Rangers' Adam Fox healthy, eager to compete at All-Star Weekend
The Rangers' Adam Fox celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the first period of an NHL game against the Panthers on Jan. 23 at Madison Square Garden. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Now Adam Fox truly feels like an All-Star.
The Rangers defenseman from Jericho was selected to last year’s NHL All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, but an upper-body injury kept him from participating. He’s healthy this season and will participate in the Splash Shot beach event on Friday as part of the NHL Skills Competition and play for the Metropolitan Division squad in Saturday’s All-Star Game at FLA Live Arena.
“Yeah, first time because I wasn’t able to go to the other one,” Fox said on Thursday at media day. “It’s awesome. Being in Florida, too, I’ve got my parents coming and my grandpa is going to be able to come down too. It’s a special event and you’re around great players, too. So I’m really excited to get everything going.”
Fox also doesn’t mind missing the deep freeze that will affect Long Island this weekend.
“Never bad to get out to this weather,” Fox said.
Fox, 24, won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in 2021.
There’s no denying his place among the league’s elite.
“He sees what the other players don’t see,” Rangers All-Star goalie Igor Shesterkin said.
“He’s an unbelievable player in this league,” Flyers All-Star forward and former Ranger Kevin Hayes said. “Not a lot of guys in the league have that poise. He seems to be correct every time he [rushes]. Maybe it’s a rewarding style. I remember before he got to the NHL, he was playing in a summer tournament at forward and I had no idea who he was. And, all of a sudden, two years later, he’s one of the best defensemen in the league.”
Fox has 10 goals and 38 assists in 49 games this season after setting career highs with 11 goals and 63 assists last season.
“I don’t know if it’s anything I try to go into games or the season saying I want this amount of stats or goals or assists,” Fox said. “If you play well, those things will take care of themselves. For me, my fourth year now, I’m just trying to make an impact every game. It’s not always going to be making a great pass. Sometimes you just have to be defensive.”
Fox also has a bigger motivation. The Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference Final last season before losing to the Lightning in six games.
“Once you experience that and got a little taste of it, you just want to get back there,” Fox said. “It’s a long way to get there, you’ve still got to make it. We had a good run last year but it kind of puts a target on your back and you can’t just think, ‘Oh, we’ll be back there,’ because a lot of teams don’t get back there. It’s been going well. We had our lull at the start of the year, but guys have picked it up and we’ve been playing some good hockey since then.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
