The New York Rangers suffered their fourth straight loss by one goal in losing to the Buffalo Sabres by the score of 3-2. The Rangers are now 1-4-1, firmly in last place in the East Division.
The loss ruined a couple of milestones in the games, as K’Andre Miller scored his first NHL goal off a rocket of a slap shot with just seven seconds left in the first period. Miller continues to be one of the few bright spots for the Rangers, leading the Rangers in plus/minus rating thus far this season and he has been on the ice for eight of the team’s 11 even-strength goals.
On Miller’s goal, Colin Blackwell recorded his first assist as a Ranger, and he has tallied a point in each of his first two games with the Rangers. Blackwell has been on a bit of a roll, registering seven points (two goals, five assists) in his last eight NHL games.
Despite this, the Rangers could not overcome some key mistakes and so other noticeable deficits in their game to pull out the victory.
Some of the more glaring stats from the loss was that the Rangers were 0/3 on the power play and they lost a whopping 69% of the faceoffs in this game.
Mika Zibanejad talked about this issue in his Zoom post-game conference. When asked the question, Zibanejad answered the question after a long pause by saying “I think its…….I don’t know to be honest with you.” Zibanejad did follow up by saying that “centermen’s have to do a better job of not losing it clean, as a whole unit we need to work together. All around we have to be better.”
In his post-game Zoom conference, head coach David Quinn talked about how the NHL face-off stats can be misleading but did say that “with that being said, we were abysmal on face-offs tonight. it was incredible how bad we were on draws. It was a huge issue tonight. We were at 30% and it fell like we were at 10%.
The turning point to the game seemed to come when the Sabres’ Tobias Rieder scored his second goal of the season at 6:03 of the second period. The goal came two seconds after the Sabres killed off a minor for too many men on the ice when Rieder received a pass from defenseman Matt Irwin as the Rangers defensemen were caught too deep in their own offensive end.
“Boy did our bench get demoralized'” Quinn said after the game. “I mean you could just feel it, there wasn’t any life to our bench. We better cure this in a hurry.”
“in a hurry” is exactly right as the two teams will meet again on Thursday night.
While most of the focus has been on another rookie, the New York Rangers have seen another rookie make great strides during this beginning stretch of the season. Defenseman K’Andre Miller had an outstanding performance in Friday night’s shootout loss to Pittsburgh and has shown steady improvement since his shaky opening night game.
Miller himself noted the improvement during his Friday night post-game Zoom conference in describing how things have changed since that first night. “Obviously, those first-game nerves…… you dream about playing in the NHL your whole life, and once the opportunity comes, there are nerves that come with it. But with four games under my belt, I’m just trying to be as consistent as I can be and help the team in whatever way I can.”
Friday night’s game was certainly an indication of that consistency as Miller was one of the better Rangers on the ice, which includes 21:17 of ice time, five hits, two shots, one takeaway, one blocked shot, and his first NHL point, as well as a shift in overtime as the lone defenseman in the 3-on-3 format.
It is the sort of start that many had hoped for when Miller was the 22nd overall pick in the 2018 draft. Miller had used his 6-foot-5 frame to bully opponents off the puck for Wisconsin in the NCAA last season and is also a terrific skater for his size. Many NHL insiders felt that Miller has all the physical tools to excel as a shutdown defenseman.
It was these skills that head coach David Quinn noticed in the post-season bubble, as well as at the start of training camp when Quinn said of Miller that “From a defending standpoint, he’s like a praying mantis with that stick and his arms and his legs. He’s tough to get around. When you think you have him beat, there he is with his stick. There’s just an awful lot to like about him, and let’s not overlook his elite skating for a guy that size.”
K'Andre Miller with a good shift here on both ends of the ice, up to the Pavel Buchnevich chance #NYRpic.twitter.com/mAb0gLSpO4
Quinn’s praise of Miller was also seen in Friday night’s post-game Zoom conference when the head coach said: “I just love the way he played today. You know, he wasn’t afraid, regardless of who was out there, whether it was Malkin or Crosby or whoever. He was playing hockey. And it’s nice to see a kid that age play with that type of swagger.”
