“C” Is For Callahan

  The New York Rangers paid homage to Ryan Callahan’s work ethic by designating him team captain on Monday. He becomes the 26th captain of the storied franchise, and is the first to rise through the ranks within the organization since Hall of Famer Brian Leetch in 1997.

  Young defenseman Marc Staal has been named an assistant captain for the second year consecutively, and newly acquired veteran superstar Brad Richards will wear an “A” on his sweater as he has on both previous teams he has played for in Tampa Bay and Dallas.

  After two seasons as an assistant captain, Chris Drury’s retirement saw Callahan to captain the team, as decided by General Manager Glen Sather and staff.

"Ryan Callahan embodies all the leadership qualities we seek from our Captain," Glen Sather said in a statement. "He leads by example with courage and a tireless work ethic on and off the ice, which is why he is so deserving of this honor."

  While Callahan may not have been the clear cut obvious choice, his career high season and Silver Olympic Medal performance of 2010-2011 justifies the decision well enough. Callahan was favorite for the honor after he notched 23 goals and 48 points in 60 games. He was 15th best in hits with 224.

“It’s a privilege and an honor to be able to wear a ‘C’ on a team, but the way I’m going to approach it, I’m going to approach it the same as wearing an ‘A.’ The things I do on the ice and off the ice, there’s a reason I feel I got the ‘A’ and I’ve continued on, and now with the ‘C.’ Obviously, there comes with it a little more of a leadership role and some more responsibilities, but at the same time, I have to continue to do what I do and not let a letter on my sweater affect my game or how I approach a game.”

“..Through my career, guys like Chris Drury, or even when I first got here, Jaromir Jagr, I look up to them and watch them, and see how they act on and off the ice. Especially Drury, I think he was a big part of the player I’ve become and part of the reason why I guess I am a leader today.”

  Negotiations were made between Callahan and the Rangers to avoid arbitration in July, locking the 26 year-old Rochester, NY native up for 3 years in a deal worth $12.825 million. He was drafted by the organization 127th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Through 5 NHL seasons, Callahan has played 284 games as a New York Ranger with 76 goals and 68 assists for 144 points.

  Though Callahan won’t dazzle you on the ice like a Marian Gaborik or Brad Richards will, he plays a hard game that really exemplifies a good all round hockey player.

“I started from draft pick and doing the prospect camp, and Traverse City, all of that, and now looking back on all that, being named captain, it’s a little bit of a surreal feeling, but at the same time, it’s nice that my hard work and dedication to the game has kind of paid off here.”

-Kendall Grubbs