Rangers Add Familiar Faces as Wheeler, Clowe Join Front Office; Martin, Sullivan Promoted

There will be at least two new, but familiar, faces in the New York Rangers front office this season.

According to an official release from the Rangers, former Blueshirts Blake Wheeler and Ryane Clowe will join team's hockey operations staff. Wheeler, who just recently announced his retirement from playing after spending the 2023-24 season with the Rangers, is joining the team as Hockey Operations Adviser. Clowe, who was acquired by the Rangers at the 2013 trade deadline from the San Jose Sharks, has joined the front office as Assistant General Manager. Just Sunday Clowe announced he was resigning from his assistant GM post with the Sharks.

Additionally, Ryan Martin has been promoted to Associate General Manager, and will remain as General Manager of the Hartford Wolf Pack. Jim Sullivan has also been promoted to Assistant General Manager, having previously served as Vice President of Hockey Strategy and Data Management.

The 2025-26 season will be Martin’s fifth with the Rangers, and he's served as the general manager of the Wolf Pack since 2021-22. Martin also previously served as an Assistant General Manager with the Rangers, but will now hold the Associate title. What’s the difference? Great question. It’s worth noting that Martin will continue to serve as the Wolf Pack’s GM but the promotion to Associate GM of the Rangers indicates he could have more involvement with bigger picture decisions for the franchise. If anything, this could be a good sign that decisions with the Rangers and Wolf Pack could be more aligned 

Jim Sullivan (no relation to the Rangers new head coach, Mike Sullivan) has been with the Rangers for almost two decades now and has had quite the story working his way up through the ranks. He first joined the organization as a video analyst back in 2009 and has since climbed the ladder, serving in various development and analytic roles before becoming Vice President of Hockey Strategy and Data Management.

Ryan Clowe was a 6th round draft pick by the San Jose Sharks in 2001 and played 491 total games in the NHL, 12 of which with the Rangers in 2013. A trade deadline acquisition, Clowe registered three goals and five assists in that stretch, along with two goals in five postseason games. Clowe initially spent time with the Rangers front office in a hockey operations role before leaving for San Jose to become their Assistant General Manager.

Lastly, Blake Wheeler suited up in 51 games with the Rangers just two seasons ago, which is just a small sample size from his almost 1200 game career in the league. A former fifth overall draft pick, Wheeler collected 943 points throughout his career which included back-to-back 91 point seasons in 2018 and 2019. Wheeler’s tenure as a player in a Rangers uniform was shortened by injuries, but his impact has seemingly lasted with the team as he will now serve as a Hockey Operations Adviser.