Alain Vigneault hired as Rangers head coach

The previous head coach of the New York Rangers, John Tortorella, was not exactly the most media savvy gentleman. With a live, televised press conference from Radio City Music Hall to announce his hiring, Alain Vigneault suggested that at least in one way, things will be different this time.

Chairman of Madison Square Garden James Dolan and Rangers president/general manager Glen Sather announced Friday that Vigneault -- a man with more than a decade of NHL head coaching experience -- will become the 35th coach in the franchise’s long and storied history. It was a long-speculated move, after a bunch of candidates were bantered about. In actuality, Sather admitted, only Vigneault and Mark Messier ever had in-person interviews. Vigneault was seen as the man for the job.

The Rangers were also reportedly interested in Lindy Ruff and they interviewed Mark Messier for their head coaching job, but appear to have settled on Vigneault.

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