Latest news with #Blueshirt
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Enigma That Is Adam Fox
Of all the prominent Rangers, the one who's toughest to figure is Adam Fox. Think – you Rangers fans – for a moment about the noble fellow. 1. He wanted so much to be a Ranger that he stiffed – call it an insult if you will – the Calgary Flames who drafted him in 2016. (And, no, they haven't forgotten.) His rationale: His Dad was a MSG season ticket-holder, and Adam grew up a Blueshirt fan. 2. His devotion to the Rangers was evident from the get-go on the ice, from a sparkling rookie season, going forwardl 3. His annexation of the Norris Trophy in 2021 suggested more prizes to come as his game matured and improved. 4. By all rights, this Met Area native seemed a natural for the Rangers captaincy after Jacob Trouba became a discarded Blueshirt. But that seems so long ago and far away, doesn't it? Fox's 2024-25 record (10-51-61) looks good on paper but it actually was his lowest full season average since his rookie year. At age 27, he should be at his career peak. Should be, but we can't tell. Can you? What better proof than this: neither The Maven nor the citizens of Rangerville have the vaguest idea of what kind of Adam Fox the 2025-26 model will be like. "If he can somehow find his Norris game and energize the power play," says The Old Scout, "real good possibilities are there. But there are areas that need fixing; that's for sure." Leadership? Forget about it. He's obviously is not considered character-strong enough a personality, otherwise management would have named him captain by now. Pressing Rangers Questions And Answers When a club like the Rangers finishes in the NHL's subterranean depths, it raises questions that must be answered before the autumn leaves start to fall. (Now don't be a wise guy and tell me that they're falling already.) Another Norris? No way. He's slipped so far down the NHL Top 50 list he figures to be somewhere between Braden Schen and Brady Skjei. Spirit? That's what Joe Micheletti said was missing from this past season's team. Fox's spirit is fairly concealed, wouldn't you say? Maybe this will change for the better under Mike Sullivan. One would hope so. But all we can say now about Adam Fox is that he remains an enigma – with greatness-in-waiting! Conclusion: Wait 'til next season.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Incredible But True Rangers Stories
You may have heard of Taffy Abel or you may not but -- if you care for vintage Rangers history – now is the time to hear about one of the biggest, best and funniest of Blueshirt backliners. Before the Rangers were born, Abel already had made a name for himself as an amateur. Taffy was an American Olympic hero decades before Uncle Sam's Gold Medal winners of 1980. Advertisement Here are some worthwhile Taffy Abel notes: * A FIRST: Abel was the first Native American (Ojibwe in the Winter Olympics 1924 Silver Medal) , He also was the Team USA Flag Bearer. And the first American-born player in the NHL. * HOME TOWN: Taffy came from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. * BEST FEAT: Working alongside future Hall of Famer Ching Johnson, Abel starred on the Rangers first Stanley Cup-winning team in 1928. Because of his being overweight – Taffy loved beer – manager Lester Patrick regularly had his heavyweight defenseman get on the scales. Then Patrick would bawl him out. "Taffy just grinned and continued on his way," Frank Boucher wrote in When The Rangers Were Young. "He loved to sing and harmonize and then would break into a soft-shoe routine, a marvelous grin creasing his round, glowing face." Advertisement One day after a practice, Patrick was instructing his two defensemen on what they should do on a three-on-two break. Boucher: "Lester carefully explained how they must make certain the puck carrier could not drive between them, that they must wait until the last split-second and then 'Spread Out,' covering the two wing men, one of whom would be taking the pass from the centerman." Incredible But True Rangers Tales: The Forgotten Cup Hero Of 1940 Incredible But True Rangers Tales: The Forgotten Cup Hero Of 1940 The "Put A Banner Up For Chris Kreider" bloc simply doesn't know what it's lobbying about because it doesn't know Advertisement Rangers history like The Maven. Since Lester's lecture sounded like the drone of bagpipes, Taffy fell asleep. When Patrick awakened Abel with a shout, and admonished him for snoozing, the defenseman shot back: "I wasn't asleep, I was just resting my eyes." Lester then asked Abel what he'd do if alone on defense and a three-man rush came down on him. Taffy thought for a moment and then shot back: "I'd do exactly what you said I should do, – I'D SPREAD OUT!" P.S. Abel also played on the Chicago Black Hawks 1934 Stanley Cup-winners!
