Rangers' AHL affiliate shakes up coaching staff, fire head coach

The changes hitting the New York Rangers organization in the offseason have reached the American Hockey League (AHL) level, with the Hatford Wolf Pack terminating Grant Potulny, Jamie Tardif, and Paul Mara.

Potulny served as head coach with both Tardif and Mara being fired after serving as assistant coaches. The announcement came from the Wolf Pack on the evening of May 3. Hartford finished last in the Atlantic Division with 60 points this season and missed the Calder Cup Playoffs for a second consecutive year; the Rangers also ended their most recent campaign last in the Eastern Conference.

Potulny had acted as the Wolf Pack head coach for the last two seasons after Kris Knoblauch left to become the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers.

Tardif had been a Hartford assistant since the 2022-23 season, while Mara joined the staff in Dec., 2023 after initially getting hired as a player development assistant that same August.

Rangers seeing organizational retool

Other changes to the Rangers' organization have also been recently reported.

UPDATE: Grant Potulny, Jamie Tardif, and Paul Mara have been relieved of their coaching duties with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Jed Ortmeyer, the Rangers' director of player development who also spent the first part of his career as a player with the Blueshirts, left to pursue other opportunities. As a result — Tanner Glass, who had been the assistant director of player development since 2019, was promoted to Ortmeyer's former role.

Both were former Rangers players. 

This retool comes amidst a known problem for the Blueshirts in developing prospects into reliable talents on the league ice, though youngster Gabe Perreault demonstrates an exception and is quickly developing into a future star for the New York organization. 

Perreault made his NHL debut on Nov. 10, 2025 and has 27 career points across 12 goals and 15 assists.

New members of the Hartford Wolf Pack coaching staff have yet to be announced. 

The Wolf Pack ended their 2025-26 season with a 4-3 loss at the Springfield Thunderbirds.

MORE: Assistant Coach Jessica Campbell not returning to Kraken next season