmonton Oilers were absorbed into the NHL. After taking them to the first round of the playoffs in their inaugural season, Sather was promoted to President and General Manager, and named Bryan Watson the head coach of the Oilers. His first draft was brilliant: Sather selected Paul Coffey
in the first round, Jari Kurri
in the fourth and Andy Moog
in the seventh. After a 4–9–5 record to start the 1980–81
season, Sather fired Watson and stepped back behind the bench. While his record was only 25–26–11 the rest of the way, the young Oilers caught fire late in the season and swept the heavily favoured Montreal Canadiens
in the opening round of the playoffs. It was a signal of what was to come. Sather again had a terrific draft in 1981. He selected Grant Fuhr
in the first round and Steve Smith
in the sixth round. The 1981–82
season saw the Oilers charge out of the gate as never before. They scored an NHL-record 417 goals, paced by Gretzky's 92 goals and 212 points.
This was the start of a tremendous run for the Oilers, who made it to the 1983 Finals
(losing to the New York Islanders
) and then winning the Stanley Cup in five of the next ten seasons following their first season in the NHL. The team made the playoffs with Sather as the sole head coach from 1979–80 until 1984–85. From 1985 until 1989, Sather retained the title of head coach but split coaching duties with John Muckler
, winning the Jack Adams Trophy in 1985–86 as the NHL's coach of the year. In the 1988 offseason, Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings
. The Oilers finished the season third in the Smythe Division, and then were eliminated by Gretzky's Kings in the first round of the playoffs in seven games, afterward Sather relinquished his title of head coach but remained general manager of the Oilers.
For the 1989–90 season, Muckler was promoted to head coach. The Oilers returned to the Finals where they again faced the Boston Bruins
, winning in five games for their fifth Stanley Cup. It would turn out to be the last season where the Oilers finished as one of the league's elite teams.
After the Stanley Cup win in 1990, the Oilers were no longer a powerhouse (they last won the division title in 1986–87
) as key players such as Mark Messier, Jari Kurri
, and Esa Tikkanen
left to seek higher salaries elsewhere (caused in part by the Gretzky trade in 1988), the high turnover often being attributed to owner Peter Pocklington's cost-cutting moves. The team dropped to third in the Smythe Division in 1991 and 1992, though they still managed to make surprise runs to the Conference Finals both years.
The Oilers' decline was precipitated by Sather's poor drafting and scouting moves in the 1980s. This was largely overlooked during their glory years, and as Sather was adept at pulling off trades to compensate. However the lack of talented young players coming through their system finally caught up with them when the last veterans of their dynasty departed in the 1990s, as the team missed the playoffs from 1993 to 1996. Between 1982 and 2000, the 17 players that Sather chose first (excluding Jeff Beukeboom
in 1983 and Jason Arnott
in 1993) never turned out to be successful for the Oilers. This deficiency was particularly crucial as the Oilers' precarious financial situation in the 1990s meant it could not afford to buy or keep stars.
The Oilers returned to the playoffs in 1997 and would make the postseason in four more seasons. In 1997 and 1998, they managed first round upsets of the Dallas Stars
and Colorado Avalanche
, respectively, backstopped by goaltender Curtis Joseph
. However Sather was unable to retain Joseph, who signed as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs
for 1998–99, and Oilers were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs by the Stars from 1999 to 2001. Sather left the Oilers organization in 2000 and was succeeded as general manager by outgoing head coach Kevin Lowe
.
and cutting ties with many beloved Rangers, such as Adam Graves
and Brian Leetch
to bring in high-profile (yet unsuccessful in New York) players such as Eric Lindros
, Pavel Bure
, and Bobby Holik
. He hired Bryan Trottier
as head coach in 2002 after receiving a 93 page hand-written application for the job, despite having no head coaching experience. The former Islander great, hated by Ranger fans, was hired, and then fired 54 games in the 2002–2003 season. This was preceded by his hiring of old pal Ron Low as coach in 2000, who also proved to be a failure. Both times Sather was forced to take over as head coach; his record as Rangers coach was 33–39–11–7 over 90 games. That pushed his NHL career win total to 497, currently 10th all-time.
