The New York Rangers have hired Alain Vigneault to be the team's new coach, according to published reports Saturday.
The New York Daily News and Sportsnet are reporting that Vigneault, the former coach of the Vancouver Canucks, agreed to be Rangers coach Saturday afternoon.
Vigneault withdrew his name from contention for the Dallas Stars' coaching job Friday night, according to a report in the Dallas Morning News.
Vigneault was in New York on Friday, a source confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com, and was believed to be meeting with Rangers owner James Dolan. A team spokesperson and a spokesperson for Dolan declined to comment to the website on whether there was a meeting when reached via email Friday.
Vigneault, fired by the Canucks after the team was swept by the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, met with the Rangers during their organizational meetings this week in La Quinta, Calif.
John Tortorella was fired by the Rangers on May 29, after losing in the second round of the playoffs to the Boston Bruins.
The Stars were interested in hiring Vigneault to replace Glen Gulutzan, who was fired May 14 after Dallas missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
Vigneault, 52, has 11 years of experience behind an NHL bench, the past seven with Vancouver after three-plus seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. The Canucks, who lost to the Bruins in seven games in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, won the Presidents' Trophy in 2010-11 and 2011-12. They finished first in the Northwest Division this season before being swept by San Jose.
Vigneault, let go May 22, had a 313-170-57 regular-season record in Vancouver, and was 33-32 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (2-12 since Game 2 of the 2011 Final).
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