Monday will likely be an emotional day for two Ducks players. Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba will return to Madison Square Garden for the first time since they were both unceremoniously traded to the Ducks. Trouba’s departure occurred just over a year ago, while Kreider’s exodus took place this past June.
For Trouba, it’s a return to the city where he spent parts of six seasons and parts of three seasons as team captain. For Kreider, he will be facing the organization that drafted him and with which he spent his entire NHL career (13 seasons) prior to the present season. The pair also played in the playoffs together four times during their time with the Rangers, which included two conference final appearances.
Trouba is familiar with returning to an organization from which he previously departed. He was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in 2012 and turned pro in 2013. But a trade request in 2016 became the beginning of the end for Trouba’s time with the Jets. His demands were met when he was traded to the Rangers in 2019.
“No, not for me,” Trouba said when asked if the way his time with the Rangers ended changes how he views his tenure. “I think you could say the Winnipeg one probably didn’t end the most normal way, too. I think you look through those types of things, but that’s just a small blip on what was a fantastic experience for me. Some good teams, a lot of great memories. I lived in New York for those years of (my) life and (had) the opportunity to play at MSG. (To) do the whole thing in New York City was an unbelievable experience. I’ve got nothing but great things to say about my time there, the people and everything that transpired.
“(That experience) means a lot. I don’t take it lightly. I think when I ended up getting traded there—those are the big lights. It’s crazy. There’s so much going on. It’s fun. It’s such a unique place, and being captain of that team was also pretty cool. Something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Nothing I ever took for granted. Highs and lows, I think that’s all kind of the rollercoaster, kind of makes the experience so fun to look back on and reflect and learn from them. The whole thing, I’m very grateful for.”
Kreider’s name is plastered across the Rangers’ franchise leaderboards. He’s eighth in games played, third in goals and tied for first in power plays goals. He’s second in game-winning goals and fourth in shorthanded goals. Former teammate Artemi Panarin recently passed him for 10th in points. Trouba will be helping guide Kreider through the process of returning to a place he once called home.
“I think it’s kind of enjoyable to have a friend with you,” Trouba said. “I hope going back is more about Chris and his time there. He was there a lot longer than I was. On the record books, he’s up high on a lot of lists for franchise records. I honestly do hope this is more about Chris and everything he did, being drafted there and how long he played there. I hope he gets an extremely warm welcome for everything he did for the Rangers.”
“Grew up in that city,” Kreider said. “Came in, drafted at 17, 18 years old and hoping to one day play there, and then spend my entire 20s and early 30s there and start a family of my own. It became home. So, it’s hard to put into words. Means everything to me, that experience. Incredibly grateful for everything that the organization gave me, the relationships I made within the organization, outside the organization.”
As for the reception that they’ll receive from the ‘pretty massive, passionate fan base,’ as Kreider coined it, Trouba said that he hopes it will be good for himself, but that it’s out of his control. Kreider only and continually intimated that the entire experience would be ‘interesting.’
“I think it’d be arrogant to try to predict what’s gonna happen next year, next month, next week, next day,” Kreider said. “You don’t know, so you just take it all in stride. (I) believe things happen for a reason, and happened in the situation that I’m in currently. And hopefully, going there will give me an opportunity to see some people that I can’t see on the West Coast. Some friends, some family, some former teammates and a big two points on the line, too.”
As for their current situations, both Kreider and Trouba have escaped the confines of the media pressure cooker and now feel settled in Anaheim. They also feel better, both mentally and physically.
“This isn’t like a slight on anybody, but I think we’re having a lot more fun,” Trouba said. “We spend a lot of time together, live close to each other, drive to games, drive to practice together. We’re having fun on the ice, smiling. I don’t know. I just think we’re maybe a little more relaxed, a little out of the—call it pressure, whatever you want to call it. I think we’re just having a lot more fun.
“I feel better. I feel healthier. I think the playoff runs and things kind of add up. Body-wise, I think taking a summer to kind of reset and having the time to kind of reset my body was good for me. Mentally, I’m in a better place than I was last year with all that going on, so I think those two things combined have helped me play better hockey and we’ve created something good here, and we’re gonna continue to build it.”
“I just think the group has made it super easy for me,” Kreider said. “I live close to Troy Terry and Jacob and obviously, I already know Frank (Vatrano) and Ryan (Strome). But everyone here, it’s a really fantastic group of guys. It’s just fun to come to the rink every single day. Everyone gets along super well. Everyone’s pulling in the same direction. Not just the players and the coaches, but the whole staff. Everyone’s just made it incredibly, incredibly… It’s not easy, but easier, for sure.”
Kreider’s last season with the Rangers was riddled with injuries, from an early-season back injury to a bout with vertigo caused by an illness. A hand injury from this past February required surgery during the summer to insert a metal plate, which now holds his hand together.
“Less energy spent on trying to get yourself into a position where you feel like you can play and not hurt the team,” Kreider said. “Just focus on helping the team and putting your best foot forward every day, but that happens over the course of your career and I think we’ve talked about (the injuries) enough.”
Trouba initially came to Anaheim without family while his wife, Kelly, was finishing her residency in New York City. Now, both she and his son have moved out to Southern California, with a second child expected soon.
“Last year was tough for me,” Trouba said. “You go into a season and (you’re) kind of all-in on that team and what we’ve built there and being the captain of the team, and that changes. You’re kind of heartbroken. It’s very tough to just flip a switch and come to a new environment. There’s a lot of years and energy and time spent trying to build what we wanted to accomplish there. Didn’t get it done, ended up coming here. A tough time for me to just get through, but I think coming on the other side, taking the summer to reflect on everything and, I guess, process everything. It all happened so fast, and now, being out here, I love it. It’s fun. Family’s here. Everybody loves it. The team’s great where we are. The direction we’re headed. I feel very happy to be here. I think this time of the year has been a lot of fun.”
“He doesn’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders,” Kreider said. “I think it’s an incredibly hard thing to do, to be a captain of that city. It’s an incredible honor and something that I think—I can’t put words in his mouth, but I don’t think he would have changed anything for a second. I think there’s a lot of responsibility that goes along with that, and I think being able to come out here and just play, not worry about some of those things, I think it might be a little bit easier, especially tomorrow. I can’t put words in his mouth, but it seems like he’s a little bit lighter. Sometimes a change of scenery can be energizing.”
It sure has been energizing for Kreider, who is currently third on the Ducks in goals and fifth in points. He also leads the team in power play goals with six.
The two former Rangers will have to face the wall of media once again on Monday morning. It will be quite understandable if Kreider shows his emotions throughout the day, leading up to when his grand video tribute is displayed during the game on the Madison Square Garden jumbotron. For as long as he’s faced the media masses, he’s quite soft-spoken, but knows just the right thing to say every time. This time, he’ll do it as a member of the opposition.
