Former Rangers teammate warns Chris Kreider about ‘goofy’ MSG homecoming
Derek Stepan knows exactly what awaits his former New York Rangers teammate Chris Kreider next week, when he returns to Madison Square Garden for the first time as an opposing player. That doesn’t mean he’s got a good strategy for Kreider to get through an emotional day.
“It’s a lot that day, when you’re heading back into the building, even just walking to the other side. It’s just a heavy day,” Stepan explained last week on the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast. “Everyone around you wants to give you advice, like ‘Hey, after your first shift you’ll get into it.’ And then the video [tribute] comes and you’re sitting there watching it.
“So for Chris, there’s just no good advice and there’s no easy way to do it. He’ll do it like the rest of the guys have done it, and he’ll get through it, and the next time it gets easier.”
The Rangers traded Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks last summer, and Monday marks his first return to MSG. The popular 34-year-old forward played 883 regular-season games, and another 123 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, over 13 seasons with the Rangers. He’s third in franchise history with 326 goals, and tied for first with 116 power-play goals.
Kreider’s off to a great start with the Ducks. He has 13 goals and 21 points in 26 games, helping the Ducks (19-10-1) to the top of the Pacific Division standings.
Outside of his famous roars when he scores a goal, Kreider is not known to share his emotions publicly. It’ll be interesting to see how Kreider reacts to the expected rousing ovation when he hits the ice at The Garden, and again when the tribute video is played on the MSG videoboard.
“It’s goofy. Again, it’s just heavy,” Stepan explained. “You go into the building, and whatever the emotions were at the time you got traded, whether you were angry or sad or excited to be going out of there, whatever your scenario was, when you come into that building, all you wan to do is win. You’re like, ‘I don’t care what it takes, we’ve got to get two points, and then I want to get out of this building.’
“You get out on the ice and then they show you the tribute and you’re like, ‘Oh man, it was a great time when I was here.’ It just downshifts you so hard. It’s mixed emotions. … It’s just one goofy night.”
Derek Stepan recalls his first game back at MSG after Rangers traded him
Stepan was a very popular homegrown Rangers player, but didn’t have quite the distinguished career on Broadway that Kreider did. Nor did he play as long with the Rangers. The former top-6 center, who’s now retired and working for the Minnesota Wild, is 29th in Rangers history with 360 points (128 goals, 232 assists) in 515 regular-season games.
As teammates, Stepan and Kreider helped the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy in 2014-15, reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, and play in the Eastern Conference Final three times. The Rangers traded Stepan at the 2017 NHL Draft, sending him to the Arizona Coyotes. Not unlike Kreider, Stepan was moved primarily to create more room under the salary cap.
Stepan’s return to Madison Square Garden didn’t go so well. The Coyotes lost their 10th straight game that night, falling 5-2 to the Rangers on Oct. 26, 2017. Stepan was held without a point and finished minus-3.
The Rangers would sign up for a similar result Monday. The Ducks and Kreider? Not so much.