Miller credits much of his early success to practicing with outstanding teammates, something that helped prepare him to play against top stars like Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Miller also gave praise to linemate Jacob Trouba. “Obviously working with Troubs, kidding of working with that older mentor who has been through the game, who has logged a lot of minutes and a lot of games in the NHL, it’s helped me a ton.”
Continued improvement for Miller and all of the Rangers will hopefully be evident as they face the Penguins again on Sunday night, with a 7 p.m. puck drop.
It is a good thing for the New York Rangers that they are not a Broadway play because based on last night’s performance, they would be closed down. In falling to the New York Islanders by the score of 4-0, the Rangers disappointed many by the way they were outplayed and outcoached in this contest.
Much of the Ranger’s difficulty did seem to come from a bundle of nerves as they fell behind the Islanders 3-0 after one period. The Islanders jumped on the Rangers early with a Brock Nelson power-play goal and an Anders Lee tally within the first four minutes of the first period. Matthew Barzal scored the third goal to cap the scoring, a goal that goalie Igor Shesterkin would normally have stopped.
Shesterkin became the first goaltender other than Henrik Lundqvist to start a season opener for the Rangers since Kevin Weekes in October 2005.
After the game, Rangers forward Chris Kreider described the game as “a good lesson for our young group tonight in the patient hockey needed to win at this level.” While praising the Islanders play, Kreider also mentioned that they relied too much on their “east-west game”, and to use the things they have been working on during the past week.
While praising the Islanders, a frustrated head coach David Quinn stated the Rangers “did not play fast enough, did not use their speed, and every time we got the puck we stood around to see who we could get the puck to and that approach does work well against anybody, let alone the Islanders.”
Quinn also knows that things need to get better quickly as the Rangers turn around and face the Islanders again on Saturday night at the garden. “We need to be quick learners,” Quinn said. “It might be a good lesson and a reminder for a bunch of guys who don’t have it in their hockey DNA to play the way we need them to tonight.”
Concerning the long-awaited debut of first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere, and rookie defenseman K’Andre Miller, Quinn felt that they got to see what hockey was like at the professional level and that both players did get better as the game went on.
“Tonight was a great lesson for all of our players.”
The Rangers did have a chance to draw the game closer when they had a goal waved off at 9:15 of the second period when defenseman Jacob Trouba looked like he scored. The no-goal call stood after an official review, as the NHL stated that the “intended whistle” negated the goal.
While it was not exactly the start they wanted, it is important to remember that the average age of a player on the Rangers’ active roster entering the season is 25.5 years old, which is the youngest in the NHL. It was the first time in franchise history that seven players 22 or younger played in a season-opening game according to NHL Stats and Information.
Rangers fans are hoping that this young group has a short memory and are quick learners.
The New York Rangers are entering their 95th campaign in the National Hockey League. This season has been delayed due to the Covid pandemic, but the hard work during the offseason has kept the organization focused since last season concluded in the Toronto Bubble.
The club has been preparing for a marathon 56 game schedule, which begins on Jan. 14 against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden and concludes on May 8 in Boston against the Bruins.
Empire Sports Media writers Jim Bay and Frank Curto take a look at what has transpired since the Blueshirts were eliminated from the playoffs last summer in the qualifying round against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Team President John Davison, along with general manager Jeff Gorton is set to bring the youngest team in the NHL back to the playoffs in an attempt to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1994. Plenty of obstacles stand in their way, yet the team is set up for success as they play in the toughest division in the NHL this season.
Players come and go, but the one constant is the name on the front of the sweater. Here is a look at the upcoming season’s preview, oh baby, this is going to be a lot of fun.
Departures
Marc Staal
Jesper Fast
Henrik Lundqvist
Vinni Lettieri
Boo Nieves
Gregg McKegg
Michael Haley
Steve Fogarty
Lias Andersson
The Rangers traded veteran defenseman Marc Staal to Detroit on Sept. 26, 2020, and the forward Jesper Fast signed as a free agent with the Carolina Hurricanes. The toughest transaction was the buyout of 15-year veteran Henrik Lundqvist.
