Rangers: The Captain Is Calling
My talk with Chris Drury
Posted on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 3:45 PM"I'm excited," said The Captain.
Chris Drury was on the phone and, quite frankly, as long as I've known the Rangers captain I've never heard him so enthused.
He has the feel of a just-opened seltzer bottle; bubbly-to-the-radical-50.
The Maven was almost blown away by Drury's fervor which instantly reminded me of a line I had heard minutes earlier about the man with the "C."
"He's one determined guy right now," a close friend of Drury offhandedly mentioned to me.
Based on what I heard from Chris, I might add that the term "determination" may be an understatement to describe Drury's resolve with a fresh campaign just ahead.
Yes, a new season is dawning. And with it comes a revived leader with an unerring purpose, and that purpose was best articulated by the poet Robert Browning:
"Your reach should exceed your grasp, or what's a Heaven for?"
Then again that also could be – and likely is – John Tortorella's mantra.
After listening to both Rangers leaders – and with training camp only a calendar-turn away – I exited from conversations with John and Chris exhilarated about the 2009-2010 model Blueshirts.
The conversation between The Captain and The Maven elicited the following points from Drury.
WHY HE'S EXCITED:
"This is our first training camp under John Tortorella. So even though we had him as coach for a short period last season, this really is like a fresh start for every guy on the hockey club. When I think back to the change (from Tom Renney to Tortorella), it seems as if it happened so fast and with so few games to go in the regular season.
Let's face it, coming in the way Torts did had to be hectic for him, and I know that there were times when the guys on the club simply were overwhelmed by his new system. Now we're going to have so much more time to learn so much more from the coach."
WHAT HE'S LEARNED FROM TORTORELLA:
"I'm impressed with how aggressive he is in terms of the way The Game should be played; and I'm talking especially from a forward's viewpoint. He does not want us skating backwards; he wants us getting into the play. And knowing our lineup, I can tell you that John's style is going to suit our team well.
In terms of Torts' personality and the way he runs things. When he took over, I loved him right off the bat. Sure he can be harsh and demanding. As he tells us, 'I'm paid to coach!' His job is to make the team – and each of us as players – better. He'll call a guy out if he thinks that the player is not doing his best. He's completely honest and that's very refreshing."
THE COACH'S MESSAGE TO THE TEAM:
"Torts spoke to me (personally, as captain) and he wants to make sure that every player understands how challenging our training camp is going to be next month. What he means is that no matter where the player has come from – Europe, a trade, been here before, whatever – this will be the most challenging camp of our lives. And that means for me – and for all the rest of the fellows. Torts wants us to know what's ahead, and when we all come to camp, we're to hit the ground running."
WHY SUCH INTENSITY:
"We had a tough finish, going out in the first round in seven games to Washington the way we did. I remember Torts saying to me, 'We haven't even scratched the surface. We didn't even win one series.' He wants us better prepared and in top shape all the way to the end.
Imagine what it's like (physically and mentally) when you have to go through four (playoff) rounds the way Pittsburgh and Detroit did. It's a hundred times harder than what we went through. The coach wants to prepare us as if we have to go right through to Game Seven of the Finals."
THE DIFFICULTY OF 2008-2009:
"February was our worst month and everybody in the room recognized that something was coming; that something should be coming. We needed to hear a new voice. And that's not to disparage Tom Renney; those who were here know that Tom gave his heart and soul to the team. He'd be in his office at five in the morning, getting us ready for games. But, in the end, we needed a different voice."
YOUTH VS. EXPERIENCE:
"When it comes to young players, the real question with any one of them is how ready they are for the National Hockey League. In terms of evaluating a player, I don't put that much (emphasis) on age; on whether a player is twenty or forty. It's how the man performs.
Here are two good examples: Sidney Crosby was an NHL rookie at the age of eighteen, but he had the goods right off the bat. Then, you have a veteran such as Brendan Shanahan, and he still can play The Game even at forty years old. That's the nature of our business."
DONALD BRASHEAR AS A RANGER:
"He's going to be great. Donald is as tough as any player in the league and he's going to bring a different dynamic to our club. He can skate, he's got real, good hands and he's smart. It's going to be exciting with him in the lineup."
ANTI-BRASHEAR COMMENTS:
"Personally, I believe that that was more media (generated, anti-Brashear) stuff than anything. There's not a guy on our roster who will have a problem with him; nor should have a problem with him as a teammate. Donald will play as hard for us as he did for the Washington Capitals, as well as every other team he's played for over the years.
My experience has been that once you share a locker room with someone you once had played hard against, any hard feelings you once may have had while playing against him are now gone with us wearing the same jersey. We're ready to go to war with that guy (embraced) as our teammate."
RETAINING THE CAPTAINCY:
(NOTE: It was mentioned that Brent Sutter dumped Patrik Elias as captain when Sutter took over the Devils, replacing Elias with Jamie Langenbrunner.)
"I know that a new coach has the right to make changes and, frankly, I'm thrilled that Torts wants me to stay on, wearing the 'C.' I take the captaincy very seriously."
QUIET DEMEANOR FOR A CAPTAIN:
"I find that from time to time there are misconceptions about the way fans think players behave – or should behave – behind the scenes; as in the dressing room.
Take the issue of yelling. Some people have this misconception that in this day and age if you're not a loudmouth jerk, that means you're 'quiet.' As far as I'm concerned – in my role as captain – when something needs to be said, I'll say it."
HIS LOVE FOR THE NEW YORK YANKEES:
"We've been getting pitching, hitting and a good bullpen. The free agency changes have worked, and there's good chemistry. It's a lot different than last Spring when there was talk of firing Joe Girardi – but he pulled through. And if you want to know, my favorite player is Derek Jeter.
The Yankees' experience this season can be useful to us on the Rangers in terms of blending in free agents, having the (relatively) new manager (coach) and simply how important it is to play the game right."
YOUNG RANGERS FORWARDS:
"Ryan Callahan is getting better and more mature. I love his shot, goal-scoring as well as penalty-killing ability. He's one of the guys who's always ready to play.
Brandon Dubinsky has similar attributes. The thing about Brandon is that he came up so young that you'd think he's been around for ten years already."
MARIAN GABORIK AS A RANGER:
"I'm thrilled that a player of his high caliber is with us. I can tell you that the Garden fans are going to love him. We saw first-hand what Marian can do the time he scored five goals against us in Minnesota. He not only has the ability to score, but he can make plays with terrific skating ability. He gets open so well and knows how to find his teammates."
PLAYING STILL FUN:
"Actually for me, at this age, playing is more fun than ever. I can honestly say that I'm enjoying The Game more and more; partly because my five-year-old daughter and four-year-old son – along with my wife, of course – can come to the Garden and see firsthand what I do for a living.
And for somebody like me, who grew up in Connecticut, just the act of walking into MSG before every single game is a special thrill. The sights, the smell, the sounds, the little things; the whole package. That's what I mean when I say that, for me this life just keeps getting better and better!"
MORE:
