Does anybody have a stamp we can borrow? We want to send a letter.

Okay, maybe they didn’t do it the same way, what with digital and social media and all, but the New York Rangers, for the second time in eight years, have put out a letter telling their fans and the hockey world that they are essentially waving a white flag on the current season and looking towards the future. 

Naturally, there are similarities and differences between the two letters. While the team’s poor play was and is the reason behind the two declarations, it will always be a highly unusual move. 

Let’s do a quick compare and contrast between the two. 

One could argue that the original letter was a bold step and perhaps a bit too soon. After all, the Blueshirts had been to the playoffs in 11 of the previous 12 seasons when they sent out their letter in February of 2018. 

However, the 2017-18 season was a struggle and the team certainly needed a reset, so Glen Sather and Jeff Gorton decided to take the massive step in pivoting and building for the future. It was a surprising move, and one that some argued came a bit too soon, while others claimed it came at just the right time. 

They never directly used the words “rebuild” or “retool” in that letter. But the meaning was clear and thus, a rebuild began. However, neither Sather nor Gorton would be around to see it through to the end. 

New York’s letter 2.0 came off as a cheap imitation of the original and came perhaps a tad too late. From 2021-22 through 2023-24, the Rangers made the playoffs three straight seasons, including two trips to the Eastern Conference Final. Then things went badly in 2024-25, with multiple factors at play. 

Some thought the team would turn things around in 2025-26, while others looked at the flawed roster and deduced that things would get worse, not better. So, with the Blueshirts spending much of the season hovering near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Chris Drury decided to pull a page from his predecessor’s playbook and work toward a hopefully brighter tomorrow. 

This time, the words “rebuild” and “retool” were both directly stated in the letter, with Drury saying, “We are not going to stand pat – a shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team. This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects.” 

The problem with retools is that teams often try to remain or become competitive in a way that prevents them from making proper long-term decisions. In other words, they often get stuck in quicksand and fail to achieve their stated objectives. 

Gorton had the rug pulled out from under him before he could see his rebuild through to completion, so we’ll never know for sure if it would have been deemed a success or not. Drury appears safe, for now, but perhaps he shouldn’t be. With Gorton at the helm, you saw the vision, and you saw the baby steps leading in a positive direction. 

Unfortunately, Owner Jim Dolan got impatient and decided he was done waiting. So far, Dolan appears to be behind Drury, but we all know that can change in a heartbeat. It’s still way too early, but Drury’s track record doesn’t inspire confidence that he can get the job done. 

Elsewhere around the NHL, Monday night bore witness to its first goalie fight in six years. 

Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida Panthers) and Alex Nedeljkovic (San Jose Sharks) sent the crowd in Sunrise, Florida, and the hockey world into a frenzy when they tussled six minutes into the third period of their game. 

The fight was preceded by Evan Rodrigues hitting Vincent Desharnais behind the Sharks’ net. Nedeljkovic got involved to stand up for his teammate and then Bobrovsky skated the length of the ice to go after his San Jose counterpart. Neither landed too many actual punches, but the sheer rarity of a goalie fight set social media ablaze. 

All in all, just your typical couple of days in the world of The NHL.