Coach V heads for NYC

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We're not sure if he is fan of Jay Z and Alicia, a devotee of Billy Joel (man look at all that hair) or perhaps fond of the Chairman of the Board (If he can make it there...), but whichever musical styling that Alain Vigneault might prefer, we're pretty sure that there is  a song to serve as the soundtrack to his New York Adventures to come.

Vigneault was named the new head coach of the New York Rangers Friday, a rather poorly kept secret that first began to percolate earlier in the week, the Rangers having dismissed John Tortorella following their playoff exit moving towards a less volume orientated chaperon for their rather expensive Broadway lineup.

For the spot in the boiling pot of New York observation, Vigneault will make a reported 10 million dollars over five years, a nice reward for the frustrations of the last year on the west coast.

The former bench boss for the Vancouver Canucks took the fall this Spring, paying the price for an under performing team  and a GM that couldn't make the required moves in the lockout extended shortened season to make the Canucks a contender once again.

Instead, Vigneault found himself dismissed following the Canucks exit,  a fate that many suggest rightfully should have gone to the Canucks GM Mike Gillis.

Vigneault's time on the sidelines though was not going to be very long, the NHL coaching carousel was already warming up as the Canucks were filling out the paperwork on the parting.

It seemed for many that Vigneault would surely find himself another NHL coaching position, the only question being what kind of pressure would he want to put on himself after the grinder that Vancouver has become of late.

As things would seem to suggest, pressure isn't something that the Gatineau (once known as Hull), Quebec resident is afraid of, taking on the challenge of one of the league's premiere franchises, an Original six member where every move is subject to the glare of the largest media spotlight in the league.

He clearly will bring a completely different dynamic to his position than that of his predecessor, which
perhaps offers up the prospect of a much more peaceful co-existence with the media in New York, a development that may very well allow for a concentration on hockey as opposed to feuds.

Coaching in New York perhaps in the recent past has taken a back seat for the Rangers, the conflicting egos both in the offices and the dressing room coursing through the Ranger organization, pulling apart at times rather than together.

Vigneault who has been able to focus on coaching through any number of sideshows in the past, could very well return the Rangers to a focus on playing the game.

If the recent playoff exit is any indication they had clearly tuned out their former coach, who seemingly didn't have much confidence in some of the pieces put in place by his GM in New York.

It made for a toxic mix by the end that not surprisingly resulted in the Rangers decision to let John Tortorella go, we don't necessarily subscribe to the theory that all of the Rangers ills were his fault or responsibility.

Players are supposed to play, but far too often those sideshows took far too much of the focus.

We suspect that Torotrella will land somewhere before September (rumours are percolating that he'll land in Vancouver, in effect providing for a trade in coaches, in a round about way), where we'll find out if he can concentrate just on the on ice aspect of events.

Though, as Alain Vigneault could advise him if asked, Vancouver is no walk in the park when it came to media interest.

Perhaps, that exposure on the West Coast is what convinced Vigneault to accept the Rangers job, the glare of the media in Vancouver was just as intense as what New York will offer, though in New York the pockets are deep, the desire to win again surely a dominant theme.

Picking Alain Vigneault is an indication that the Rangers may just be ready to make a large step forward in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

New York Post-- Coach's smiling optimism a case of Torts reform
New York Post-- Vigneault preaches 'latitude' at Rangers intro
New York Daily News-- New York a perfect fit for new Rangers coach Alain Vigneault and his family
Newsday-- Alain Vigneault will be a style change for Rangers
Newsday-- Alain Vigneault the right choice for Rangers
New York Times-- Set for changes, Rangers Introduce Vigneault as Coach
NBC Sports-- Sather says new Rangers coach Vigneault 'loves the offensive game'
USA Today-- Rangers introduce Alain Vigneault as coach
Globe and Mail-- Rangers introduce Alain Vigneault as new head coach
National Post-- Alain Vigneault officially becomes new Rangers head coach