Media Bytes: Kreider, Bounce Back Szn, Shesterkin, Top-6 Hunt Continues
A revealing look at why Kreider left, reasons for real optimism this season, and who's fighting for a roster spot after Tolvanen's arrival.
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Kreider Connections
1. Before getting into Rangers Recon's season preview, Arthur Staple offered some color commentary this past week on why Chris Kreider ultimately landed with the Montréal Canadiens after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract with the Anaheim Ducks.
Drawing on both his long-standing contacts within the Rangers organization and his own experience covering Kreider, Staple recounted an unusually public reaction from the famously private winger following the unceremonious firing of longtime Rangers athletic trainer Jim Ramsay.
Ramsay subsequently joined the Canadiens, returning to Madison Square Garden with Montréal during the 2023–24 season for the club's only road game against the Rangers that year. It was the night Kreider famously scored a hat trick, but Ramsay was infamously neither acknowledged nor shown on the Garden's video board—a slight Staple believes particularly irked Kreider.
"At the end of the game, Kreider would stand by the door leading off the ice to acknowledge everyone. That night, as he did it, you could see him kind of pointing and whispering in guys' ears to make sure that everyone went over and acknowledged Ramsay in the middle of the ice," Staple said. "When that was done, Kreider went over and embraced Ramsay himself, in full view of everyone [in what was] probably one of the most public things he's ever done."
"Despite scoring a hat trick, Kreider wasn't seen in the post-game dressing room," he continued. "There was plenty of speculation as to why, but it seemed, putting two and two together, that he was not happy that Ramsay was not acknowledged."
Staple also noted that before Kreider was placed on waivers for the purpose of terminating his Ducks contract, his agent effectively signaled to the league's general managers not to put in a claim for the veteran winger. Even if another team had claimed him, Kreider reportedly would not have reported.