Arrivals
Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Alexis Lafreniere
Kevin Rooney
Anthony Greco
Johny Brodzinski
Colin Blackwell
Anthony Bitetto
K’Andre Miller
Jack Johnson
Tarmo Reunanen
Keith Kinkaid
The Rangers selected the first overall selection in this year’s NHL Draft, Alexis Lafreniere. Gorton and Quinn have high expectations for the success of rookie defenseman K’Andre Miller as he looks to make the team out of training camp. Brendan Smith could be on the bubble with so many new faces on defense.
Goaltender Keith Kinkaid was originally brought in to help ease the team’s expansion draft requirement, but now could be a valuable asset in the Covid pandemic abbreviated season.
Offense
The first line will be led by Zibanejad, who was a goal-scoring machine last year with 41 goals in 57 games, a ridiculous 59-goal pace over a full season, with 15 of those coming on the power play. Zibanejad made some nice improvements in creating more chances at both even strength and on the power play, with the hope that the 15 percent and 26 percent rates continue into this season.
Kreider and Buchnevich will again flank Zibanejad on either side, and both have “analytically” graded out as productive top-six players for the team. The chemistry that the trio achieved was a huge reason why the Rangers improved so much in the second half of the season.
The second line will be anchored by Panarin, who will have Strome returning, will see Kakko added as his linemate to start the season.
What Panarin has brought to the Rangers is not only on-ice results but also how much of a positive influence he has on his linemates and teammates. This will hopefully hold true for Kakko, who showed signs of improvement upon returning to play in the summer after the league was paused due to the pandemic.
The bottom six is where the Rangers struggled last season. Help will come in the form of the first overall pick in the draft, Alexis Lafreniere.
It is tough to see how quickly Lafreniere will adapt to the NHL game with a small camp and no preseason games to evaluate his skills. However, many projection models have him getting 57 points this year. That may seem high for a first-year player, but with the skills that he brings to the team, this seems achievable.
Much of this may depend on his linemates. Chytil has been projected for improvement this year after being a negative goal contributor last season to an expected positive one this year. Gauthier presents some grittiness and size that could complement his linemates.
Howden will hopefully solidify the third line and has had a nice camp. During Zibanejad’s absence at the beginning of camp, Howden stepped in on the first line and did quite well. He also impressed those with his play during last summer’s playoffs. Lemieux provides the grit for this line, and hopefully, not too much-unwanted attention from the referees. Last season, Di Giuseppe provided the solid and steady play that you want to see from a bottom-six contributor.
The defense will look to improve this season. Jacob Trouba will enter his second season on Broadway and needs to be better than he was last season. By his own acknowledgment, he was not happy with how things progressed, though he seemed more comfortable as the season concluded.
The dynamic duo of Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren was the highlight of the defense corp. The two rookies became stronger once they were paired together by former defensive coach Lindsy Ruff. With a year under their belt, the two could be the team’s top pair and see plenty of ice time once again.
The club has plenty of new faces on the back end, with rookie K’Andre Miller leading the way. Miller has been praised by the head coach in training camp earning a roster spot on opening night.
Jack Johnson along with Anthony DeAngelo and Brendan Smith will be pushing each other early on to be in the lineup every night.
Igor Shesterkin will take the reigns as the team’s number one goaltender this season. With such a condensed schedule, Alexandar Georgiev should expect more playing time and responsibility with the teams playing a marathon like a schedule.
Taxi Squad Projected Players
The taxi squad will be a big piece of the puzzle for the Blueshirts. With the AHL delaying the start of their season until Feb. 5, the Rangers are eligible to carry a minimum of 4 to a maximum of six players. These players can practice and travel with the team but are not on the active roster until they are recalled.
Philadelphia Flyers – The Flyers were one of the most complete teams in the NHL last season, finishing in the top 10 in both goals scored and allowed. With their team from last year mostly intact, they are my favorite to win this division.
Boston Bruins – Boston suffered some notable losses on the blueline in Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara, and that might be enough to put them behind the Flyers. However, with a top offensive line and goaltending tandem, don’t be surprised to see them win this division.
The Pens still have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, so you have to put them in the top four.
