By WFAN.com
Saying dreams do come true, John Davidson formally took his place atop the Rangers' front office Wednesday.
The Rangers hired Davidson, a former goalie and TV analyst for the team, as their new president last week. He resigned as the Columbus Blue Jackets' president of hockey operations to take the position, replacing the retiring Glen Sather.
"It's no secret that New York has always held a very special place in my heart," Davidson, 66, said at his introductory news conference at Madison Square Garden. "This is the only organization I would ever have left Columbus for.
"I saw what it was like in 1979 as a player when we got to the finals (but) did not win," said Davidson, who played 10 seasons in the NHL from 1973-83 -- the last eight with the Rangers. "I saw what it was like in 1994 (when he was a broadcaster) ... what it took and what this city did when this team won the championship. That was a very special time in my life. I've lived here previously for 28 years, raised two daughters here, had a wonderful life. Not a born New Yorker, but I think I became a New Yorker. It's always been in my blood.
"I want to continue what's been started here and that's to build the Rangers to become perennial Stanley Cup contenders." #NYR President John Davidson pic.twitter.com/ozuk7BdaGm
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 22, 2019"This is a very special opportunity for me and my family."
Said Rangers owner James Dolan: "J.D. has returned home. His knowledge of the game, experience and passion for the Rangers made him the ideal choice to lead the team."
The Rangers are in the midst of a rebuild that began in early 2018. With an eye on sustained success down the road, they've traded away several key veterans over the past 15 months, including Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller, Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes, in exchange for younger players and draft picks.
Davidson said he plans to keep the Blueshirts on the path that Sather and general manager Jeff Gorton set the franchise on.
"I want to continue what's been started here, and that's to build the Rangers to become perennial Stanley Cup contenders," he said. "They're doing it the right way. Jim (Dolan) is a man who wants to win, he wants to do it right, and we're on the same page."
He added that the foundation that Gorton and his staff has laid "puts us in a great position to be aggressive as we continue to improve."
But Davidson added that there's still "a lot of work to do here" and the build will require "patience and resolve."
Davidson noted that because Columbus played in the Metropolitan Division, he has watched a lot of Rangers games in recent years. He said he liked what he saw from the team under rookie head coach David Quinn this past season.
"What became very noticeable in watching those games is what's already been established, and that's the identity that New Yorkers love. It's a team that works, a team that plays hard and a team that plays the game the right way. And I credit coach David Quinn and his staff for doing exactly that. And we're going to continue to improve in that area. ... I can't tell you how important it is to have the proper culture in an organization to try to win hockey games."
Davidson returns to New York with a proven track record in turning around franchises. As president of the St. Louis Blues from 2006-12, the Ottawa, Ontario, native laid the groundwork for the once-downtrodden organization to become a yearly participant in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Some of the players he acquired are still on the team as enters the Stanley Cup Final this season.
Since Davidson took charge of Columbus' front office in October 2012, the Blue Jackets have reached the playoffs four times, including three straight years. This season, Columbus won its first-ever playoff series in a stunning sweep of the Presidents' Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning. The Blue Jackets were eliminated by the Boston Bruins in the second round.
This past season, the Rangers went 32-36-14 (78 points), finishing only above the New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division.
