New York Rangers News: Jeff Beukeboom Hired As Assistant Coach

With a little under an hour before the free agent market opens, the New York Rangers are expected to make their first change and it’s behind the bench. According to an official team release, the Rangers have hired Jeff Beukeboom as their new assistant coach.

Beukeboom will replace the recently departed Ulf Samuelsson, who took on a head coaching position with the Carolina’s AHL affiliate. Beukeboom has served his time with the Hartford Wolfpack over the years as an assistant coach, so it’s no surprise to see him get the call.

He has also been extremely influential in the development of some Rangers defensive prospects, most notably Dylan McIlrath and Brady Skjei. It will be interesting to see how much his philosophy differs from Ulf in terms of usage, but once thing is for sure, this hire certainly bodes well for McIlrath.

Thoughts?