Media Day 2025 | Ryan McDonagh

All right. How long did it kind of take to get past, you know, last season and clear that out of your head? Um, I mean, I don’t know if there’s a defining point. You kind of use that as motivation throughout the whole summer. You know, you’re you’re angry, pissed off that, uh, you know, your season was cut short and we didn’t accomplish our goal. And so, you use that as motivation all summer to, uh, be as prepared as you can and ready for, uh, you know, a good start to the season and carry that through. So, um, you know, they, uh, they knocked us out in the first round and and went on and and and finished the job and and that’s what we’re trying to do this year is is get the job done. You’ve been on so many teams that have finished that job, you know. Um what is what is the difference between or that fine line between maybe you know what’s h what happened last year and you know winning those tough seven game six seven game series and you know fueling that that momentum. No I mean it’s probably tough to pinpoint one thing. I mean you look at a series you know one game you lose because of special teams the other game you lose with the lead late. Um, you know, so there’s, um, you know, like we talk about is just playing winning hockey, trying to be as consistent as you can. And, uh, usually the most consistent team finds a way to, to finish it and and get the job done and win. So, um, that’s what we’ll try to do again is is just be a little bit more consistent. Uh, be a little sharper in situations. Uh, but there’s no reason to not have a ton of confidence and a ton of belief in this group. Um and and uh like I said, all you can control is is having a good camp, having a good start to the season, and try to carry that momentum uh all the way through. If you look at this roster, it’s pretty much same as last year, a couple of minor changes here and there, even on teams that have had big changes and teams that have had subtle changes. What’s the difference in, you know, having that familiarity right away as opposed to fresh blood and getting to know other teams? No, I think it’s huge. I mean, if you ask uh I bet if you ask a guy like Moser, you know, he should be even more confident this year having been in a new new team uh last year, new surroundings. Um you ask guys when they get traded at the deadline, it takes a little bit to get adjusted to a new team, new surroundings. Fact that we do have a lot of the uh same group coming back, you know, should should allow us to just come to the rink and and do our job and and know what’s expected of us. Um you know, almost the same coaching staff. uh a lot of same players, same training staff. All those things play a factor into, you know, as a pro player coming to the rank feeling confident, feeling like you you’re valued, feel like you’re part of a team and you want to do your part to, you know, get the mission done. And I think that’s kind of what our group is feeling and sensing now is is, you know, everybody kind of shows up, you know, late August, first part of September and and uh it’s just kind of like uh we pick up where we left off and you don’t have to have those uh conversations as much about uh you know, getting to know a guy. Obviously, there’s a handful of new guys and we’ll get up to speed with our group right away here and but just confidence-wise, I think having that familiarity is huge and and uh like I said, look to build off that here in camp and and uh get rolling. Ryan, besides the speed of the game, since you first came into the league, what’s it like defending in today’s NHL as compared to when you first came in? What’s what’s different? What stands out? Um, I mean there’s a few things that kind of come to mind. I think just the playmaking ability, you know, when you think that someone’s not going to be able to make the pass to an open guy, they do. Uh, so it just makes a that much more uh emphasis on, you know, what you’re doing away from the puck. You know, where’s your guy? Uh, you know, making sure you’re between him and the net or him in the passing lane. Um, and then, uh, you know, not taking, uh, for granted being just in a good spot. You have to be in a good position, but then close on guys cuz even when you feel like you’re close and you’re taking away angles, um, the skill now in today’s game, you know, they’re able to find a a small sliver of an opening to make a pass or get something down to the net. So, I think just that closing speed, uh, you know, in the corners, around the rush, um, that emphasis that we always talk about having a good gap, um, like I said, just the playmaking ability in today’s game. Uh, you guys are so smart now and they have the ability to to move pucks and and get pucks to an area, get pucks to an open guy. So, uh, you know, even when you are, uh, you know, 20 ft, 30 ft away from the puck covering your guy, you have to really be, uh, even that much more closer to him, that much more aware of your positioning, um, in order to defend the way you want to. Along the same lines, talk about the evolution of your game, having a ton of experience, knowledge now as opposed to not having the 25 yard that you did. Yeah. No, I mean it you definitely learn uh different things to, you know, keep trying to be effective. Um, you know, just kind of my uh hockey sense. I think uh knowing where guys are at, knowing where that next play might come. Uh trying to, you know, try to stay ahead of that next play is kind of my main emphasis, you know, when I’m out there on the ice and um you know, certainly still feel like I can skate and and get up and down the ice and do what I need to do there. But like I said, the the anticipation, the skill level, the playmaking that happens. Uh you’ve got to be able to try to anticipate it, try to see it, you know, just like the opposition is, you know, before they get the puck, they know where they’re going with it. Um if he’s going to get this puck, where’s his next opportunity? Where’s the real threat? Uh the next