Rink Rap | A New York Rangers Podcast from Forever Blueshirts

Jonathan Quick retires after 18 seasons; Jim reacts to the Panthers' on-ice tribute and reflects on what made Quick one of the most respected players in the league.

Dylan Gran's path to the NHL backup job is real, but Jim argues the Rangers can't hand it to him — they need competition, and the free agent market has options at every price point. Trocheck wasn't traded at the deadline, but all signs point to an offseason move. Jim breaks down the body language, the ice time, and why this is the most important decision of the Rangers' retool.

Jim Cerny is back in the home office for a jam-packed solo episode of Rink Rap. He opens with a firsthand account of the historic first-ever PWHL game at Madison Square Garden — Sirens vs. Torrent, 18,000+ fans, Billie Jean King dropping the puck — before pivoting to a deep dive on the Rangers' closing stretch of the 2025–26 season.

Jim breaks down what's working (a top-3 power play, Adam Fox healthy and dominant, Igor Shesterkin back in form) and what went wrong — pinpointing the January 5th Utah game as the season's turning point when both Fox and Shesterkin went down the same night. He makes the case that those two are the team's most irreplaceable players, and the numbers prove it.

Then it's on to the offseason: Is Vincent Trocheck getting traded? What about Brayden Schneider? Jim weighs in on the JT Miller lightning rod debate — injuries, captaincy pressure, Mika Zibanejad's defense of him — and discusses free agency options including Alex Tuch and UFA defenseman Darren Raddysh. Plus, Rangers prospects EJ Emery and Malcolm Spence in the NCAA Frozen Four, and what 11 draft picks could mean for the rebuild.

Chapters:

0:00 — Welcome back + live at Mustang Harry's recap with Johnny Lazarus & Sweet Lou Orlando 

3:25 — PWHL history at MSG: Sirens vs. Torrent, 18K fans, Billie Jean King, and the electric atmosphere 

7:40 — Rangers close out their home schedule: from 0-6-1 start to finishing strong 

12:00 — Special teams breakdown: power play ranked 3rd in NHL, Adam Fox's impact 

16:45 — Shesterkin and Fox return from injury — the January 5th turning point that defined the season 

22:45 — Offseason outlook: Trocek and Schneider trade odds, under-the-radar roster moves 

25:30 — Free agency: Should the Rangers pursue Alex Tuck? The case for and against 

30:00 — Prospects: Liam Greentree, Gabe Perrault, and the rebuild path 

31:00 — JT Miller debate: lightning rod, captain pressure, Mika's defense of him 38:30 — Darren Raddysh UFA watch: keeping him vs. paying up at 30 

41:00 — Final road games, Frozen Four watch (EJ Emery, Malcolm Spence), and offseason preview

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Jim Cerny was there for the historic first PWHL game ever played at MSG — 18,000+ fans, Billie Jean King dropping the puck, and a Sirens win in the shootout. He breaks down what made the night unforgettable.

Jim breaks down the Fox and Shesterkin injury turning point, the JT Miller debate, special teams performance, and what the offseason holds — trades, free agency, and a loaded draft cupboard.

Rink Rap is live at Mustang Harry's, just steps from Madison Square Garden, for a packed episode of Rangers talk and hockey history.

Jonny Lazarus of Daily Faceoff joins for a deep dive into all things New York Rangers — the big picture questions, the storylines that matter, and where this team is really headed.

Then, NY Sirens beat reporter Lou Orlando breaks down the first-ever PWHL game played at Madison Square Garden — a landmark moment for women's hockey and for New York sports.

Two great conversations, one iconic Midtown bar. This is Rink Rap.

