Malcolm Spence, Agitator Extraordinaire

Recent times have been difficult for the New York Rangers, that’s no secret. As the team continues its stagnant play on the ice, and with future free agents falling off the board, the path out of mediocrity appears to be shrinking by the day.

However, despite the team’s struggles in drafting and developing talent, there are still bright spots. And one of those is Malcolm Spence.

Like many good things for the New York Rangers, Spence somehow fell into their lap. After making the arduous decision to send their 2025 first round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Rangers had no draft picks until the second round, specifically pick #43. By the time that pick was coming up, most of the top-tier talent was already off the board. But Spence’s name remained uncalled.

Malcolm Spence’s draft year was filled with uncertainties and challenges, but before his final season with the Erie Otters, many believed he was a lock for the first round, with some experts even ranking him among the top 16 prospects. Leading up to that year, his latest season in the OHL saw his production increase significantly. He was close to a point-per-game pace and stood out on the international stage, scoring the golden goal to help Canada win the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

The skill was there, the production was there, and his draft stock was on the rise. What could go wrong? Well, at the start of 2025, Spence’s string of bad luck began and then continued throughout the rest of the season. He suffered a severe injury—splitting his tongue in half—that required surgery. After that, the wound became infected, and Spence was struggling to eat and breathe, which further affected his life and, unsurprisingly, his performance on the ice.

Throughout this period Spence kept playing, only missing three games for the Erie Otters all year. A self-described “hyena” on the ice, his dogged determination was clear as he played through injuries that would have sidelined most pros for months. Spence even improved on his previous season's production, scoring 32 goals and 73 points in 65 games. However, it wasn’t seen as a big enough step forward, and his draft stock fell.