Some good, young players were also drafted during his tenure as the Rangers general manager, such as Henrik Lundqvist
, Brandon Dubinsky
, Ryan Callahan
, Marc Staal
and Michael Del Zotto
. The team greatly improved after the lockout under Renney, making the Stanley Cup playoffs
four consecutive years. After the Rangers lost in the second round of the 2007 and 2008 playoffs and were struggling to make the playoffs in 2009, Sather fired Renney and replaced him with John Tortorella
. The Rangers made the playoffs as the seventh seed but ultimately lost in the first round to the Washington Capitals
in seven games. The Rangers failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2010, resulting in some fans holding a rally asking the team to relieve Sather of his position as general manager.
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). He has also served as the head coach of the Rangers, as well as General Manager and coach of the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
of the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(WHA) and later NHL. Prior to coaching, Sather was a professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
left winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
in the WHA and NHL. He played for the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
, New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
, Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
, and Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
(in their WHA incarnation). Also nicknamed "Tomato Face" due to his perpetually red face during his playing days, Sather was born in High River, Alberta
High River, Alberta
High River is a town in southwestern Alberta, Canada with a population of 10,716. It is south of the city of Calgary, at the junction of Alberta Highways 2 and 23...
but grew up in Wainwright, Alberta
Wainwright, Alberta
Wainwright is a town on the prairies of east-central Alberta, Canada.It is located on the north side of the Canadian National Railway, with CFB Wainwright located on the southwest side. The town lies south of Vermilion, in the Battle River valley, along Highway 41, called the Buffalo Trail....
. He also lived in Viking Alberta where the hockey playing Sutter family grew up. Sather now resides in Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
in the off-season, but also has a home in Banff, Alberta
Banff, Alberta
Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise....
.
Background and early career
Sather played three seasons starting in 1964 with the CPHLCPHL
CPHL may refer to:*Central Hockey League , a minor pro ice hockey league that operated in North America*Canadian Professional Hockey League, a minor pro league that operated predominantly in Canada from 1926 through 1929...
Memphis Wings
Memphis Wings
The Memphis Wings were a professional ice hockey team in Memphis, Tennessee. They played from 1964-67 in the Central Professional Hockey League. As their name suggested, they were a farm team of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings....
and Oklahoma City Blazers
Oklahoma City Blazers
The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Northwest Division of the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Their colors were burgundy, gold and white...
, joining the Bruins at the end of the 1966–67 season and playing in 5 games. He earned the nickname "Slats" because of his propensity to ride the bench, as in "ride the pine slats".
Professional playing career
Sather played 10 full seasons in the National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) and another in the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(WHA). He played 739 regular season games as a pro, scoring 99–146–245 and earning 801 minutes in penalties. In the playoffs he added 77 games played and scored 2–6–8 with 88PIM. His career as a player ended at the conclusion of the 1976–77 WHA season.
Edmonton Oilers
Sather became head coach of the Oilers in 1977 and maintained the post when they joined the NHL in 1979–80. In 1978, then-Oilers owner Peter Pocklington came to Sather and asked him whether he should take advantage of an opportunity to acquire Wayne Gretzky.Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
Sather replied, "Whatever you have to do, get him." This was considered a risky proposition in 1978, as many scouts and hockey pundits, notably Howie Meeker
Howie Meeker
Howard William Meeker, C.M. is a former right winger in the National Hockey League, youth coach and educator in ice hockey and television sports announcer as well as a former Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament...
, considered Gretzky too small, and unlikely to ever make it in the pro ranks. Upon acquiring Gretzky, Sather allowed him to live with his family.
In 1979, the Edmonton Oilers were absorbed into the NHL. After taking them to the first round of the playoffs in their inaugural season, Sather was promoted to President and General Manager, and named Bryan Watson the head coach of the Oilers. His first draft was brilliant: Sather selected Paul Coffey
Paul Coffey
Paul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th...
in the first round, Jari Kurri
Jari Kurri
Jari Pekka Kurri is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey right winger and a five-time Stanley Cup champion. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. He is currently the general manager of Team Finland....
in the fourth and Andy Moog
Andy Moog
Donald Andrew Moog is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently the goaltending coach for the NHL's Dallas Stars.Moog was previously the Dallas Stars' assistant coach...
in the seventh. After a 4–9–5 record to start the 1980–81
1980-81 NHL season
The 1980–81 NHL season was the 64th season of the National Hockey League. This was the first season that the Calgary Flames played in Calgary, Alberta. Previously, they were the Atlanta Flames and played in Atlanta, Georgia. The New York Islanders won their second consecutive Stanley Cup, defeating...