New York Post
12-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Chris Kreider signs off on trade to Ducks in end of an era for Rangers
Access the Rangers beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers. tRY IT NOW Chris Kreider will become the first roster casualty of the Rangers' highly anticipated offseason shakeup. The longest-tenured Blueshirt, who first ventured to New York for the 2012 NHL playoffs at age 20 fresh off of Boston College's campus, the 34-year-old Kreider has signed off on a trade to the Ducks, The Post's Larry Brooks first reported Thursday. Advertisement Kreider had to approve the trade, as the Ducks were on his 15-team no-trade list. When the deal is officially executed, the Rangers will receive 20-year-old prospect Casey Terrance, a center Anaheim drafted No. 59 overall in 2023. The Blueshirts might also receive a draft pick in the deal. The Ducks are taking on all of Kreider's $6.5 million cap hit over the next two seasons, on account of the organization needing to spend more than $14 million this offseason to reach the cap floor. It's the first time in well over a decade that Kreider won't be a part of the Rangers organization, which selected him 19th overall at the 2009 NHL Draft before bringing him up to make his debut in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Senators in 2012. Advertisement 3 The Rangers have traded Chris Kreider to the Ducks. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post For all the peaks over his 13-season run with the team, however, this past season fell into a valley that the longstanding marriage could not get out of. Aside from the multitude of injuries Kreider dealt with throughout the 2024-25 campaign, which undoubtedly impacted what was ultimately a career-low performance (in a full 82-game season), the veteran wing was also specifically named in president and general manager Chris Drury's league-wide memo eliciting trade partners in late November. Advertisement There was a palpable disconnect between Kreider and the franchise he's played for his entire career thus far. As a result, Kreider follows several other former core members — captain Jacob Trouba, alternate captain Barclay Goodrow, second-overall pick Kaapo Kakko, 21st-overall pick Filip Chytil and blueline staple Ryan Lindgren — out the door. A few familiar faces await the Massachusetts native in Orange County. Kreider will be reunited with Trouba, four-year Ranger Ryan Strome and one-time trade-deadline acquisition Frank Vatrano. Advertisement The legacy he leaves in Manhattan is still an unforgettable one — albeit one without a Stanley Cup. Kreider, the first recipient of the 'Mr. Ranger' award in April 2022, is perhaps the closest the organization has gotten to the honor's namesake, Rod Gilbert. It's difficult to imagine Kreider in anything other than red, white and blue, which he also wore under new Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan for Team USA at the NHL's 4 Nations Face-off in February. 3 Chris Kreider after his final game as a Ranger on April 17, 2025. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post The two will not get to join forces again, but instead will square off twice in the upcoming regular season as teams in separate conferences. Despite missing out on a Stanley Cup over his Rangers tenure, which included five trips to the conference final and one to the final in 2014, Kreider is all over the franchise record books. Not only is he the leading playoff goal scorer of all time with 48, but Kreider's 116 power-play goals are tied for the most. His 50 game-winning goals are good for second, while his 326 total scores are third all time. Read the expert take on the Blueshirts Sign up for Larry Brooks' Inside the Rangers, a weekly Sports+ exclusive. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters The 883 games he played in a Rangers jersey have him ranked eighth in franchise history. Advertisement And yet, the numbers and records don't quite reflect the weight of Kreider's time with the Rangers. They don't reveal the community impact, the dedication or the countless times he delivered in big moments on the ice. Kreider is tied with Mark Messier for the most goals in playoff games when facing elimination (16), the most in NHL history. The extensive work he's done with the Garden of Dreams Foundation — as well as many other charities — is well documented. 3 Chris Kreider (20) checks the Kings' Kyle Clifford (13) during Game 3 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post Advertisement While it's up for debate if anybody should be allowed to wear Kreider's number again, there will never be another No. 20. From cleaning up caps off his front lawn following his series-winning natural hat trick in Game 6 of the second round of the 2024 playoffs against the Hurricanes to his departure in a cap-space-clearing move, Kreider left his mark on the New York Rangers. No matter how it came to an end.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ducks Closing in on Blockbuster Trade for Rangers' 50-Goal Scorer: Report
