Rangers Fire Coach Vigneault After Missing Playoffs
NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Rangers have fired coach Alain Vigneault after missing the playoffs in his fifth season.
The team announced the move Saturday night and will begin searching for his replacement immediately.
New York made the playoffs four times during Vigneault's tenure, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. The front office decided in the middle of this season to go young, sell at the trade deadline and begin a rebuilding process in the hopes of becoming a title contender again.
Vigneault repeatedly said he believed the Rangers would have made the playoffs if they didn't go in that direction. After a 5-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon, the veteran coach said he expected to be back next season.
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