Tony DeAngelo’s Rangers tenure ended in turmoil, with multiple controversial social media posts and callouts for “undisciplined” play preceding a postgame altercation with goaltender Alexander Georgiev following an overtime loss to the Penguins in January of last year.
DeAngelo reportedly said something to Georgiev after the loss that triggered the conflict, and almost immediately after DeAngelo was placed on waivers, cleared, and placed on the taxi squad, with then general manager Jeff Gorton declaring that the defenseman had played his final game as a Ranger.
Now, over a year later, DeAngelo is ready to make his return to The Garden for the first time since the incident with Georgiev, as the Hurricanes visit the Rangers for a pivotal game that will have major implications in crowning this year’s Metropolitan Division champion.
Despite how it ended, DeAngelo is expecting a good reception from the MSG crowd on Tuesday.
“I think it should be a positive reception,” DeAngelo said. “I don’t know about myself, what they’re gonna do. I think I was liked by a good majority of the fans there, obviously a little portion there that probably didn’t, but that’s fine.
“If they have anything for me, it’s not a big deal. I could care less.”
DeAngelo, and everyone else on the ice, will care much more about the game at hand, as the Rangers sit just two points behind the division-leading Hurricanes with nine games to play.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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