Artemi Panarin posts message to Rangers fans on Instagram
Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin looks on against the St. Louis Blues in the first period of an NHL hockey game at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Rangers are making an attempt to stay connected with their fans through social media while the NHL remains on pause.
On Saturday, forward Artemi Panarin posted a message on the Rangers’ Instagram account, saying, in English, “Hi Rangers fans. Miss you guys. I hope everyone is doing well.’’
On Friday, team president John Davidson also posted a message on Instagram in which he thanked the doctors and nurses on the front lines of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as people who work in grocery stores and pharmacies, and those who drive trucks and buses and the like, and reminded people to wash their hands and implored them to stay safe. He also sought to reassure fans that, whenever the NHL decides to hold the entry draft, which has been postponed indefinitely, the Rangers will be ready.
“The Rangers organization, with [GM] Jeff Gorton, [assistant GM] Chris Drury, we have scouts that are quarantined all over the world – Russia, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Canada, here in the U.S.,’’ Davidson said. “But they all have computers. And one day, there’s going to be an NHL draft. We’re doing our part, looking at games every day, having communication, via the computer, really doing some thorough work, trying to do our best, under the circumstances, as a group.
“Again, the Rangers organization wanted to make sure we said hello, on behalf of myself, my family. Please do your part, and please stay safe. Thanks.’’
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.
