MERRY GOOD NEWS
Ex-Blueshirt Hagelin gets warm ovation in return to Garden with Ducks
On the cusp of restricted free agency and one year away from going unrestricted, Carl Hagelin was going to be a difficult summer of 2015 signing for the Rangers.
And so management never tried; never entered negotiations with one of their signature forwards before sending Hagelin to Anaheim with all deliberate speed — isn’t speed always the operative word when it comes to the Swedish winger? — on draft day in exchange for Emerson Etem and the 41stoverall selection in the draft they used on Ryan Gropp.
“[The trade] came as a surprise; it really did,” Hagelin, who signed a fouryear deal worth $4 million per that would have been too pricey for the Blueshirts, said a couple of hours before his return to Broadway on Tuesday in the Ducks’ 32 overtime defeat. “I thought I was going to be a Ranger this year, I really did.
“They never talked to me
about a new contract. Maybe they did with my agent, but it was only small talk. [The Rangers] called me after the trade, and said it was a business decision, all about the cap. “That’s fine. It’s good.” Hagelin, who wore No. 62 as a Ranger, wears No. 26 as a Duck. That symbolizes how backwards it has been for him since the move to Southern California. The winger, who accomplished little in 14:09 of ice time Tuesday, has eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 33 games.
“It was an adjustment coming into the year, moving a new conference, and a new team strategy,” he said. “Living there is different; Southern California is unique in itself.
“You get in the car and drive 15 minutes wearing flipflops, shorts and a tee shirt to the rink for practice. It’s a different vibe.”
The vibe, though was good at the Garden. Hagelin received a warm ovation from the crowd after being acknowledged by the Rangers on Garden Vision during a TV timeout at 7:05 of the first period. The fan favorite stood in the bench and raised his glove to acknowledge the reception.
“It’s a special night for sure,” Hagelin, who recorded 130 points in 266 regularseason games as a Ranger plus another 26 points in 73 playoff matches, said before the game. “I haven’t seen this much media since the start of the season.
“It’s fun to be back. It’s fun to be recognized.”
Kevin Klein missed his 11th straight game with the strained oblique he suffered on Nov. 30. Dan Girardi, who skated lightly with the team Tuesday morning after going out on his own Monday, missed his fifth straight with a knee issue that developed after he blocked a shot in Vancouver on Dec. 9.
Both defensemen should be good to go when the schedule resumes Monday in Nashville.