season, Sather fired Watson and stepped back behind the bench. While his record was only 25–26–11 the rest of the way, the young Oilers caught fire late in the season and swept the heavily favoured Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in the opening round of the playoffs. It was a signal of what was to come. Sather again had a terrific draft in 1981. He selected Grant Fuhr
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
in the first round and Steve Smith
James Stephen Smith
James Stephen Smith , better known as Steve Smith, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and current assistant coach of the Edmonton Oilers. He played in the National Hockey League from 1984–85 to 2000–01...
in the sixth round. The 1981–82
1981-82 NHL season
The 1981–82 NHL season was the 65th season of the National Hockey League. The William M. Jennings Trophy made its debut this year as the trophy for the goaltenders from the team with the fewest goals against...
season saw the Oilers charge out of the gate as never before. They scored an NHL-record 417 goals, paced by Gretzky's 92 goals and 212 points.
This was the start of a tremendous run for the Oilers, who made it to the 1983 Finals
1983 Stanley Cup Finals
-Members of New York Islanders 1980 to 1983 Dynasty:*Mike Bossy, Bob Bourne, Clark Gillies, Butch Goring, Anders Kallur, Gord Lane, Dave Langevin, Wayne Merrick, Ken Morrow, Bob Nystrom, Stefan Persson, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith, Duane Sutter, John Tonelli, Bryan Trottier *Lorne Henning , Bill...
(losing to the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
) and then winning the Stanley Cup in five of the next ten seasons following their first season in the NHL. The team made the playoffs with Sather as the sole head coach from 1979–80 until 1984–85. From 1985 until 1989, Sather retained the title of head coach but split coaching duties with John Muckler
John Muckler
John Muckler is a professional hockey coach and executive, most recently serving as the general manager of the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. Muckler has over 50 years of professional hockey experience as a part owner, general manager, director of player personnel, director of hockey operations, head...
, winning the Jack Adams Trophy in 1985–86 as the NHL's coach of the year. In the 1988 offseason, Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The Oilers finished the season third in the Smythe Division, and then were eliminated by Gretzky's Kings in the first round of the playoffs in seven games, afterward Sather relinquished his title of head coach but remained general manager of the Oilers.
For the 1989–90 season, Muckler was promoted to head coach. The Oilers returned to the Finals where they again faced the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, winning in five games for their fifth Stanley Cup. It would turn out to be the last season where the Oilers finished as one of the league's elite teams.
After the Stanley Cup win in 1990, the Oilers were no longer a powerhouse (they last won the division title in 1986–87
1986–87 Edmonton Oilers season
The 1986–87 Edmonton Oilers season was the Oilers' 8th season in the NHL, and they were coming off a heart breaking playoff loss to the Calgary Flames the year before, ending the Oilers' bid for a third-straight Stanley Cup. Edmonton would win the Presidents' Trophy, as they finished with 106...
) as key players such as Mark Messier, Jari Kurri
Jari Kurri
Jari Pekka Kurri is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey right winger and a five-time Stanley Cup champion. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. He is currently the general manager of Team Finland....
, and Esa Tikkanen
Esa Tikkanen
Esa Tikkanen is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey forward. He played for the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, St...
left to seek higher salaries elsewhere (caused in part by the Gretzky trade in 1988), the high turnover often being attributed to owner Peter Pocklington's cost-cutting moves. The team dropped to third in the Smythe Division in 1991 and 1992, though they still managed to make surprise runs to the Conference Finals both years.
The Oilers' decline was precipitated by Sather's poor drafting and scouting moves in the 1980s. This was largely overlooked during their glory years, and as Sather was adept at pulling off trades to compensate. However the lack of talented young players coming through their system finally caught up with them when the last veterans of their dynasty departed in the 1990s, as the team missed the playoffs from 1993 to 1996. Between 1982 and 2000, the 17 players that Sather chose first (excluding Jeff Beukeboom
Jeff Beukeboom
Jeff Beukeboom is a former NHL defenceman from Dutch descent. He is a cousin of NHL player Joe Nieuwendyk, as well as a brother of former minor-leaguers John and Brian Beukeboom....
in 1983 and Jason Arnott
Jason Arnott
Jason William Arnott is a professional ice hockey centre for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. He began his NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers in 1993–94 after being selected seventh overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team...
in 1993) never turned out to be successful for the Oilers. This deficiency was particularly crucial as the Oilers' precarious financial situation in the 1990s meant it could not afford to buy or keep stars.
