Rangers senior advisor Glen Sather announces retirement from NHL

Glen Sather’s illustrious, Hall of Fame career in the NHL is over.

The Rangers sent out a release Wednesday morning announcing that after six decades in the game, Sather is retiring from his position with the team as Senior Advisor to the Owner and Alternate Governor, and stepping away from professional hockey.

“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 the team release.
“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’s NHL career saw him play 658 games over parts of 10 seasons with Boston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Montreal, Minnesota, and the Rangers, who he played for during their run to the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals – and he just missed several other Cups, as the Bruins (1970 and 1972) and Canadiens (four straight from 1976-79) began championship runs the year after Sather departed.

He is more widely revered as a coach and architect, though, as he was the GM and head coach of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty that won five Stanley Cups from 1983-84 to 1989-90, acting as the GM for all five and the head coach for all but the last one in 1990; he remained GM through 2000, and also came back to coach 60 games in the 1993-94 season.

Sather was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997 during that time, and joined the Rangers on June 1, 2000, as president and GM, serving as former through the 2018-19 season and latter through 2014-15. He also was head coach for 90 games from January 2003-February 2004, and after leaving his role as president, he transitioned into the senior advisor/alternate governor role.

“I would like to congratulate Glen on his tremendous career,” said Chris Drury, Rangers President and GM, said in the team release. “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.”