Washington Capitals – The high scoring offense should carry them, put questions with their goaltending may them one of the leading contenders to get bumped by either the Rangers or Islanders.
New York Rangers– The Blueshirts have many obstacles with this season that will be difficult for a talented but a young team to overcome. A short training camp with no preseason games is not ideal for a young team, especially when you have the first overall in Alexis Lafreniere coming to town. Playing a 56 game season will not help either.
New York Islanders – In addition to not wanting to put them ahead of the Rangers, this is still quite a mysterious team. Last season, they were two games from the Stanley Cup Final in spite of the fact they allowed more goals than they scored in the regular season.
Buffalo Sabres – The Sabres did get better in the offseason, but playing against such tough divisional opponents every night will mean that they will finish ahead of only New Jersey.
New Jersey Devils– The Devils hope that Jack Hughes will be better, but the Devils are still destined for the bottom of the division. The recent retirement of Corey Crawford will not help either.
Team Awards
Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
MVP: Artemi Panarin Rookie of the Year: Alexis Lafreniere Top Defenseman: Adam Fox Most Improved: Kaapo Kakko Players Player: Brendan Lemieux Steven McDonald Extra Effort: Mika Zibanejad Leading Goal Scorer: Mika Zibaenjad – 48G Points Leader: Artemi Panarin- 90 Pts.
Schedule
Photo via NewYorkRangers.com
The unusual 56 game schedule will see the Rangers face only the other members of the temporary Eastern Division and will not have any preseason games for their young players, such as first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere, to gel with their new teammates outside of the two-week training camp period.
One of the “benefits” of this schedule is that the Rangers will also get eight contests with some of the rivals, including the Islanders, Devis, and Flyers.
In this compact schedule, there are some important times that stand out over the slightly condensed schedule this season that commences for the Rangers on January 14.
Like in a horse race, it is important to get out of the gate well, and this will also be the case for the Blueshirts this season. Easier said than done, especially as they face the Islanders in their first two games to start the season. The opening stretch will also see the Blueshirts face the Devils, as well as four meetings split between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres.
February will be a challenging month as, on the 10th, the Rangers start a stretch of games with two against Boston before a two-game battle with the Flyers. They then head to Washington to play the Capitals twice, play the Flyers once more, capping things off with two more meetings with the Bruins. This stretch should show whether the Rangers are a true playoff contender or not.
After facing three games against Sabres and Devils, March will again see the Rangers run through a gauntlet of Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington for most of the month. If they are going to survive this stretch, they must reverse the fortunes of 2019-20 that saw the Rangers go a combined 0-5-1 against the Bruins and Flyers.
April will see the Rangers play many games against the Islanders, Devils, and Sabres. In fact, starting on April 9, the Rangers will have back-to-back road games against the Islanders and then play four straight against the Devils before capping it off with a final tilt with the Isles. Any chance to stay or get into playoff contention may hinge on the outcome of the games, against teams that the Rangers went 3-1 against (Islanders) and 2-2 (Devils) in 2019-20.
The Rangers will need their top players to play as they did last season. The pressure will be heavy once again on Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin to have consecutive great seasons shield the Blueshirts look to replicate last season’s playoff run.
Igor Shesterkin takes over for Henrik Lundqvist, huge skates to fill but something Shesterkin is capable of doing.
The wild card is the head coach himself. Dave Quinn and his coaching staff will walk a fine line between coaching the veterans, along with bringing the younger players through one of the most demanding schedules since the early 1970s.
There are no easy games this season, no time to take a night off. A team that has a rich tradition along with high expectations from its fan base will need to find the right chemistry out of the gate in order to keep up with the teams within this division.
This season will be like no other. A schedule that has the Rangers playing each division opponent eight times, Covid protocols that will have games postponed and re-scheduling at almost a daily pace, and playing most games in front of little or no fans at all.
2020-2021 season will be the hardest battle of endurance and stamina the Rangers have ever encountered. The reward will be more precious should the team exceed their expectations.
It all begins Thursday night at the world’s most famous arena when the Rangers host the biggest rivals in the NHL.
