The New York Rangers completed one of the most embarrassing 180-degree turns in NHL history, becoming the fourth team ever to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs the season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin delivered a powerful admission with a brief yet revealing six-word message.
Not many envisioned the Rangers would miss out on the NHL postseason entirely, just one season after finishing as the league’s best regular-season team and reaching the Eastern Conference Final. However, the Broadway Blueshirts collapsed tremendously, turning in disappointing performances night in and night out.
It wasn’t all that surprising that this version of New York City’s franchise missed the playoffs, as they consistently fell short whenever they faced contending teams on the ice. Not even their star goaltender — signed to a record-setting contract — could keep them afloat.
When asked about the disappointment level within the organization, Shesterkin dropped a blunt admission.
Head coach Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers speaks with the media prior to the game against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden on March 17, 2024 in New York City.
“[The level of disappointment is] pretty high. Ten-out-of-ten,” Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin said, per Mollie Walker of The New York Post.
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Frustration mounts
New York City has been far from the city where dreams are made true for the Rangers. Defenseman Calvin de Haan was traded from the Colorado Avalanche to New York on March 1st. However, he’s only appeared in three games for the Blueshirts, serving as a healthy scratch during the team’s last 18 outings.
After dropping a blunt comment about the organization to the media present at the team’s morning skate, de Haan posted a firm statement on his social media.
“How about the way I’ve been treated here? It’s fu–ed,” Calvin de Haan had said during the team’s morning skate. Shortly after, he posted a bold statement about his thoughts on the situation.
Calvin de Haan #44 of the New York Rangers skates in his first game with the team against the Nashville Predators at Madison Square Garden on March 02, 2025 in New York City.
de Haan’s statement
“I was hoping that I would have been able to express in a scrum setting versus a quote as I was going onto the ice and having it on the Internet 30 seconds later. I said what I said because I am frustrated, and any competitor who says that they would be happy in this position would be lying to you.
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Peter Laviolette makes painful statement after Rangers miss the NHL playoffs
“I thought I maybe would have got an opportunity to jump into the lineup and help win some games. Did I help win those games I played, maybe? Maybe not? But we still won and collected some crucial points to climb the standings. I understand the youth movement in the nhl, and I’m getting older in hockey years and I may not play every single night. I feel like I can still contribute and help teams win.
“I’m not trying to be the villain or gain attention or throw shade on the organization , I would have preferred a scrum setting to chat about how my time with the Rangers has gone.”
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The drama comes as New York faces a crucial decision regarding their head coach, Peter Laviolette, who many expect to be out of the organization when the regular season concludes on April 17. Whether Laviolette stays or departs, it’s clear there are several other ongoing issues within the franchise in The Big Apple.
