Rangers Sign Conor Sheary to One-Year, Two-Way Deal, Assign Brett Berard to Hartford

After joining the New York Rangers on a professional tryout prior to the start of training camp, Conor Sheary has now earned a full-time job for the 2025-26 season. He and the Rangers have agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract for an annual-average value of $775,000, which is league minimum.

Appearing in just two preseason games with the Rangers, Sheary registered a goal and two assists. He made quite the impression in the first game, which evidently became enough for the coaching staff to make the decision that he would be a part of the team’s opening night roster. 

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Sheary spent the entirety of last season in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch, the minor league affiliate for the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 61 games played, Sheary became a top contributor, collecting 20 goals and 41 assists. Sheary also has a history playing under Mike Sullivan in the NHL, with a pair of Stanley Cups to show for it. In 593 career games played, Sheary has a total 124 goals and 143 assists for a total of 267 points. 

Sheary will likely start the season in a third line role alongside Jusso Parssinen and Taylor Raddysh. Sullivan has made it a point heading into training camp that he wants to have a defensive minded third line that can play a reliable two-way game. Based on that, it’s worth giving Sheary, a guy who has experience playing in Sullivan’s systems, the first crack at that opportunity. 

While it may not be the most inspired decision considering the fact that he is taking a roster spot away from a younger player, it is encouraging to know that the Rangers have options in the system that can be called up as needed. If Sheary can continue to perform the way he did early in preseason, he will be a valuable depth piece for the Rangers throughout the season. 

Additionally, the Rangers announced that they've assigned forward Brett Berard to Hartford of the AHL. It was widely perceived that Berard and Sheary were competing for the same spot on the roster, given their similarities. In the end, it was the veteran who had played for Sullivan before who won out.