Rangers’ Glen Sather retires from NHL after six decades in hockey

On Wednesday, the New York Rangers senior advisor to the owner and alternate governor, Glen Sather, retired from his role in professional hockey.  

Sather, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997,  has spent the past six decades in hockey. He has been with the Rangers for the past 24 years, across many different roles, beginning as president and general manager in 2000. He served as Rangers president for 19 years, general manager for 14 years and set the franchise record for games (1,114) and wins (556) by a GM. He also spent one year as Rangers head coach.

“Having the opportunity to be associated with the National Hockey League, and specifically the New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers, has been one of the great privileges of my life,” Sather said in a team statement Wednesday. “I want to thank Jim Dolan for giving me the chance to work for the Rangers 24 years ago and for his consistent guidance and friendship. I want to thank everyone in the Rangers organization for their dedication and pursuit of excellence throughout the years, as well as the family atmosphere they helped create. I would also like to thank the great Rangers fans for their passion and loyalty. This experience is something I will always treasure.”

Sather has done it all. He played 659 NHL games across six different franchises. After being signed by the Boston Bruins as an undrafted free agent, the Alberta native played 146 games in Boston, 122 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, 186 with the Rangers, 69 with the St. Louis Blues, 63 with the Montreal Canadiens and 72 with the Minnesota North Stars. He retired as a player in 1977. 

Since then, Sather has won five Stanley Cups as a general manager, four of which he also served as head coach. He is one of only two to win four Cups as both head coach and general manager. After his final season as a GM in 2015, Sather held the NHL record for regular-season games (2,700) and wins (1,319) by a general manager. He has also had plenty of success as both GM and coach of Team Canada on the international stage.

Sather played a pivotal role in assisting current Rangers president and GM Chris Drury during his early career in management. 

“I would like to congratulate Glen on his tremendous career,” said Drury in the team statement. “I will forever be grateful to Glen for giving me the opportunity to play for the Rangers, and I was so fortunate to lean on him for guidance as I began my own career in the front office. I wish Glen – along with Ann and the entire Sather family – best of luck in the next chapter of their lives.”