Trottier to Coach Rangers

Bryan Trottier has always had a knack for making headlines during the Stanley Cup finals.

The Hockey Hall of Famer is doing it again in New York.

Trottier, one of the Islanders’ greatest players and a seven-time Stanley Cup winner, was hired Thursday to coach the archrival Rangers.

How he will be received by fans of both teams remains to be seen.

“As of right now, my loyalty and my focus is with the New York Rangers,” he said. “I believe sports fans understand that both on Long Island and New York.”

Trottier, 45, replaces Ron Low, fired after the regular season, the fifth straight time the Rangers failed to make the playoffs.

Trottier has been an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche since 1998 and spent three seasons as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins. His only head coaching experience was with Portland of the AHL in the 1997-98 season.

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The NHL is considering ways to make its 30 arenas safer for fans following the death of a 13-year-old girl three months ago at a game in Columbus, Ohio, Commissioner Gary Bettman said.

The commissioner said a report prepared by engineers, architects and safety inspectors would be discussed at a meeting of the league’s board of governors on June 20 in Toronto. Bettman wouldn’t elaborate on possible new or additional safety measures, which may include netting or higher glass behind the nets at each end of the rink.

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The Mighty Ducks signed prospect Mark Popovic and unrestricted free agent Kurt Sauer to three-year entry level contracts. Popovic, a 19-year-old defenseman, was a second-round pick in the 2001 draft. Sauer, a 21-year-old defenseman, was a fifth-round selection by Colorado in the 2000 draft and spent three seasons in the minor leagues. The Avalanche did not re-sign Sauer, making him available.