Colin Stephenson: Rangers' Dylan Garand passes audition with strong debut
Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand protects the net against the Winnipeg Jets in the second period of an NHL game at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
When you’re playing out the string and building for the future, as the Rangers are, you want to get looks at some of the kids in the system to see what you have and what you need.
The Rangers are going to need a backup goalie for Igor Shesterkin next season, and on Sunday, Dylan Garand auditioned for the role when he made his NHL debut at Madison Square Garden against the Winnipeg Jets.
He played well enough to earn himself a call-back.
“I thought he was terrific,’’ coach Mike Sullivan said after the Rangers’ 3-2 shootout loss. “He looked really solid, [had a] calm demeanor in there, [was] tracking pucks well. His rebound control was great. He made some big saves for us. I thought he had a really strong game.’’
“G played unbelievable,’’ J.T. Miller said. “I’m happy for him. For a first start, that was pretty damn impressive.’’
Garand made 35 saves in regulation and overtime, including one on a slap shot by Josh Morrissey with eight seconds left in OT and the Jets on a power play. He did allow goals to both shooters (Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi) he faced in the shootout.
“It was awesome. It was pretty surreal, really,’’ Garand, 23, said of his debut. “I just tried to be present and take it all in. And yeah, it was everything you could ever hope and dream of. And you know, it sucks to not get the win for the guys, but it was a dream come true.’’
Garand, the Rangers’ fourth-round pick (No. 103 overall) in the 2020 draft, has patiently served his time at AHL Hartford, playing there for four years before finally getting his look. He’d been called up a few times because of injuries but had dressed only as a backup.
This was the year he was expected to finally make his NHL debut, though.
After serving as the backup to Louis Domingue his first three seasons in Hartford, Garand took over as the No. 1 goalie there in midseason in 2024-25. When Domingue was allowed to leave last summer as a free agent, Garand moved up to the No. 3 goaltender in the organization behind Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick.
But Garand had a poor preseason and got off to a slow start in Hartford. When Shesterkin got hurt in early January, it was veteran Spencer Martin, signed from the KHL in midseason, who got the call-up instead of Garand.
But things turned around for Garand this month and he started to play better. He won six of his last nine starts at Hartford, including the last two in a row. That not only earned him a call-up, but the Rangers told him after his 5-2 win for Hartford over Charlotte on Wednesday that he’d be starting Sunday against Winnipeg.
It was a long time to be thinking about it.
“I’ve kind of been waiting to make my NHL debut my whole life, so, you know, it’s kind of just more of that,’’ he said. “And then, when they tell you you’re actually gonna play, it’s pretty cool. It’s kind of like, ‘OK, this is it. Here we go.’ I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, and I felt pretty ready for it.’’
The extra time allowed him to get things settled and get his mom, dad, stepmom, daughter and goalie coach from Kamloops set up to come to New York and watch. And they got treated to a show.
The retooling Rangers will need a backup goaltender next season. Quick, 40, is in the final year of his contract and will be a free agent this summer. He might choose to retire or, if not, he might not want to stick around for the retool. Or maybe the Rangers will decide it’s time for them to move on as well.
It will be easier for them to do that if Garand can prove to them that he’s ready to step in and take over the job.
His first game was a good start. He didn’t need to be spectacular, but he was plenty solid, and that certainly made for a good first impression.
Garand was asked if all the time spent in Hartford helped him be ready for Sunday.
“One hundred percent,’’ he said. “There’s lots of goalies that kind of get rushed into the NHL, their first year, second-year pro . . . And then sometimes that hurts your career. And you know, for me, I feel like I’ve played a lot of American League games and, yeah, I think it’s made me more ready for tonight.’’
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