The Oilers returned to the playoffs in 1997 and would make the postseason in four more seasons. In 1997 and 1998, they managed first round upsets of the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
and Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, respectively, backstopped by goaltender Curtis Joseph
Curtis Joseph
Curtis Shayne Joseph is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League....
. However Sather was unable to retain Joseph, who signed as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for 1998–99, and Oilers were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs by the Stars from 1999 to 2001. Sather left the Oilers organization in 2000 and was succeeded as general manager by outgoing head coach Kevin Lowe
Kevin Lowe
Kevin Hugh Lowe is a retired defenceman and coach in the National Hockey League and the current President of Hockey Operations for the Edmonton Oilers. As a defenceman, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers....
.
New York Rangers
In 2000, Sather joined the Rangers to become their President and General Manager, a position he currently holds despite not making the playoffs during his first four years at Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
and cutting ties with many beloved Rangers, such as Adam Graves
Adam Graves
Adam Graves is a former professional hockey player. He is best-known for his ten-year tenure with the New York Rangers. He also played for the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, and San Jose Sharks...
and Brian Leetch
Brian Leetch
Brian Joseph Leetch is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 18 National Hockey League seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. He is generally considered one of the top defensemen in NHL history, being particularly noted for his...
to bring in high-profile (yet unsuccessful in New York) players such as Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
, Pavel Bure
Pavel Bure
Pavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
, and Bobby Holik
Bobby Holik
Robert Holík is a retired Czech-American professional ice hockey center who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League...
. He hired Bryan Trottier
Bryan Trottier
Bryan John Trottier is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders, two with the Penguins and one as an assistant coach with the...
as head coach in 2002 after receiving a 93 page hand-written application for the job, despite having no head coaching experience. The former Islander great, hated by Ranger fans, was hired, and then fired 54 games in the 2002–2003 season. This was preceded by his hiring of old pal Ron Low as coach in 2000, who also proved to be a failure. Both times Sather was forced to take over as head coach; his record as Rangers coach was 33–39–11–7 over 90 games. That pushed his NHL career win total to 497, currently 10th all-time.
Some good, young players were also drafted during his tenure as the Rangers general manager, such as Henrik Lundqvist
Henrik Lundqvist
Henrik Lundqvist is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He was nominated for the Vezina Trophy in his first three seasons in the NHL, finishing third all three times, and is the only goaltender in NHL history to record 30 wins in...
, Brandon Dubinsky
Brandon Dubinsky
Brandon Dubinsky is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, Ryan Callahan
Ryan Callahan
Ryan Callahan is an American ice hockey forward and captain of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Callahan played one year of high school hockey for Hilton High School...
, Marc Staal
Marc Staal
Marc Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League...
and Michael Del Zotto
Michael Del Zotto
Michael Del Zotto is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the New York Rangers.-Early career:...
. The team greatly improved after the lockout under Renney, making the Stanley Cup playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
four consecutive years. After the Rangers lost in the second round of the 2007 and 2008 playoffs and were struggling to make the playoffs in 2009, Sather fired Renney and replaced him with John Tortorella
John Tortorella
Jonathan "John" Tortorella is an American professional ice hockey coach and is now the head coach of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He is perhaps best known for his tenure as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning when he led the team to the 2004 Stanley Cup championship...
. The Rangers made the playoffs as the seventh seed but ultimately lost in the first round to the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
in seven games. The Rangers failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2010, resulting in some fans holding a rally asking the team to relieve Sather of his position as general manager.
