Ex-Rangers star Chris Kreider dealing with changes; teammates admit injuries, personal disappointments
Chris Kreider isn’t used to feeling out of place. But after more than a decade in New York during which he became the third-leading goal-scorer in Rangers history, the newest member of the Anaheim Ducks is facing the unfamiliar this summer: New gear, a new organization, and the reality that he won’t be playing under the bright light of Broadway in 2025-26.
He’s still training at Prentiss Hockey in Connecticut, and he’ll skate in Thursday’s Shoulder Check Showcase alongside a handful of current and former teammates. But even with the same routine and the same summer schedule, things feel different after the trade last month that sent him to the Ducks.
“There are brush points where it’s kind of like, ‘this is happening, for sure,” Kreider told The Athletic. “[After Anaheim] shipped out my new equipment, jumping on the ice with Ducks stuff on, and people coming up to me and being like, ‘you look weird.”
Kreider, a Massachusetts native who played for Boston College before joining the Rangers, has never played outside the Northeast. He still hasn’t officially left the East Coast, but the shift is already in motion.
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Kreider’s exit after a challenging season with the Rangers
There was no farewell press conference or Instagram post. While Kreider did express “gratitude for how I was treated” by the Rangers, his departure was as understated as his persona, and according to former Blueshirt teammate Ryan Strome, that was on purpose.
“They wanted to let Chris handle it the way he wanted to handle it,” said Strome, who signed with the Ducks in July 2022 after four seasons playing with the Rangers, sometimes centering a line with Kreider on his left wing. “I think he kind of steered the ship a little bit.”
Kreider earned that right after 13 seasons and 326 goals, more than any Ranger except Hockey Hall of Famers Rod Gilbert (406) and Jean Ratelle (336). He and J.T Miller were the last remaining links to the Rangers’ 2014 Stanley Cup Final run. But even with that legacy, leaving wasn’t easy. Strome believes the quiet exit masked just how chaotic last season really was.
“As much as I feel like he needed a bit of a fresh start and a new challenge, I also think it was probably not the easiest thing to go,” he said. “When you’re dealing with a player of that pedigree … that kind of change isn’t simple.”
Kreider has never been one to make excuses. But according to Strome, last season took a toll on him — physically and emotionally — far more than people realized.
“I think Kreids is a very humble guy,” Strome said. “Last year he wouldn’t tell many people, but he was probably playing through some tough injuries.”
The weight of a disappointing playoff exit only compounded things. For a player who used to blow away expectations, the combination of physical wear and personal frustration created momentum that built in the wrong direction.
“You topple on that with some disappointment and some personal disappointment,” Strome added, “and I think things kind of just snowball there in a bad direction.”
The smooth transition out of New York may actually have been the release Kreider needed.
Kreider isn’t spending much time reflecting on the noise around his departure. Instead, he’s showing up and putting in the work.
“I’ve been doing a ton of stuff in [the gym], just doing what I can to be in good shape,” he said.
That work includes rehabbing after postseason hand surgery that required metal rods to be inserted to hold things together, a procedure that left him with a three-inch scar.
“Now I’ve got a Wolverine hand,” Kreider joked.
Doctors gave him a recovery timeline of 6-8 weeks; he was medically cleared in just four.
Kreider is not on the West Coast yet. But he’s preparing for a season that looks nothing like the 13 before it — and he’s doing it quietly, on his own terms.
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