threat after that. Those kind of thought processes is always what I’m trying to do. And I feel like it’s a good strength of mine is is trying to have a little predictability of where the next play might be and and uh you know communicate with the guys on the ice, communicate with my partner of of taking away the most dangerous area, most dangerous guy and and um like I said feel uh you know as confident as ever going into a a season this year having a good summer and and really uh you know kind of stacking these long summers which you know I think is an unfortunate thing but at my age too my body appreciates it for sure And uh like I said, coming into the season really with no issues um is is a is a great feeling for me at my age and and looking forward to having a great start and and helping lead these guys. Ryan, what do you think made you guys a top five defensive team and top five five on five last year in the regular season even if you couldn’t quite replicate that throughout the series against? Yeah. No, I mean obviously ton of skill on this team, uh, ton of skating ability and speed, and we always emphasize that with our forwards and in the five on five play, you know, what’s expected of us defensively, but, you know, we always talk about a puck management. You know, we we want to make plays when they’re there. Um, I thought for the most part we did a pretty good job of of learning how to play a fun, energetic, skilled, winning hockey brand without, you know, taking away the the playmaking ability of our of our team and our and our skilled players. And you ask anybody in our group, uh, you know, when you make a mistake out there, when mistakes are going to happen, and we, like I said, we have to have that fine line of playing loose, playing free, and allowing guys to be creative out there, but, uh, kind of knowing situations, knowing where you’re at in the ice, where we’re at in the game, up or down. Um, I thought our group really did a good job of of managing the pucks, uh, getting our turnovers down, and and we saw the results kind of take off from there. It’s obviously a point of emphasis from our coaching staff every year is that puck management, turnovers, and uh I think our group has has done a great job of buying in even, you know, with the skill and playmaking ability that uh you know, our forward group wants to have, especially Mac, this is an Olympic year. You went to the summer orientation camp. How much does that kind of factor into your mind for this year and that opportunity that could be there? For sure. It’s definitely a goal of mine. I mean, it’s been what, 10 seasons now since we’ve had a Olympic year and an opportunity and and uh I remember how much fun and and how much pride and and an honor it was to represent my country back in Sochi and uh you know to be a part of that group this summer and and uh you know have my name on uh some sort of a long list uh means a lot and and like I said I’ll just focus on playing my game here and and uh see where it goes from there. But, uh, it was fun to get to know some of the young, uh, US players that I’ve obviously played against in the last few years, but not really gotten a sense to get to know them cuz we haven’t had these, uh, you know, international competitions as much aside from the four nations last year. So, it would be a huge honor and and, uh, like I said, it was a, you know, another, uh, another part of the motivation for this summer, uh, training and getting prepared as is, uh, you know, these opportunities, they don’t come along very often. uh you know whether it’s playing in the NHL or or maybe getting a chance to represent your country in the Olympic Games. So um trying to do whatever I can to uh seize that opportunity. Eric said about you know not having much turnover this year when it comes to but we’ve seen after successful seasons there is a turnover. Is there a sense of urgency with the team knowing that things do change you know after seasons whether they’re short or long and Julian’s done such a great job of keeping this group together and you know but you do end up losing players. So, do you have that kind of sense of urgency? Is that a talk amongst the group like got a bunch of good players here, let’s strike while the iron side? Absolutely. And uh like I said, you don’t have those opportunities where there isn’t a lot of change and you no doubt sometimes change is good and needed and you get an unbelievable player in a trade or free agency and that that’s awesome too. But uh you know to start the season like this with a group uh similar to last year um you know that belief from management not to want to shake things up and make a lot of changes. Now it’s up to us as players and the team and the staff to uh you know get the job done and start off on the right foot here and and uh you know see where the team can go and like I said ton of belief in this team and um through the coaches, training staff, medical guys, everybody is on board uh you know doing whatever they can to help us as players. So that uh that part is awesome and uh makes coming to the rink that much more enjoyable and that uh that uh dream of of wanting to win is is definitely there and and we’re going to go out and try and give it our best. And Mac, just what’s it like entering the the final year of this contract knowing that you know the future we don’t you really don’t really know what’s going to happen after this year? Yeah, it’s a part of life. You don’t really know what what uh the future holds uh you know for anybody if you look that far ahead. So, um just focusing on on uh you know, one day at a time, one game at a time and and uh like I said, you know, another reason to be motivated this summer, uh um to you know, come in as good a shape as I can, ready to play at a high level and and uh prove uh you know, to myself that I can keep playing in this league and uh that’s what I want to do.

Ryan McDonagh takes the podium during our 2025 Media Day.

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