NHL News: NY Rangers HC Mike Sullivan offers clear explanation for controversial decision on rookie

Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers are leaving no stone unturned. Amid a testing NHL season, there aren’t many things the team in New York isn’t willing to try in hopes of turning the tide. However, it seems handing a rookie goaltender his first career start is one item on that brief list.

Shortly after Jonathan Quick was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) with a lower-body injury, the Rangers called up rookie netminder Dylan Garand from the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack. Most fans in The Big Apple expected the former fourth-round in 2020 to make his NHL debut in the 2025-26 campaign.

However, that has been stopped on its tracks. Sullivan and his staff sent Garand back to the minors, calling up veteran Spencer Martin instead. The decision caught fans by surprise, and the head coach has now explained the reasoning behind his verdict.

“We don’t want anybody sitting on the sidelines too long,” Sullivan stated, via The Athletic’s Vince Mercogliano on X. “We want guys playing, and that’s an important aspect that we try to manage all the time. Spencer’s a guy that we don’t have a lot of familiarity with. It gives us an opportunity to get to know him a bit, see him practice, things of that nature. Those are a few of the reasons why.”

Dylan Garand during an NHL preseason game

Move can also signal positive news on Quick

While the Blueshirts would like to see what Garand can do in the NHL and how he holds his own against the best players in the world, timing may not be on his side right now. Moreover, Sullivan mentioned Quick could be back in the lineup sooner rather than later, which would cause Garand’s debut to make less sense.

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“[Jonathan Quick] is obviously back involved with the practice environment, and we’ll see where that goes moving forward,” Sullivan told reporters after Tuesday’s practice in Manhattan. “But we feel he is making progress also.”

Garand’s numbers so far in the 2025-26 AHL season

Garand has played 11 games for the Wolf Pack in the AHL. Despite his skill set, he hasn’t been able to keep the team afloat. Considered Hartford’s starter, Garand currently holds a losing record this season, with six regulation losses, two overtime losses, and just three wins.

Through 20 games, the Wolf Pack have a 7-9-4 record, placing them sixth out of eight teams in the Atlantic Division. The organization in the Insurance Capital of the World is coming off a disappointing 2024–25 campaign in which it missed the Calder Cup Playoffs. This time around, the Wolf Pack hope to get back on track, but so far Hartford has had no luck.