NY Sports Fandom Pom-Pom Waving Rankings: New York Rangers and the Rest 1
May 22, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers players and fans celebrate after the tying goal by left wing Chris Kreider (not pictured) during the third period in game three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Rangers announced that 54 players will attend their 2017 Training Camp on Wednesday. 

The New York Rangers took one step closer to hockey by announcing their training camp roster on Wednesday.

Our first “going through the process” interview by Alain Vigneault will kick start us off on Thursday, September 14, at 2:30 PM. Players will then report for medical testing on Thursday.

On ice sessions will begin Friday, September 15, starting at 10:00 AM. There doesn’t seem to be many surprises on the roster, as all the newly acquired players this offseason will be in attendance.

Keep an eye on some key roster battles throughout camp, as the Rangers have done a good job of quietly adding under the radar players for competition. It appears the stage is set for the audition of fourth line center duty. With the addition of Andrew Desjardins, the veteran will battle youngster Cristoval Nieves and first round pick Lias Andersson for that role.

However, the most interesting position battle will most definitely be on the defensive side of the puck. The top four look to be locked, with some sort of combination of Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Shattenkirk, Brady Skjej and Brendan Smith playing amongst the top two pairs. However, it becomes awfully murky for the final two spots. Marc Staal and Nick Holden are the clubhouse leaders, having the experience (and bigger contracts). But young players like Anthony DeAngelo, Neal Pionk, Alexei Berezglazov and Sean Day are nipping at their heels. This one will go down to the wire and will be fun to watch.

Of small note, Filip Chytil is on the roster, so one can only assume he will be partaking in some shape or form. Hopefully, we will hear some good news on the extent of his injury. The Rangers kick off preseason games Monday, September 18th against the New York Islanders.

Neal Purcell has a tremendous passion for New York Rangers hockey and the sport of hockey in general. A graduate of SUNY Cortland in Upstate NY, Purcell coaches both a high school hockey team and a travel team in the winter. Purcell is also a part of a small family business in the Central New York Region.