Empire Sports Media Writers Predictions
We have some great writers at ESM, So Jim Bay and I asked what they predict will transpire in the upcoming season.
Brandon Schnapp Most Goals: Panarin Most Points: Zibanejad MVP: Panarin Best Defenseman: Fox Rookie of the Year: Lafreniere
The team will miss the playoffs (Brandon is an Islanders fan, BTW)
Jim Bay Most Goals: Panarin
Most Points: Panarin
MVP: Panarin
Best Defenseman: Trouba
Rookie of the Year: Shesterkin
Playoffs: Not this year
Frank Curto Most Goals: Panarin Most Points: Zibanejad MVP: Panarin Best Defenseman: Fox Rookie of the Year: Shesterkin Playoffs: Yes, will be eliminated in the second round
Alex Wilson
Goals: Panarin Points: Ziba MVP: Panarin Defenseman: DeAngelo Rookie of the Year: Lafreniere
Playoffs: The team makes the playoffs, eliminated in the second round.
The New York Rangers announced their 22 man roster and taxi squad on the eve before the start of the 2020-2021 NHL season.
18 players were trimmed off the training camp lineup leaving the team with 13 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies.
Morgan Barron, Anthony Bitetto, Colin Blackwell, Jonny Brodzinski, Brandon Crawley, Gabriel Fontaine, Tim Gettinger, Anthony Greco, Libor Hajek, Adam Huska, Patrick Khodorenko, Keith Kinkaid, Darren Raddysh, Tarmo Reunanen, Justin Richards, Matthew Robertson, Austin Rueschhoff, and Tyler Wall were all removed from the Rangers’ active roster.
OFFICIAL: #NYR announce 22 players on their active roster and trim 18 players.
Forwards– Pavel Buchnevich, Filip Chytil, Phillip Di Giuseppe, Julien Gauthier, Brett Howden, Kaapo Kakko, Chris Kreider, Alexis Lafrenière, Brendan Lemieux, Artemi Panarin, Kevin Rooney, Ryan Strome, Mika Zibanejad.
Defenseman– Tony DeAngelo, Adam Fox, Jack Johnson, Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller, Brendan Smith, Jacob Trouba.
Goaltenders– Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev.
Taxi Squad– Morgan Barron, Anthony Bitetto, Colin Blackwell, Libor Hajek, Matthew Robertson, and Keith Kinkaid.
Brodzinski, Crawley, Fontaine, Gettinger, Greco, Huska, Khodorenko, Raddysh, Reunanen, Richards, Rueschhoff, and Wall have been assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL).
NHL Debut
This year’s first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft Alexis Lafreniere and the first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft K’Andre Miller will make their NHL debuts at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night when the Blueshirts host the New York Islanders in game 1 of their abbreviated 56 game schedule.
As the New York Rangers season gets ready to kick off on Thursday, some interesting news came out of training camp, one of which being the status of star forward Mika Zibanejad.
The Rangers’ star center told members of the media after practice on Monday that he feels good now but is taking things day-by-day. He was on the ice with familiar linemates Pavel Buchnevich and Chris Kreider. It was also revealed that there are no guarantees that Zibanejad will play in the Rangers season-opener this Thursday against the New York Islanders.
The Rangers did not reveal this news as per league protocols, players who are placed on non-roster status due to COVID don’t need to be identified during training camp. That is not the case during the regular season.
Day 9 of #nyr Zooms starts out a little heavier as @MikaZibanejad discloses he was out due to covid, I asked him if any thoughts creeped in on ice today if at anytime he was winded if it was an after effect, hope to have video up later. pic.twitter.com/MsaPQoQ9iJ
Also coming out of training camp, head coach David Quinn has been experimenting with the defensive line pairings by having rookie K’Andre Miller skate with Jacob Trouba.
The duo was paired recently in a scrimmage that performed so well that might Quinn to keep them together for Thursday’s season opener.
“That’s one of the reasons why we wanted to see them together tonight,” Quinn said after Sunday’s scrimmage. “See what type of chemistry they had, see how they played off each other. Obviously, they did a really good job tonight. I thought it was a very good pair. I really like that ‘D’ pair, they certainly take up a lot of space.”
