The New York Rangers may have scooped themselves a late bloomer.
Granted it’s only one game, played against an average team’s preseason lineup, but 21-year-old Ryan Haggerty raised eyebrows and hopes Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
Haggerty, who grew up a Blueshirts fan in nearby Stamford, Conn., was never drafted into the NHL, but the six-foot, 200-pound power forward dominated for the RPI Engineers last season in the NCAA, scoring 28 goals and 43 points in 35 games. New York signed him as a free agent and threw him on a line with rookie Anthony Duclair and former Dallas Stars centre Chris Mueller. All three are in tough to crack the Stanley Cup finalist’s roster, but the line looked electric Monday night.
A product of the U.S. National Development Team, Haggerty scored two beat-his-man-wide, bust-to-the-net goals on Philadelphia Flyers No. 1 Steve Mason, and added an assist. He was awarded the game’s first star for his three-point effort.
“I felt like I had a lot of confidence out there, felt like I can make plays, felt like I can get pucks to the net,” Haggerty told reporters after the 6-3 preseason victory. “It’s something you’re never going to forget, even though it’s a preseason game.”