New York Rangers On SI

NY Rangers Hire Away Bruins Assistant To Become Hartford Coach

A Boston Bruins assistant coach has been hired by the New York Rangers to become the head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Kenneth Teape

Nov 14, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of the Bruins logo on the jersey of Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Boston Bruins at the American Airlines Center.
Nov 14, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of the Bruins logo on the jersey of Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Boston Bruins at the American Airlines Center. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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The New York Rangers have made several moves with the coaching and personnel staffs within the organization this offseason.

There is a new director of player personnel, with Tanner Glass taking over for Jed Ortmeyer. Some fans were disappointed that the Rangers didn’t go outside of the organization for a replacement, given how much the team has struggled to develop young talent in recent years.

However, to fill their vacancy on the Hartford Wolf Pack coaching staff, New York did go outside of the franchise. Team president and general manager, Chris Drury, announced that taking over as head coach will be Jay Leach, formerly an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins.

Leach is the ninth head coach of the Wolf Pack and will be taking over for Grant Potulny. He, along with assistant coaches Jamie Tardif and Paul Mara, was fired after a brutal 2025-26 season in which Hartford went 26-38-5.

Rangers hire Jay Leach to be head coach of Wolf Pack

New York Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury speaks during a press conference.
May 8, 2025; Tarrytown, NY, USA; New York Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury speaks during a press conference to introduce new head coach Mike Sullivan at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, New York May 8, 2025. / The Journal News-Imagn Images

Potulny was head coach of the Northern Michigan team in the collegiate ranks before he was hired to lead the Wolf Pack ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. The Rangers are certainly hoping that Leach can bring more success to their AHL affiliate, as he brings much more professional experience along with him.

He has been on NHL benches for the last five seasons. The last two have been spent with the Bruins, and before that, he was with the Seattle Kraken from 2021 to 2024.

Leach has head coaching experience in the AHL, so taking over with Hartford shouldn’t be too big an adjustment for him. Before reaching the NHL, he was the head coach of the Providence Bruins from 2017 to 2021.

Providence experienced a ton of success under him. They had a 133-76-26 record and won the Atlantic Division in back-to-back years, in 2020 and 2021. Before he took over as head coach, he was an assistant with the team during the 2016-17 season, and they reached the AHL’s Eastern Conference Finals.

Leach spent one season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before joining the Bruins organization in 2017. He was an assistant coach at first, then an interim head coach, and was eventually named associate head coach of the team.

Before beginning his coaching career, Leach was selected in the fifth round, No. 115 overall, by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared in 70 games, playing with the Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks.

12 seasons of professional hockey were played by Leach before embarking on his coaching career.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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