Finally, the Rangers announced that they have placed Colin Blackwell, Anthony Bitetto, and Anthony Greco, Keith Kincaid, Jonny Brokinski, Brandon Crawley, and Gabriel Fontaine on waivers. Blackwell, Bitetto, and Greco were signed to two-year deals in free agency. Brodinski is on a one-year deal worth $700,000, and both Fontaine (171st overall in 2016) and Crawley (123rd overall in 2017) are on similar deals. Kincaid was expected to be on the taxi squad but some wonder if the goaltending starved New Jersey Devils might take a room at him.
The New York Rangers could be impacted by the NHL’s statement that teams should not be permitted to sign players from their respective reserve lists to 2019-20 contracts so they can participate in the upcoming tournament. This stance could affect whether players like Morgan Barron are included on the roster when the league resumes sometime this summer.
This became an issue last Tuesday when NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly spoke on this matter during a Zoom video conference call with reporters when he referred to such potential roster additions as “ringers.”
“It would be our position, particularly given the advanced date and given the fact it could affect a lot of the players who might now be able to play the balance of the season, it may be unfair to let them play the balance of the season,” Daly said. “We’ve progressed past the trade deadline. Each team has kind of set its roster. Its roster reflects — and everybody will come back healthy, which is a benefit to the teams — its efforts in the 2019‑20 season.”
Eligibility of NHL playoff competing players – league position is no club to sign any additional current-year players – current rosters are set for the playoffs. No ringers. Future contracts can be signed – i.e. prospects, etc. NHLPA would have to accept/verify accordingly.
Ranger fans might remember when Chris Kreider was signed from Boston College after leading them to the NCAA title in 2012. It was also not an issue last year highly regarded defenseman Cale Makar followed a similar path out of college last season and debuted for Colorado during its first-round playoff series against Calgary.
Of course, we live in different times right now. Teams have been prohibited from signing players on their reserve list to contracts for the 2019-20 season since the league paused March 12 because of the pandemic. However, the NHL Players’ Association clearly does not agree with this stance, and the sides will continue to discuss the matter as they iron out the details on the return-to-play plan.
A little movement on this may have occurred on Sunday, when Daly confirmed in an email to the teams that the deadline to sign entry-level contracts was extended an additional month to July 1. This is at least a sign that young Rangers like Barron, K’Andre Miller, and/or Patrick Khoderenko to be part of the extended playoff roster. It is expected that teams will be allowed to carry slightly less than 30 skaters and an unlimited amount of goalies on their playoff rosters.
In the city that never sleeps, the New York Rangers organization has been silent on the George Floyd death and the protests going on all across the country. An email by executive chairman and CEO of The Madison Square Garden Company and executive chairman of MSG Networks James Dolan gives fans the reason why.
A Twitter post by Pablo S. Torre on Monday night added some light to the reason why the Rangers are one of the few NHL teams to make any statements about Floyd’s death.
I'm told that Knicks players and employees are furious that the team hasn't made a public statement about George Floyd. And I just obtained the e-mail that owner Jim Dolan sent to MSG employees today defending the organization's decision to stay silent: pic.twitter.com/xG1BA7tV5V
In his post, Torre acknowledged that he received a copy of an email Dolan sent to MSG employees explaining why the organization has stayed silent. I also have confirmed from an MSG employee of the email and its legitimacy. The highlights of his email centered around,
“We are not any more qualified than anyone else to offer our opinion on social matters. What’s important is how we operate. Our companies are committed to upholding our values, which include creating a respectful workplace for all, and that will never change.”
The email doesn’t give a specific reason why the organization decided not to make any public statements while other NHL teams have done so.
The Rangers have one African-American player in their organization, 2018 first-round pick K’Andre Miller. He himself was a victim of racism after he signed his entry-level contract with the team. Miller was participating in a live Zoom interview when the site was hacked with racist slurs visible on the live chat feed by everyone including Miller.
Earlier on Monday, Miller released a statement about the Floyd murder and his personal attack he suffered in that virtual interview and throughout his young career.
