Now that Michael Peca is no longer with the New York Rangers , the former Blueshirts assistant coach is finally free to be heard about why this past season was such a trainwreck.
The Rangers don't allow their assistants to speak with the media, except for quick live snippets between periods of games aired with their own MSG Network reporters, like John Giannone. So, outside of former coach Peter Laviolette, no one's heard from assistants Phil Housley, Dan Muse or Peca about this past season's mess, when the Rangers missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in four years.
Until now.
Peca cut right to the heart of the matter, when speaking about all that ailed the Rangers in 2024-25 on the Morning Cuppa' Hockey podcast.
"Now, there was a lot of stuff outside of the locker room, outside of the coach's room, that, you know, players in the organization were dealing with, that that did seep into the locker room and which made it tough, because now we're trying to clean up the debris and get guys to, hey, listen, just don't worry about whatever the emotional shit they're dealing with. We've got to play hockey," Peca explained Thursday.
Peca explained that juggling the players' emotions and trying to smooth over the bad vibes that engulfed the team after the way general manager Chris Drury ruffled feathers with his heavy-handed approach to dispensing with popular veterans like Jacob Trouba and Barclay Goodrow , took away from the coaching staff's main objective.
"Making sure players are well prepared."
Certainly, the Rangers didn't look prepared at all, especially during that 4-15-0 face plant in November and December, the absolute nadir of the lost season. Disorganized, disinterested. The Rangers were simply a mess.
"I just think that our focus, and a lot of teams deal with stuff, I'm not saying that we're the only team in the League that dealt with stuff. Teams deal with stuff," Peca explained. "As a coaching staff, it just seemed like we got a little distracted having to deal with this and manage emotions now and do all these different things."
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The coaching staff paid the price for not being able to get the Rangers back on track, overseeing one of the most disappointing campaigns in franchise history. Laviolette and Housely were fired soon after the season ended. Peca and Muse left on their own before new coach Mike Sullivan filled out his staff.
Peca was hired as an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks and Muse replaced Sullivan as coach of the Penguins.
As for Drury, he received a contract extension and hired the coach he's wanted all along, after Sullivan parted ways with the Penguins. He also has learned some valuable lessons it appears, with more deft handling of popular veteran Chris Kreider before trading him a couple weeks ago to the Anaheim Ducks , and his improved communication with veteran leaders like Mika Zibanejad this offseason.
How will that translate on to the ice for the Rangers, who expect less of a soap opera season in 2025-26? Peca's not about to guess. He's got his own things to be concerned about in Chicago next season, trying to help Jeff Blashill straighten things out there.
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