Ryan Strome returns to a place he called home the past four years
Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Strome (16) celebrates his goal against the Seattle Kraken during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong) Credit: AP/Kyusung Gong
Ryan Strome returned to Madison Square Garden on Monday in a different uniform. His new team, the Anaheim Ducks, played his old team, the Rangers.
“I’m happy this game’s at the beginning of the year, kind of get it over with,’’ Strome said. “Your first road trip, you’re right back at a familiar place. So it’s exciting.’’
Strome, who was the Rangers’ second-line center, partnering with Artemi Panarin for most of the last four years, signed a five-year, $25 million free-agent contract with Anaheim after the Rangers signed Vincent Trocheck from Carolina to replace him.
Strome had one shot on goal and was a minus-1 in 19:05. He won 12 of 22 faceoffs.
He has found that the Ducks, who went 31-37-14 last season, are in a position similar to the one the Rangers were in when he arrived in the fall of 2018. Anaheim is in something of a rebuild. It has a fairly good goaltender in John Gibson, some young talent such as center Trevor Zegras and a defense with some good skaters, including former Ranger Kevin Shattenkirk.
Strome said it’s a little “weird’’ seeing Panarin playing with Trocheck, who wears his old No. 16 jersey and, like Strome, is a righthanded-shooting center.
“It’s a little bit weird still,” Strome said. “But no, listen, the Rangers have a great team and they’re going to have a great year. And you know all these guys are my great friends. I’m hoping for the best for them.’’
Blue notes
Igor Shesterkin stopped 18 of 22 shots to improve to 3-0 . . . Gibson was pulled for the second straight game after allowing five goals on 34 shots in two periods . . . Gerard Gallant put defenseman Zac Jones back in after he didn’t play in Friday’s loss to Winnipeg. Libor Hajek, who played in place of Jones on Friday, was scratched . . . Gallant said injured Rangers Ryan Carpenter and Vitali Kravtsov skated Monday.
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.