The New York Knicks players were also reportedly furious that a statement was not released by MSG and Dolan. The email bears the question, How can one of the biggest cities in the country, who have had their share of racism over the years, simply ignore this tragedy?
On Friday, New York Rangers prospect K’Andre Miller was subjected to a repeated racial slur from a hacker during a Zoom video chat with New York Ranger’s fans. Immediately many of the people in the hockey community tweeted their dismay over this vile incident and their support for the twenty-year-old defenseman.
Current New York Rangers among the first to offer support and encouragement
Ranger’s defenseman Jacob Trouba was among the first to tweet his support: “What happened today was inexcusable and cowardly. Racism has no place in the hockey community or the world. K’Andre Miller, we are excited to have you as a part of the Rangers and I look forward to having you as a teammate.” Sentiments that were also echoed by Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo. Strome tweeted out that “This team and this organization sticks together. You are one of us and we have your back!”
Many outsides of the Ranger’s organization was also quick to respond. Miller’s former head coach at Wisconsin, Tony Granato tweeted this: “K’Andre Miller has the support of myself and the entire Wisconsin hockey family. He has a bright future in the game of hockey. No one should be subjected to the inexcusable, racist behavior experienced today by K’Andre.” USA Hockey, which Miller has been a part of through his performance representing the United States in two Junior World Tournaments, stated that: “We support K’Andre Miller, an incredible leader, teammate, friend & person. Racial & derogatory slurs have absolutely no place in the game or society.” Miller even received support from the Los Angeles Kings twitter feed when the posted that: We support K’Andre Miller and are proud to have you as part of the NHL family. There is no place for the racist remarks you had to endure today, and we look forward to hosting you and the Rangers in the future.”
A couple of years ago, William Douglas posted an article on thecolorofhockey.com that detailed Miller’s journey through hockey. Let’s hope that this incident goes a long way in making sure that incidents like these can be purged from this sport and our society.
On Friday, the New York Rangers hosted a zoom chat for the first 500 people who could get on Zoom with newly signed defenseman K’Andre Miller. The chat turned ugly when a person decided to use a racial slur repeatedly toward Miller. The twenty-year-old was selected with the 22nd pick of the 2018 NHL Draft and many expect him to make it to the Rangers shortly. An excellent skater, Miller has featured for the United States at the past two World Junior Championships and just finished his junior season at the University of Wisconsin.
The New York Rangers were slow to react to the racial slurs
A Zoom user used the chat function to repeatedly direct a racial slur targeted at Miller. It is not clear whether it was one of the 500 people who participated or was someone who hacked their way into the chat. Zoom has had issues with security over the past few weeks as video chatting has become more popular during the COVID-19 outbreak. Hackers gain access to a Zoom meeting and attempt to disrupt the video chat and upset participants by shouting profanity or racial slurs or putting offensive images in the video feed. Zoom hacking issues like this are happening all over the world, from over-the-Internet Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to sensitive, high-level government gatherings.
Regardless of the Zoom issue, the New York Rangers created the event. Their reaction to this situation was a bit timid and slow. It took them more than three hours after the incident to post this statement:
“We held an online video chat with fans, and New York Rangers prospect, K’Andre Miller, during which a vile individual hijacked the chat to post racial slurs, which we disabled as soon as possible. We were incredibly appalled by the behavior, which has no place online, on the ice, or anywhere, and we are investigating the matter.”
Shortly after, the NHL posted this statement:
“The National Hockey League is appalled that a video call arranged today by the New York Rangers to introduce their fans to one of the League’s rising stars, K’Andre Miller, was hacked with racist, cowardly taunts. The person who committed this despicable act is in no way an NHL fan and is not welcome in the hockey community. No one needs to be subjected to such ugly treatment and it will not be tolerated in our league. We join the New York Rangers in condemning this disgusting behavior.”
You can see a video of the incident on our Fireside Rangers twitter feed.
This just one of the incidents where the league needs to take a firmer stance to protect its players from this type of situation, even if the fault remains with the Zoom website. Racism has no place in hockey or anywhere, and this incident should expect a diligent response from the New York Rangers, the NHL, and any law enforcement division that this applies to.
