Even with a multiyear contract extension under his belt, Alain Vigneault hasn’t taken his eye off the prize.
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"There’s only 30 jobs open, and I’m working my (expletive) off to win the ultimate thing; I’ve come close, and I feel like I’ve never been more driven," the Rangers coach said Tuesday after the team confirmed reports on Monday that he and the Rangers had reached an agreement. "I know how privileged and fortunate I am to be in this position."
The team did not reveal the financial terms. According to reports, the three-year extension was worth more than $12 million and will take him through the 2019-2020 season.
Vigneault, 55, is 175-97-23 record since he was hired to replace John Tortorella on June 21, 2013, signing a five-year, $10 million contract at the time.
In the new pact, the final season of the previous one, 2017-18, was revised to create a new three-year extension.
Under his guidance, the Rangers have made the playoffs in his first three seasons, including two Betorder deep runs, and are on pace to make the playoffs again this spring.
General manager Jeff Gorton first brought up the possibility of an extension last summer, Vigneault said. "Jeff made it clear to me that he didn’t want me going into the last year of my deal (without an extension) and if I had any interest, and we started discussing this maybe a month ago. I gave it obviously a lot of thought, but I feel that with the young kids we’re bringing in, whatever you want to call it, retooling, I believe that we can win and compete in a very tough league. It was a pretty easy decision as far as, you’re a coach and you want to have a chance, and you’ve got a first-class organization."
Down the road, the Quebec native, who coached in Montreal and Vancouver, said his style won’t change. "I’m not about gimmicks, I’m about the process, the culture," he said. "I really believe in empowering my staff, empowering the players."
AROUND THE LEAGUE: The Islanders stabilized their goaltending situation for the next few seasons by signing Thomas Greiss to a $10 million, three-year extension. The 31-year-old is 14-7-3 with a 2.25 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in 25 games this season. He usurped Jaroslav Halak as the starter, and the team waived Halak and sent him to the AHL.
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