Coaching record
| Team | |Regular season | EDM Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
76–77 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 2 | – | (72) | 4th in WHA West | 1 | 4 | .200 | Quarter-Finalist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDM | 77–78 | 80 | 38 | 39 | 3 | – | 79 | 5th in WHA West | 1 | 4 | .200 | Quarter-Finalist | |||
| EDM | 78–79 | 80 | 48 | 30 | 2 | – | 98 | 1st in WHA West | 6 | 7 | .462 | Lost in Final | |||
| EDM | 79–80 | 80 | 28 | 39 | 13 | – | 69 | 4th in Smythe Division | 0 | 3 | .000 | Lost in preliminary round | |||
| EDM | 80–81 | 62 | 25 | 26 | 11 | – | 74 | 3rd in Smythe Division | 5 | 4 | .556 | Quarter-Finalist | |||
| EDM | 81–82 | 80 | 48 | 17 | 15 | – | 111 | 1st in Smythe Division | 2 | 3 | .400 | Division Semi-Finalist | |||
| EDM | 82–83 | 80 | 47 | 21 | 12 | – | 106 | 1st in Smythe Division | 11 | 5 | .689 | Stanley Cup Finalist | |||
| EDM | 83–84 | 80 | 57 | 18 | 5 | – | 119 | 1st in Smythe Division | 15 | 4 | .789 | Won Stanley Cup Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug... |
|||
| EDM | 84–85 | 80 | 49 | 20 | 11 | – | 109 | 1st in Smythe Division | 15 | 3 | .833 | Won Stanley Cup | |||
| EDM | 85–86 | 80 | 56 | 17 | 7 | – | 119 | 1st in Smythe Division | 6 | 4 | .600 | Division Finalist | |||
| EDM | 86–87 | 80 | 50 | 24 | 6 | – | 106 | 1st in Smythe Division | 16 | 5 | .762 | Won Stanley Cup | |||
| EDM | 87–88 | 80 | 44 | 25 | 11 | – | 99 | 2nd in Smythe Division | 16 | 2 | .889 | Won Stanley Cup | |||
| EDM | 88–89 | 80 | 38 | 34 | 8 | – | 84 | 3rd in Smythe Division | 3 | 4 | .429 | Division Semi-Finalist | |||
| EDM | 93–94 | 60 | 22 | 27 | 11 | – | (64) | 6th in Pacific Division | |||||||
| Missed playoffs | |||||||||||||||
| WHA total | 160 | 86 | 69 | 5 | 0 | ||||||||||
| EDM total | 842 | 464 | 268 | 110 | 0 | ||||||||||
| NYR New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
02–03 | 28 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 3 | (78) | 4th in Atlantic Division | |||||||
| Missed playoffs | |||||||||||||||
| NYR | 03–04 | 62 | 22 | 29 | 7 | 4 | (69) | 4th in Atlantic Division | |||||||
| Missed playoffs | |||||||||||||||
| NYR total | 90 | 33 | 39 | 11 | 7 | ||||||||||
| NHL total | 932 | 497 | 307 | 121 | 7 | ||||||||||
Career statistics
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
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1964-65 Memphis Wings CPHL 69 19 29 48 98 -- -- -- -- --
1965-66 Oklahoma City Blazers CPHL 64 13 12 25 76 9 4 4 8 14
1966-67 Oklahoma City Blazers CPHL 57 14 19 33 147 11 2 6 8 45
1966-67 Boston Bruins NHL 5 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1967-68 Boston Bruins NHL 65 8 12 20 34 3 0 0 0 0
1968-69 Boston Bruins NHL 76 4 11 15 67 10 0 0 0 18
1969-70 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 76 12 14 26 114 10 0 2 2 17
1970-71 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 46 8 3 11 96 -- -- -- -- --
1970-71 New York Rangers NHL 31 2 0 2 52 13 0 1 1 18
1971-72 New York Rangers NHL 76 5 9 14 77 16 0 1 1 22
1972-73 New York Rangers NHL 77 11 15 26 64 9 0 0 0 7
1973-74 New York Rangers NHL 2 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1973-74 St. Louis Blues NHL 69 15 29 44 82 -- -- -- -- --
1974-75 Montreal Canadiens NHL 63 6 9 15 44 11 1 1 2 4
1975-76 Minnesota North Stars NHL 72 9 10 19 94 -- -- -- -- --
1976-77 Edmonton Oilers WHA 81 19 34 53 77 5 1 1 2 2
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WHA Totals 81 19 34 53 77 5 1 1 2 2
NHL Totals 658 80 112 192 724 72 1 5 6 86
Notable achievements
- Sather currently stands tenth in coaching wins all-time in the NHL. Teams where he has served as head coach for the full season had winning records in 8 out of 11 seasons, and missed the playoffs only once. With the Oilers, his teams finished first in the regular season three times, and also set numerous scoring records.
- In the playoffs, as head coach, his Oilers won 133 games and losing 82 en route to four Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
s in five Finals appearances. - Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Champion 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990 - Outside of the NHL, Sather has been instrumental in building Canadian national teams for the 1984 Canada CupCanada Cup (ice hockey)The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional...
(tournament champions), the 1994 Ice Hockey World Championship (Gold Medal winners) and 1996 World Cup of HockeyWorld Cup of HockeyThe World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991...
(Finalists). - Sather was inducted into the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1997.