Ducks Closing in on Blockbuster Trade for Rangers' 50-Goal Scorer: Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After firing head coach Greg Cronin and replacing him with the polarizing Joel Quenneville, the Anaheim Ducks were reportedly looking to shake up their roster. Advertisement While the team has been linked to several big-name free agents in the last several weeks, it appears Anaheim has zeroed in on its big fish. According to a report from Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli, the Ducks are in the final stages of pulling off a trade for New York Rangers star forward Chris Kreider. 'The New York Rangers are in advanced discussions with the Anaheim Ducks on a trade that would send career-long Blueshirt Chris Kreider to Orange County, multiple sources told Daily Faceoff,' Seravalli wrote. 'The talks, which sources stressed had not reached the finish line, were slated to continue on Wednesday. But there was mutual interest between the parties and the framework of a deal in place.' New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider (20) celebrates a goal with teammate Artemi Panarin (10) against the Florida Panthers during the third period at Amerant Bank Rassol-Imagn Images According to Seravalli, the Ducks would take on the rest of Kreider's full contract, which has two years and $13 million left on it. The 34-year-old forward, who signed a seven-year, $45.5 million deal with the Rangers back in 2020, does have a 15-team no-trade clause, and if Anaheim is on it, he's expected to waive it to facilitate the deal. Advertisement 'It was not immediately clear on Tuesday whether Anaheim was on Kreider's 15-team 'no-trade' list, but sources believed it would not be a stumbling block either way as Kreider was thought to have interest in playing for new Ducks coach Joel Quenneville, where he'd also be reunited with Ryan Strome and former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba,' Seravalli continued. Though he's coming off a disappointing 22-goal, 30-point season in 2024, Kreider is just three seasons removed from his breakout year in 2021 in which he scored 52 goals and 77 points — both career highs. He's scored 20 or more goals in seven straight seasons, and he had three straight seasons of 30 or more goals entering last year. Seravalli also mentioned 2023 second-round pick Carey Terrance, a New York native, as the return for the Rangers. Advertisement Anaheim's No. 10-ranked prospect, according to The Athletic, Terrenace, 20, logged 20 goals and 39 points in 45 games as captain of the Erie Otters in the OHL this season. Related: Brad Marchand Makes Stanley Cup Final History in Panthers-Oilers Game 3 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Connor McDavid And The Rangers, Plus Playoff One-Liners
1. Connor McDavid is not that far away from free agency and you know what that means to The Maven: Or do You? I'm wondering whether The Wonderman ever could become a Ranger. 2. If ex-Oilers Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Kevin Lowe and Esa Tikkanen – just to name a few – could don a Blue Shirt, why not McDavid? 3. Let's put it this way, if McD&Company do what they always do, NOT WIN THE CUP, don't you think an aging Captain Connor will start looking around. 4. There's no law against that but a performer of his immense talent might think like The Great One did; it's time to get out of town and play in a metropolis. Could be L.A. could be New York, could even be Toronto where they never hold Stanley! 5. Looking backward, one of the Rangers' biggest mistakes was not keeping Ryan Reaves as a Blueshirt. 6. Or as Bernie Rhode likes to say, "There are no lions in the Rangers lineup." 7. When the Oilers blew their third period lead last night, Sportsnets Mark Spector called it an "immature collapse." (Does that mean that there's something like a "mature collapse" in hockey?) 8. Brendan Shanahan as Prince of the Islanders kingdom is an intriguing prospect – if it happens. I interviewed Shanny after the Devils drafted him. He had confidence written all over him and the brightest green sports jacket as well. 9. We should have a better idea about what's inside – as well as outside – the Hurricanes. (Likely a lot. Then again so do the other guys." 10. If I was a Maple Leafs fan wanted my team to win The Stanley Cup next spring, I'd hope very hard that Brad Treliving unloads John Tavares. (By the way, that's not to suggest that the Leafs ever will win the prize. And I do mean EVER!)
