Gorton began his NHL career as a scout for the Boston Bruins in the early 1990s, before moving on to work for the New York Rangers as a scout and assistant general manager. He then spent time with the NHL's league office, working as the director of player personnel and overseeing the league's scouting and player development programs.
In 2006, Gorton returned to the Rangers as the team's assistant general manager, where he played a key role in the team's success over the next decade. During his time with the Rangers, Gorton was involved in the drafting and development of several key players, including Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan, and Ryan McDonagh.
In 2015, Gorton was promoted to general manager of the Rangers, taking over from Glen Sather. In this role, Gorton oversaw all aspects of the team's hockey operations, including player personnel decisions, scouting, and contract negotiations. Under Gorton's leadership, the Rangers made several key moves, including trading for star defenseman Keith Yandle and signing free agent forward Kevin Hayes.
Despite these moves, the Rangers struggled to find consistent success on the ice during Gorton's tenure as general manager. In 2018, the team announced that Gorton would be stepping down from his role as general manager, but would remain with the organization in a different capacity.
Since leaving his role as general manager, Gorton has continued to work in hockey management, most recently serving as the president and general manager of the New York Rangers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. In this role, Gorton has been responsible for overseeing the development of the Rangers' top prospects and preparing them for the NHL.
Overall, Jeff Gorton's career in hockey has spanned several decades and included a variety of roles, from player to scout to general manager. While his time as general manager of the Rangers was not always successful, Gorton's contributions to the team's scouting and player development programs have had a lasting impact on the organization.
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