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Former New York Rangers Star Abruptly Departs the Front Office
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- Former New York Rangers Star Abruptly Departs the Front Office
Blake Wheeler with the New York Rangers. Getty
Blake Wheeler of the New York Rangers. Getty
The New York Rangers were just a few games away from a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in both 2022 and 2024, but since that point in time, everything that could go wrong seemingly has for the team.
Last season, they fell to 30th in the overall standings in the National Hockey League, and after parting ways with many players that became synonymous with the team in recent years and adding Mike Sullivan as Head Coach, things aren't trending in the right direction. That change has come to the front office as well, as the Rangers recently announced plenty of changes, with one involving a long-time Winnipeg Jet that ended his career in the Big Apple.
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Blake Wheeler Leaves the Rangers Front Office
Blake Wheeler
GettyBlake Wheeler of the New York Rangers.
That would be veteran winger Blake Wheeler, who played his last game in the NHL with the Rangers back in 2023/24, and after announcing his retirement, he took on an advisor role in the Rangers front office. That role began ahead of the 2025/26 season, but according to Vince Mercogliano , it didn't last long, as the recent changes in New York also included Wheeler, who is reportedly moving home to Minnesota and didn't believe he would continue to be a fit in the role.
While he played just one season with the Rangers in 2023/24 before being unable to find a new home ahead of the 2024/25 season, there was clearly something special about New York for Wheeler, who took on his first post-playing role with the organization. Only time will tell if he goes on to join the Minnesota Wild or takes on another hockey related role with a team, but given the experience, he would be a great fit and a leader as someone in the front office or as a coach.
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Can the Rangers Bounce Back in 2026/27?
Last season, many predicted the Rangers to be a team that could bounce back in a big way, but unfortunately that simply wasn't the case, as the team got worse as the season went on, moving Artemi Panarin in a trade after a very successful career in New York for the star winger.
This summer, the team weren't shy in making trades, as they moved out Vincent Trocheck in a blockbuster deal while acquiring the likes of Pavel Dorofeyev , Oliver Bjorkstrand and Marcus Pettersson , with the team set to look very different when the 2026/27 season begins.
Whether or not those changes end up being positive and leading to a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs once more, only time will tell, but one thing we know for sure is that Blake Wheeler will no longer be an influence in the Rangers front office, but given the lack of a defined role from the outside looking in, it's very unclear just how much that will effect the team and organization as a whole moving forward.
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