Rangers Fire Renney; Tortorella A Possible Replacement

Tom Renney was fired as coach of the New York Rangers on Monday in an attempt to save a season that has spiraled out of control.

Fiery former Tampa Bay Lightning coach John Tortorella could emerge as a candidate. His no-nonsense approach would be a stark contrast to the laid-back, player-friendly Renney.

Sather didn't immediately name a replacement. He is scheduled to address the media in a conference call at 4 p.m. today.

Tortorella was a former assistant coach with the Rangers before joining the Lightning coaching staff under Steve Ludzik at the start of the 2000-01 season. Tortorella took over after Ludzik was fired 39 games into the 2000-01 season and lead Tampa Bay to four consecutive playoff appearances from 2003 to 2007, including a pair of Southeast Division titles, an Eastern Conference title in 2004 and a Stanley Cup championship in 2004.

Tortorella was fired by Tampa Bay in May, after 6 1/2 seasons, and has been working as an in-studio analyst for TSN in Canada this season. Because he is technically still under contract by the Lightning, the Rangers would have to seek permission from Tampa Bay to speak to Tortorella about the now-vacant position with the Rangers. An email to Lightning general manager Brian Lawton asking whether the Rangers have asked permission was not immediately returned.

According to Newsday sources, Rangers general manager Glen Sather is attempting to finalize an agreement.

The fiery coach would seem a perfect fit to return behind the bench with the underachieving Rangers. Tortorella is familiar and comfortable with the New York area and the media that cover the Rangers on a daily basis. In addition, his daughter is scheduled to attend graduate school in the New York area.

The Rangers opened the season with a 10-2-1 record, but 10 losses in the last 12 games has knocked the team out of contention for the Atlantic Division title and placed it in danger of missing the playoffs completely.

In recent home games, fans had chanted for Renney to be fired.

Renney, a former coach of the Vancouver Canucks, was 164-121-42 with the Rangers in four plus seasons and ranks fourth on the team's career wins and games coached lists.

Assistant coach Perry Pearn was also fired, but fellow assistant Mike Pelino was retained along with goalie coach Benoit Allaire, the Rangers said.

Renney stated strongly Sunday that his team hadn't quit and played hard despite its 3-2 overtime loss to Toronto that extended New York's skid to 2-7-3. The Rangers face the Maple Leafs again in Toronto on Wednesday.

The Rangers (31-23-7) entered Monday in a fifth-place tie in the Eastern Conference, but only two points above ninth-place Carolina. The top eight teams make the playoffs.

Renney is the second Atlantic Division coach fired in the past week, following Pittsburgh's dismissal of Michel Therrien last weekend. He is the sixth NHL coach let go this season, which includes all four coaches whose teams started the regular season in Europe.

Renney went 2-0 against former Lightning coach Barry Melrose in games in Prague. Therrien and the Penguins faced Craig Hartsburg and the Ottawa Senators in Stockholm.

After a two-season stint as the Rangers director of player personnel, Renney became an assistant coach under Sather for the 2003-04 season. Sather relinquished his coaching duties Feb. 25, 2004, and turned the team over to Renney on an interim basis.

Renney, who turns 54 on Sunday, went 5-15 to finish that season and took over on a full-time basis in July 2004, but had to wait for the yearlong NHL lockout to end before he could officially claim the job behind the bench.

In his first full season, Renney was a finalist for the Jack Adams award as coach of the year after the Rangers went 44-26-12 and reached the playoffs for the first time since 1997. They advanced to the second round each of the past two years.

Sather turned over the roster before this season, allowing veteran forwards and proven goal scorers Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan to leave via free agency along with the volatile Sean Avery.

Markus Naslund was brought in to pick up the slack, and he leads the offensively challenged Rangers with 18 goals. The biggest disappointment has been the signing of defenseman Wade Redden, who was given a six-year, $39 million deal, but now hears boos every time he touches the puck at home.

Renney also struggled to get the most out of centers Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, who signed as free agents in the summer of 2007 but never found consistent linemates to work with.