Kris Knoblauch has been named the new head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack, the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate team.
The New York Rangers have hired Kris Knoblauch as the new head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack in an announcement on Monday.
OFFICIAL: Kris Knoblauch has been named Head Coach of the #NYR American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 29, 2019
The 40-year-old coach was an assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers for the last two seasons. He is the seventh head coach in Hartford Wolf Pack history.
The Wolf Pack, along with the Rangers organization, have been searching for a new head coach since Keith McCambridge was relieved of his duties in April. McCambridge was with the team for two seasons.
The Wolf Pack had a record of 29-36-7-4 in 2018-19 and finished last in the Atlantic division.
Knoblauch served as head coach of the Kootenay Ice in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2010-11 and 2011-12, and then with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for parts of five seasons between 2012 and 2017.
In his first season with Kootenay, he led the team to the WHL championship, winning 16 of the team’s 19 playoff games.
The Rangers’ rebuild over the last two season had an impact in Hartford. The new head coach will have his work cut out for him as he works with a young crop of players. A winning season in Hartford with a potential run to the playoffs would show that the Rangers have a deeper system than some may think.
Knoblauch was selected by the New York Islanders in the seventh round, 166th overall, of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft
