Tom Renney
Encyclopedia
Thomas Renney is a Canadian
ice hockey
Head Coach
for the Edmonton Oilers
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). He has previously coached the New York Rangers
and Vancouver Canucks
.
Renney began his coaching career in the major junior Western Hockey League
(WHL), capturing a Memorial Cup
in his two-year stint with the Kamloops Blazers
. In addition to the Rangers, he has also previously coached the Vancouver Canucks
for two seasons. He has participated in the coaching staff for Team Canada
on numerous occasions, capturing a silver medal as the head coach at the 1994 Winter Olympics
.
of the Western Hockey League
(WHL) in 1990–91. He immediately established success at the junior level, leading the club to consecutive President's Cup championships as WHL champions and a Memorial Cup
as Canadian Hockey League
(CHL) champions. In his two seasons with the Blazers, Renney compiled a 101-37-6 record for a .714 winning percentage, which ranks as the all-time highest winning mark in CHL history.
(NHL) coaching stint in 1996–97 with the Vancouver Canucks
. He replaced Pat Quinn
, who had himself taken over coaching duties from Rick Ley
for the final six games of the previous season before returning to his general manager duties. He finished with a 34-40-7 record in his only full season with the Canucks, before being fired mid-season in 1997–98. He was replaced by Mike Keenan
.
, Alberta
, and now in New York
at the Madison Square Garden
Training Center. Furthermore, he planted the seeds for a talented and robust Ranger prospect system today.
Renney was appointed the Rangers' head coach with twenty games left in the 2003–04 regular season, succeeding Glen Sather
who wanted to concentrate on his general manager
duties. He led the team into the postseason in each of the three campaigns after the 2004–05 NHL lockout. The farthest the Rangers advanced in the playoffs was the Eastern Conference Semifinals (2nd Round) in 2007 and 2008.
In 2009, Renney was the subject of an Internet parody, The Ranger Line Generator, that focused on the coaches' strategic shuffling of player line combinations. The popular website allowed users to create random line combinations based on the 2008–09 Ranger roster. The Line Generator also points out Renney's perceived misuse of Petr Průcha
.
With the underachieving Rangers stuck in a 2–7–3 slump and in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since prior to the lockout, Renney was fired from his duties on February 23, 2009, and replaced by TSN
analyst and former Tampa Bay Lightning
head coach John Tortorella
, who served as the interim head coach for the last 4 games of the 1999-2000 season. The club also dismissed assistant coach Perry Pearn, but retained fellow assistant coach Mike Pelino and goaltending coach Benoit Allaire. The move came immediately after the Rangers dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs
at Madison Square Garden
on February 22 (Howell-Bathgate Night). Renney left the Rangers fourth overall on the club's all-time wins list for head coaches with 164.
on May 26, 2009, and was named head coach of the Oilers on June 22, 2010, once again replacing Pat Quinn.
in 1992, where he began a two season stint coaching the Canadian National Team. During this stint, he guided Canada to a silver medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics
in Lillehammer
, Norway
, falling to Sweden in a gold medal shootout game.
Following his initial NHL stint with the Canucks, Renney returned to Hockey Canada and coached several international tournaments. As part of the New York Rangers organization, Renney continued to serve on Team Canada's coaching staff at the 2004
and 2005 World championships
. At the 2004 tournament in Czech Republic
, he helped guide the team to its second consecutive gold medal at the tournament. The following year, Renney and Team Canada once again appeared in the World Championship's final game, but fell to the Czech Republic, earning silver.
In total, Renney has coached in a range of capacities in ten World Championships, capturing three gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
. They first met when Tom owned a clothing store in Trail, British Columbia
. His other brother-in-law, Morey Gare, is currently the Edmonton Oilers
head pro scout.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
Head Coach
Coach (ice hockey)
Coach in ice hockey is the person responsible for directing the team during games and practices, prepares strategy and decides which players will participate in games....
for the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). He has previously coached the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
and Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
.
Renney began his coaching career in the major junior Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
(WHL), capturing a Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
in his two-year stint with the Kamloops Blazers
Kamloops Blazers
The Kamloops Blazers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League based out of Kamloops, British Columbia. They play their home games at Interior Savings Centre.-History:...
. In addition to the Rangers, he has also previously coached the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
for two seasons. He has participated in the coaching staff for Team Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
on numerous occasions, capturing a silver medal as the head coach at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics was held at the Fjellhallen in Gjøvik and the Håkons Hall in Lillehammer, Norway. The competition, held from February 12 to February 27, was won by Sweden and Canada as runner-up.-Final rankings:Source:* Gold -...
.
Kamloops Blazers
Renney began his career behind the bench in the major junior ranks with the Kamloops BlazersKamloops Blazers
The Kamloops Blazers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League based out of Kamloops, British Columbia. They play their home games at Interior Savings Centre.-History:...
of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
(WHL) in 1990–91. He immediately established success at the junior level, leading the club to consecutive President's Cup championships as WHL champions and a Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
as Canadian Hockey League
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
(CHL) champions. In his two seasons with the Blazers, Renney compiled a 101-37-6 record for a .714 winning percentage, which ranks as the all-time highest winning mark in CHL history.
Vancouver Canucks
Renney earned his first National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) coaching stint in 1996–97 with the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. He replaced Pat Quinn
Pat Quinn (ice hockey)
John Brian Patrick Quinn , is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Edmonton Oilers. Known by the nickname "The Big Irishman",...
, who had himself taken over coaching duties from Rick Ley
Rick Ley
Richard Norman Ley is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association .-Playing career:...
for the final six games of the previous season before returning to his general manager duties. He finished with a 34-40-7 record in his only full season with the Canucks, before being fired mid-season in 1997–98. He was replaced by Mike Keenan
Mike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
.
New York Rangers
Renney began his tenure in the New York Rangers organization as Director of Player Personnel, where he oversaw all facets of the team's amateur scouting operation, while assisting with the professional scouting department. He was promoted to Vice President of Player Development on June 21, 2002. He was instrumental in establishing an off-season conditioning and skills camp for several Rangers prospects in CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, and now in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
at the Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
Training Center. Furthermore, he planted the seeds for a talented and robust Ranger prospect system today.
Renney was appointed the Rangers' head coach with twenty games left in the 2003–04 regular season, succeeding Glen Sather
Glen Sather
Glen Cameron "Slats" Sather is the President and general manager of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He has also served as the head coach of the Rangers, as well as General Manager and coach of the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association and later NHL...
who wanted to concentrate on his general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
duties. He led the team into the postseason in each of the three campaigns after the 2004–05 NHL lockout. The farthest the Rangers advanced in the playoffs was the Eastern Conference Semifinals (2nd Round) in 2007 and 2008.
In 2009, Renney was the subject of an Internet parody, The Ranger Line Generator, that focused on the coaches' strategic shuffling of player line combinations. The popular website allowed users to create random line combinations based on the 2008–09 Ranger roster. The Line Generator also points out Renney's perceived misuse of Petr Průcha
Petr Prucha
Petr Průcha is a Czech professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League.-Playing career:...
.
With the underachieving Rangers stuck in a 2–7–3 slump and in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since prior to the lockout, Renney was fired from his duties on February 23, 2009, and replaced by TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
analyst and former Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
head coach John Tortorella
John Tortorella
Jonathan "John" Tortorella is an American professional ice hockey coach and is now the head coach of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He is perhaps best known for his tenure as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning when he led the team to the 2004 Stanley Cup championship...
, who served as the interim head coach for the last 4 games of the 1999-2000 season. The club also dismissed assistant coach Perry Pearn, but retained fellow assistant coach Mike Pelino and goaltending coach Benoit Allaire. The move came immediately after the Rangers dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
on February 22 (Howell-Bathgate Night). Renney left the Rangers fourth overall on the club's all-time wins list for head coaches with 164.
Edmonton Oilers
Renney was named associate coach of the Edmonton OilersEdmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
on May 26, 2009, and was named head coach of the Oilers on June 22, 2010, once again replacing Pat Quinn.
International career
Following his noteworthy junior career, Renney joined Hockey CanadaHockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
in 1992, where he began a two season stint coaching the Canadian National Team. During this stint, he guided Canada to a silver medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics was held at the Fjellhallen in Gjøvik and the Håkons Hall in Lillehammer, Norway. The competition, held from February 12 to February 27, was won by Sweden and Canada as runner-up.-Final rankings:Source:* Gold -...
in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, falling to Sweden in a gold medal shootout game.
Following his initial NHL stint with the Canucks, Renney returned to Hockey Canada and coached several international tournaments. As part of the New York Rangers organization, Renney continued to serve on Team Canada's coaching staff at the 2004
2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
The 2004 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held April 24-May 9, 2004, in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic. Games for this Ice Hockey World Championships tournament were played at Sazka Arena and ČEZ Aréna...
and 2005 World championships
2005 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
The 2005 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held March 7 - May 15, 2005, in 7 cities in 6 countries: Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria ; Debrecen, Hungary ; Eindhoven, the Netherlands ; Zagreb, Croatia ; Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro ; Mexico City, Mexico...
. At the 2004 tournament in Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, he helped guide the team to its second consecutive gold medal at the tournament. The following year, Renney and Team Canada once again appeared in the World Championship's final game, but fell to the Czech Republic, earning silver.
In total, Renney has coached in a range of capacities in ten World Championships, capturing three gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
Personal life
Renney married Glenda Gare, the sister of former NHL player Danny GareDanny Gare
Daniel Mirl Gare is a retired National Hockey League player, most notably of the Buffalo Sabres. During a 14-year professional career, Gare also played for the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers. He was a two-time All-Star right winger who twice scored 50 goals for the Buffalo Sabres,...
. They first met when Tom owned a clothing store in Trail, British Columbia
Trail, British Columbia
Trail is a city in the West Kootenay region of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:Trail has an area of . The city is located on both banks of the Columbia River, approximately 10 km north of the United States border. This section of the Columbia River valley is located between the...
. His other brother-in-law, Morey Gare, is currently the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
head pro scout.
Coaching record
| Team | |Regular season | VAN Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
1996–97 | 82 | 35 | 40 | 7 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | 4th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| VAN Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
1997–98 | 19 | 4 | 13 | 2 | |||||||
| (64) | Fired | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| NYR New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
2003–04 | 20 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 4 | (69) | 4th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — |
| NYR New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
2005–06 | 82 | 44 | 26 | ||||||||
| 12 | 100 | 3rd in Atlantic | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost East quarter-finals | ||||||
| NYR New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
2006–07 | 82 | 42 | 30 | ||||||||
| 10 | 94 | 3rd in Atlantic | 6 | 4 | .600 | Lost East semi-finals | ||||||
| NYR New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
2007–08 | 82 | 42 | 27 | ||||||||
| 13 | 97 | 3rd in Atlantic | 5 | 5 | .500 | Lost East semi-finals | ||||||
| NYR New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
61 | 31 | 23 | ||||||||
| 7 | (95) | Fired | ||||||||||
| EDM Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
2010-11 | 82 | 25 | 45 | ||||||||
| 12 | 62 | 5th in Northwest | ||||||||||
| Total | 510 | 228 | 215 | 9 | 57 | 523 | -- | 11 | 13 | .458 | 3 playoff appearances | |
External links
- Short profile at NHL.com