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Rangers shake up AHL affiliate -- Gernander fired, Drury replaces Schoenfeld as GM

Worcester Sharks v Connecticut Whale

HARTFORD, CT - DECEMBER 12: Head coach Ken Gernander of the Connecticut Whale handles bench duties against the Worcester Sharks at the XL Center on December 12, 2012 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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Big changes for the Hartford Wolf Pack on Tuesday.

New York’s top minor league affiliate shook things up in a major way today, firing longtime bench boss Ken Gernander while replacing GM Jim Schoenfeld with rising executive Chris Drury.

Gernander, 47, has been with the Wolf Pack for the last 12 years, 10 of them as the club’s head coach. His dismissal comes after the club missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season, finishing with a dismal 24-46-6 record.

As for Drury... well, it’s becoming pretty apparent New York thinks very highly of his front office work.

Just days after turning down Buffalo’s request to interview Drury for the general manager gig -- one that eventually went to Jason Botterill -- the Rangers gave him some added responsibility of overseeing the AHL club. It’s a similar role Botterill held in Pittsburgh (with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) before getting hired by the Sabres.

Schoenfeld will remain with the Rangers, focusing primarily on his duties (AGM, primarily) with New York.

Drury, 40, has spent the last two years climbing the Rangers’ executive depth chart. He was brought aboard in 2015 as the club’s director of player development and, a year later, was promoted to assistant GM under Jeff Gorton.

The Rangers aren’t the only ones enamored by Drury’s front office skills. Recently, USA Hockey tabbed him — along with Pittsburgh AGM Bill Guerin — as the braintrust responsible for building Team USA’s entry at the World Hockey Championship.