Friday, May 8, 2015

Rangers Share College Bonds

Wall Street Journal: Presidents’ Trophy winners have the most NCAA representation in NHL history.

Rangers Share College Bonds

The New York Rangers earned the Presidents’ Trophy this season for the NHL’s best regular-season record, but that’s not the only distinction they take pride in.

WSJ.com: Blueshirts Have Tested Well With Their U.S. College Players

NCAA in the NHL | Player Development

“This is a college hockey team,” rookie Kevin Hayes proudly told Joe Lemire in a Wall Street Journal feature that ran Friday, June 8 (subscription required).

The numbers bear that out as well. New York is the first team in NHL history to have the majority of its games played by NCAA alums, with 53.7% of all Ranger games played in 2014-15 coming from former college stars. From captain Ryan McDonagh (Wisconsin) to backup goaltender Cam Talbot (Alabama Huntsville), the NCAA influence is felt throughout the Ranger lineup.

The influx of NCAA talent hasn’t been by design, Ranger executives told Lemire, but it does follow a growing NHL trend that has seen more and more NCAA players earn roles in the league.

Assistant general manager Jeff Gorton sees good reason for NCAA alums’ success.

“[Colleges] are working very hard on the development—physically, mentally,” Gorton told Lemire. “The game’s getting faster all the time and they’re doing a really good job developing these players in the weight room. There’s a lot of practice time and a lot of time for developing on and off the ice.”

New York, which trails Washington, 3 games to 1, in its best-of-seven second-round series, was the Eastern Conference champion a year ago. The Rangers will have 11 former NCAA stars in the lineup Friday night when they host the Capitals in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.