NY Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan introduced in Tarrytown
Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan is introduced during a press conference at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, New York, May 8, 2025.
The trade that sent Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks was completed June 12, but the divorce between the Rangers and their longest-tenured player has been in the works for months.
That allowed ample time to process the emotions that came with the end of a riveting 13-year run in New York.
“I’ve probably gone through the spectrum – anger, sadness, grief, whatever you want to call it,” Kreider told reporters on his first Zoom call as a Duck. “But I keep on arriving at gratitude for how I was treated, the opportunities I was given, for the connections I was able to make, the relationships, the friendships, the experiences that I was able to have.
“Playing in front of that fan base at that arena, playing in some of the games that I was able to play in – it’s stuff that is so memorable and means so much to me. It’s stuff that I’ll take with me the rest of my life.”
The memories are plentiful.
It began with a jump straight from his junior season at Boston College to the 2012 NHL playoffs, where he captured Rangers fans’ hearts on a run to the Eastern Conference Final.
The 2009 first-round pick would go on to score 326 regular-season goals, good for third in Blueshirts history, and net a franchise-record 48 in the playoffs. Three of the last four came in his signature performance − a natural hat trick in Game 6 of the 2024 conference semis that propelled New York to a third-period comeback and series-clinching win over Carolina.
At that point, Kreider seemed destined to retire as a Ranger and likely surpass Rod Gilbert for the No. 1 on the franchise’s all-time scoring list. But he would finish 80 goals shy, with a disastrous 2024-25 season pushing him out the door.
The Rangers missed the playoffs for the first time in four years and Kreider’s production dropped off dramatically. Injuries surely contributed to his decline, including a left-hand issue that would require offseason surgery, resulting in 22 goals and only eight assists in 68 games.
In hindsight, he admitted, “I probably shouldn’t have tried to play through (it).” But his judgment was clouded by his unrealized desire to turn the season around.
“I don’t want to make excuses, but I think breaking my hand right after 4 Nations and trying to play with that was definitely a struggle,” Kreider said. “Obviously, I didn’t deal with it particularly well.”
Team president Chris Drury grew determined to shake up a stagnant roster and included Kreider in a late-November memo soliciting trades from opposing general managers, which turned out to be the beginning of the end.
The 34-year-old winger found out secondhand, which did not sit well with him or several of his teammates and sent the Rangers into a 4-15 tailspin that ultimately doomed their season. But Kreider emphasized that steps have been taken to mend those fences.
After causing locker-room rifts with his handling of respected Rangers such as Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba on their way out, Drury applied those lessons and took a straightforward approach with Kreider at season’s end.
“There was a lot of communication from Rangers’ management and from Chris Drury, in particular, about where they stood and kind of what the next steps in the process were going to look like,” Kreider said. “Around the year-end meetings, we had some good conversations and I understood that this was a very real possibility.”
“We continued to talk and communicate to figure out where the landing spot would be,” he added. “I don’t think it’s super common to be afforded the time to do my due diligence and kind of go through that emotional spectrum. It was done, I think, in a really respectful fashion by the New York Rangers, and I’m very appreciative of that.”
Kreider confirmed that the Ducks were one of the 15 teams on his no-trade list, but he gave Drury the green light to talk to Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek and ultimately waived his contractual protection to approve the deal.
“A lot of it is just having conversations with your family − making sure everyone is on the same page and making sure that it’s something you want,” Kreider said. “It’s not a decision that you just make off the cuff.”
One of the main draws was the chance to play with a trio of former teammates.
Trouba was shipped to Anaheim in December, where he joined ex-Rangers Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano. They all made their sales pitches in the days leading up to the Kreider trade.
“Whether or not they were doing it on purpose, I think that they had a lot of positive things that would sell you on the organization and the team,” Kreider said. “They’ve really enjoyed their time there. They really like the group they have. They’re really excited about the opportunity they have.”
The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder also pointed to the young talent the Ducks have assembled, specifically naming Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish and fellow BC product Cutter Gauthier.
The one he’s most familiar with, though, is Bedford, New York native Trevor Zegras, who’s become an offseason training partner at Prentiss Hockey Performance in Stamford, Connecticut.
“I talk to him every day,” Kreider said. “I always say that he was born caffeinated. He’s high energy and he’s a lot of fun and he’s got a ton of talent.”
The final selling point Kreider mentioned was new Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 66-year-old spent the last three years out of the league after an independent investigation found that he deferred action in response to former video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulting prospect Kyle Beach during the 2010 playoffs, but the veteran coach clearly still holds appeal for players.
“He’s a massive draw for me, and probably for other players going forward with his track record and what a great coach and person he’s proven to be,” Kreider said.
Above all, one of the greatest Rangers of this generation sounded at peace with the outcome and energized by the chance to prove he has more in the tank.
“I feel like my best hockey is ahead of me,” Kreider said. “I’ve got time now this offseason to make sure that I show up to camp in the best shape possible and make sure that some of those (injuries) don’t come up again.”
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.