It is very rare in professional sports these days that a player stays with the team that drafted them.
With trades, free agency, and the salary cap, owners and management cannot keep every player they like or keep every player they have happy. That is just the way it goes sometimes.
Do not tell that to the New York Rangers or Chris Kreider. Kreider, 32, was drafted by the Blueshirts with the 19th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and has been with the franchise ever since.
Kreider and the Blueshirts have been a match made in heaven since the team drafted him. This is a player with a New Yorker’s mentality as he hustles, works hard, produces at a consistent level, is charitable, and has been one of the team’s leaders in the locker room for a very long time.
He is also someone who has been climbing the team’s record book this season. Here is what he has accomplished so far:
- Record his ninth 20-goal season in his career. Only two players in team history have recorded as many as Kreider: Jean Ratelle (nine) and Rod Gilbert (12)
- Recorded his 166th career goal at Madison Square Garden (includes regular season and playoffs), passing Gilbert for most in MSG’s history
- Surpassed Adam Graves for the third most goals in Rangers history (281)
- Recorded 500th career point
- Surpassed Graves for the 10th most points in team history (508)
- Surpassed Camille Henry for the fourth most road goals in franchise history (137)
- Tied Bill Cook for the third most game-winning goals in franchise history (42)
- Became the fifth Ranger to score 100 power play goals
Speaking of this season, Kreider is having another fine year for the Blueshirts. He is currently tied for second on the team in scoring with 48 points on 24 goals and 24 assists.
Even though the team struggled mightily in January, Kreider was one of the team’s better players during that time. He has points in seven of his last 10 games (four goals and seven assists) and also has points in nine of his last 13 games (four goals and nine assists).
With Kreider turning 32 in late April and three years remaining on his contract, he has plenty of time to keep setting Rangers records and showing the franchise and their fans that he should be considered one of their all-time greats whenever he decides to hang them up.
