Former New York Rangers goaltender Kirk McLean has told BetVictor that his years from 1999-2001 with the New York Rangers were different from any other stops he made throughout his career, describing his time in New York as “some of the best times in his life”.
He said: “The time I spent in New York was a great experience, I always loved being a visitor to the New York Rangers, so playing there was a blast! The atmosphere in Maddison Square Garden (MSG) is always electric, it is a very fun place to play.
“The fans in New York are very knowledgeable, they appreciate hard work from their own and visiting teams. When I had the opportunity to play there at the rear end of my career, it was some of the best times of my life.
“Gretz (Wayne Gretzky) often said if a player has the opportunity to play in New York, to do it! And I couldn’t agree more. It’s a great organisation with a great fanbase and obviously a superb city to live in. He was right.
“New York is a different city to anywhere else to play, the original six teams are always good places to play – Montreal, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto and Boston – but there’s something about New York. Just being in Manhattan, starting in the MSG is different, even the history of the building itself is pretty cool.”
Jonathan Quick is a future Hall Of Famer
McLean also shared his thoughts on the Rangers’ addition of back-up goaltender Jonathan Quick and how he has proven to be strong cover to Igor Shesterkin when needed.
He said: “Jonathan Quick is a back-up goaltender with a lot of experience, he’s been a top-notch player for a number of years and he has now found his role at the Rangers after some injury problems.
“For the New York Rangers to have that sort of quality in their team and to have Quick as back-up and not only be there to help when needed but also to guide their number one goaltender is a great tool to have.
“Jonathan Quick has come in and played a lot of hockey, he is for sure a future Hall Of Famer! You can’t ask for anything more from an NHL goaltender.”