🎙️ Hosted by the Forever Blueshirts crew
📍 Recorded live at Mustang Harry's — Midtown Manhattan

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Chapters:

0:00 — Welcome to Mustang Harry's: Jim sets the scene steps from MSG on a big double-header day for New York hockey

4:14 — Rangers' late-season surge — four wins in five, the kids finding their footing, and the mindset shift taking hold

10:46 — Gabe Perreault's historic natural hat trick — first by a Rangers rookie in 42 years, and what it reveals about his game

14:23 — Did the Panarin trade unlock a new identity? Jim poses the question he plans to put to his guests

17:17 — Jonny Lazarus of Daily Faceoff joins live at Mustang Harry's, fresh out of the Rangers locker room

19:29 — How much stock do you put in what you see down the stretch? Zero on the vets, everything on the kids

24:21 — Braden Schneider's future: is he a keeper, or does he get moved this summer?

27:26 — Scott Maro's rocky season and what it means for the Rangers' defensive retool

29:43 — Brady Tkachuk trade rumors and the growing trend of American players wanting out of Canada

34:11 — The Lafreniere question: real evolution or a small-sample mirage post-Panarin?

38:05 — Jonathan Quick, the backup situation, and what the Rangers need between the pipes next year

39:27 — Trocheck trade talk: Lazarus says it happens this summer, and explains why Vinny's probably already mentally moved on

42:06 — Lou Orlando joins — Rangers depth talk picks up with Jaroslav Hamelash and Adam Sýkora's surprising emergence

45:51 — What happens to Matt Rempe? The fourth line picture has shifted significantly

52:14 — Rangers prospect pipeline check

56:41 — Shifting to the Sirens: the historic first PWHL game at MSG is a sellout, and what it means for the league

1:00:27 — The Sirens' market challenge — winning in New York requires winning on the ice, and Saturday is a massive showcase moment

1:03:52 — Final three storylines for the MSG game: the Sirens needing a complete 60 minutes, Alex Carpenter and Krejčí-Shorter returning to New York, and the sheer magnitude of PWHL hockey inside the World's Most Famous Arena

Jim Cerny breaks down what's working in New York's late-season run — young players stepping up, the team's identity shift, and what this stretch means heading into a pivotal offseason. #Rangers 

Daily Faceoff's Jonny Lazarus joins live from Mustang Harry's for a frank conversation about the Rangers' retool — Lafreniere's evolution, Schneider's uncertain future, and what the front office needs to do this summer.

NY Sirens beat reporter Lou Orlando joins to preview the first-ever PWHL game at Madison Square Garden — what it means for women's hockey, the Sirens' season, and the electric atmosphere building just steps from where they're sitting.

Jim Cerny of Forever Blueshirts breaks down the Rangers' entertaining stretch run, showers praise on Adam Sykora and the Kiddie Corps, and celebrates Igor Shesterkin's goalie fight — then goes deep with former Rangers netminder Marty Biron.

Biron weighs in on Igor's pugilistic skills, relives his own famous brawl with Ray Emery and the role Chris Drury played in it, and explains why the Rangers' strong finish means something very different to players vs. management. He also shares his love for John Tortorella and reacts to Torts landing with the Golden Knights — plus thoughts on what Sam Carrick brought to Buffalo after the trade, and concern over Carrick's injury Tuesday night.

We close by teeing up our live recording at Mustang Harry's this Saturday — come hang with us.

CHAPTERS

0:00 — Rangers' stretch run: why this team is genuinely fun to watch right now 

4:30 — Bouquets for Adam Sykora and the Kiddie Corps 

8:00 — Igor Shesterkin's goalie fight breakdown 

12:00 — Marty Biron joins: his take on Igor's fighting skills 

17:00 — Biron relives his brawl with Ray Emery and Chris Drury's role in it 

24:00 — What the Rangers' strong finish means — differently — for players vs. management 

30:00 — "I love Torts": Biron on Tortorella returning to the NHL with Vegas 

36:00 — Sam Carrick's impact in Buffalo post-trade, and concern over his injury 

42:00 — Live event tease: join us at Mustang Harry's this Saturday

#newyorkrangers #rangershockey #rangers #nhl #nhlpodcast