AV issues warnings to his players to be “professionals” on and off the ice

Vigneault (MARTIN ROY, LE DROIT)

I am probably going to get some heat for this post, but since I’m not beholden to any newspaper, any league, or the organization itself, I tell it like I see it. Yesterday as per the NY POST, Alain Vigneault laid down the law to his team.

Key Words From His Quotes

“The coaches and management, since the beginning of camp, have gone out of our way to let players know what’s expected of them as far as their on-ice performance, off-ice demands, the way they’re supposed to conduct themselves in different situations.

And…

We’ve asked our leadership group to make sure that when we’re not around that the players are conducting themselves the way they’re supposed to and that they’ve got their priorities in order. That’s what we expect from this group.”

Assessing Those Words

I don’t care how you slice it, or how you want to spin it, that’s flat out a warning to his roster. AV is basically telling his players, if you want to be “consistent” that means all of you, from vets to rookies better keep your priorities in check.

Listen, the Rangers have a massive influx of youth on this roster with players like Jimmy Vesey, Pavel Buchnevich and Brady Skjei. Couple that with the fact the Rangers have 11 players who are 25 or under and you can see why AV is concerned.

Young men, especially young athletes have a tendency to party. I am not implying drug use or heavy drinking, but the fear is there. Rumors make there way that some of these players are seen having way too much fun in bars at home and away. But for the most part, they are just that, rumors. The problem is that many of those rumors sometimes have at least a shred of truth.

Does This Need More Attention?

The straight forward answer is no. This team has basically been a model organization for the league. I think they are prone to over enjoy their stardom as much as anyone else in their sport. Yet, this Rangers team has never really been in the paper in any negative way.

I think AV decided that this is an important year, recognizes the large amount of young players he has, so he decided to head it off at the pass. He did what any good coach would do, the only real story is that he decided to do it publicly. To me that’s what we should focus on.

Should he have kept that in the room? Sound off below.

Anthony Scultore has been covering the New York Rangers and the NHL since 2014. His work also appears at ... More about Anthony Scultore
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