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Chris Drury is the 25th Rangers captain (Updated)

Posted By Sam Weinman On October 3, 2008 @ 1:32 pm In Uncategorized | 121 Comments

Update, 3:18 p.m.: A couple of other quick notes:

  • Drury was typically subdued, but made clear he was excited. I thought his most telling answer was to a question about his leadership style.

    “I think as a leader you have to be the hardest working guy on the team,” he said. “A lot of times it means being the first guy there, and to sometimes be an extension of the coaching staff—things they want, systems they want. We have to ready to implement that—not just me, but Markus and Scott as well.”

  • When asked what it will be like not having a co-captain as he did in Buffalo with Daniel Briere, Drury said, “I think I’ve got two of them.”

  • Finally, Drury acknowledged the need to be more accessible to the media, which is obviously welcome news. He’s never not been accessible, if that makes sense. I personally have always had a very good rapport with Chris, and whenever I’ve asked him for time, he’s been happy to give it.

    But there were times last season when Drury would slip out of the room without anyone from the media noticing. He knows now that can’t be an option.

    Update, 3:05 p.m.: It’s official. Drury gets the “C” with Naslund and Gomez wearing the “A”s.

    Drury is on the line now. Says he’s so pumped he’s going to go out tonight and tie one on, season opener tomorrow or no season opener tomorrow.

    OK, I made that last part up….

    “I was just thrilled. I was just excited, very honored,” Drury said. “There’s a lot of good guys on this team, but I was just happy it was me….To be a captain anywhere in the NHL is a thrill. To do it with the Rangers, I team grew up cheering for, going to games at the Garden, it’s hard to put into words.”

    Earlier: Larry Brooks is already reporting that “Chris Drury is the new Rangers captain”:http://www.nypost.com/seven/10032008/sports/rangers/rangers_name_drury_captain_132002.htm.

    Markus Naslund and Scott Gomez will get the “A”s.

    Logical choices all around, and not unexpected.

    No truth to the rumor that Lauri Korpikoski stormed out of the room when told he wasn’t one of the picks.

    A couple of thoughts:

    This is the obvious choice, and the right one. While I’m a strong believer that the captaincy is largely overrated, it is an opportunity to encapsulate what you want your team to be about. And the Rangers want to be like Chris Drury, an industrious, passionate, classy player. He’s an average quote at best, but above average at pretty much everything else.

    I know what’s coming next: Did the Rangers really want to be like Jaromir Jagr? It’s a fair question. Readers of the blog will know I was a Jagr supporter, and I maintain that he was a much more passionate and dedicated leader than given credit for. But I also know he was a handful, and maybe not the ideal model for 22 other guys to follow.

    This makes much more sense.

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