Several of the Rangers who suited up before Jonathan Quick on Monday night in Newark were still in kindergarten or kindergarten when the 38-year-old netminder made his NHL debut nearly 17 years ago.
Eight of them have yet to enter the league, but Quick made a name for himself as the winningest American-born goaltender, winning three Stanley Cups with two teams.
It's probably just a coincidence that Quick played a full game in the Rangers' third-to-last exhibition contest on Monday. At the time, Devils players were in the Czech Republic for the NHL's Global Series, an AHL tune-up for the Hartford Wolf Pack and Utica Comets. .
However, up-and-coming players don't always get the chance to play alongside the best players ever at their position.
“It's an honor to have him in the net.” [behind me]” Adam Sikora told the Post outside the visiting locker room at Prudential Center on Monday night. When I talked about Quick, his blue eyes popped out and his smile widened.
“It's good for me too. I can learn from him, not just as a goalkeeper, but character and everything else. It's a good opportunity for me to learn a lot from him.”
Last August, when Quick was just getting acquainted with the Rangers organization after signing a one-year deal as a free agent from the Golden Knights, Sykora hit up Quick on an unofficial skate and said they developed a bit of a good rapport. .
During his short tenure in New York, Quick made as much of an impact in the Rangers' locker room as he did on the ice.
Not only did he and his wife take the initiative to organize the team's gathering, but the Quicks also offered to provide Matt Lempe with housing for the season.
That's certainly part of the reason Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury locked him in for the season in March.
“He certainly played well and gave us a chance,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said of Quick's 25-save performance in Monday's 3-1 loss. “I think there were some things we could have done better in front of Quickie, but like you said, you have young kids coming to the rink and playing in front of soon-to-be Hall of Famers.”
Quick memorably allowed 11 goals on 57 shots during his first preseason with the Blueshirts, but the Connecticut native went on to have a strong 2023-24 season and earn his place as the club's president.・We had a pivotal season for our trophy-winning campaign.
In addition to posting a 2.62 goals against average and .911 save percentage, Quick stepped up as No. 1 goaltender Igor Shesterkin recalibrated during All-Star break.
Like most veterans, Quick said he is trying to make the most of the game conditions he sees in the preseason.
Quick is looking to focus on 5-on-5, reading, and getting the reps he didn't get in the summer.
At this point in Quick's career, there isn't much new in the preseason.
He doesn't even get to play with the young guys who grew up watching him.
“I think everyone goes into training camp with the same attitude,” Quick said. “I don't care how long you've been in this league, you're trying to prove that you belong here. The guys who haven't come out of camp yet are doing the same thing. Everyone is pretty much on the same page.”
