There are a few dates on the NHL calendar when my inbox and social notifications fill with versions of the same questions from New York Rangers fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen is Chris Drury talking?\u201d and \u201cWhere can I watch it?\u201d<\/p>\n
My responses are generally, \u201cI\u2019m not sure yet,\u201d and, \u201cNowhere, unfortunately.\u201d<\/p>\n
While front-office executives across the league typically schedule face-to-face media availabilities around notable events \u2014 trade deadline, draft and end of season, as a few examples \u2014 Drury is the only general manager who doesn\u2019t regularly hold solo, in-person news conferences. The last one came in September 2023, with Drury\u2019s only other appearances taking place in NHL-mandated group settings and occasionally alongside his team\u2019s coach.<\/p>\n
The norm during Drury\u2019s tenure, which will soon hit the five-year mark, has been gate-kept Zoom calls capped between 10 and 15 minutes and never broadcast to the public. Video is turned off, and reporters in attendance are muted until they are called upon to ask a question \u2014 after which a meeting host promptly mutes them again.<\/p>\n
It was the same story on Friday. Drury declined a request from the New York chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association to speak in person, then spent 14 minutes evading the topics fans care about.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Regarding the next steps in the Rangers\u2019 self-proclaimed retool, Drury dodged the question by saying it was still \u201cso raw and so new\u201d \u2014 even though it\u2019s been over three months since he announced those intentions in a Jan. 16 letter to season-ticket holders<\/a>. He declined to discuss how close New York is to reaching the playoffs again (\u201cI\u2019m not going to get into the timelines\u201d); what went wrong with past draft picks that didn\u2019t pan out (\u201cIt\u2019s hard to say\u201d); and whether he\u2019s planning any additional changes to scouting and player development staffs with spotty track records (\u201cWe\u2019re looking at every department\u201d). When asked about the Rangers\u2019 top offseason needs, Drury deferred to earlier comments<\/a> from coach Mike Sullivan.<\/p>\n Avoiding these questions places an undue burden on Sullivan and the players. As they are required to speak to the media daily, they often must address decisions made above their heads. That culture of secrecy permeates every facet of the organization<\/a>, with team employees nervous to do or say anything that might jeopardize their jobs.<\/p>\n