New York Rangers: Brad Richards Appears to Not Be Interested in Captaincy

A few weeks ago I posted an article that was met with both criticism and confusion. In this article I explained that Brad Richards could be the most likely person to receive the "C" due to his experience and relationship with bench boss John Tortorella.

However things have seemed to changed. This morning, Brad Richards was on WFAN's Boomer and Carton morning drive talk show to promote a Garden of Dreams event. During this time the subject of the captaincy was brought up by Craig Carton. When it comes to hockey this man is completely inept. His claim to fame is stopping Boomer during a shootout breakaway for a Garden of Dreams charity event.

Here is the audio from the interview.

When Richards was asked if he would you like to be the captain of the New York Rangers, this quote is what struck me especially:

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"It would be great but I think realistically I have never played a game with the Rangers yet."

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With that being said, the New York Rangers are a storied franchise with a rich history. Throughout the years, many different men have worn the storied captain’s “C” across their chest. I like that Richards is entering this with no expectations. Boomer then suggested that Ryan Callahan could in turn become the captain. 

Great leaders and players like Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Jaromir Jagr and the departed Chris Drury have worn the "C" in recent years.

All of these men shared common attributes. Firstly, these men all had the ability to lead their teams. Night in and night out, these players all went through the daily grind and were looked upon for guidance and direction.

It all seems that Ryan Callahan will wear the "C" without a shadow of a doubt.

Ryan Callahan has many characteristics that make him worthy of being the captain. Callahan is a natural leader. He has reinforced this point by taking the lead on all these informal practices that have been held over the past few weeks.

Last season, in the absence of Chris Drury, Callahan was the focus during interviews conducted by media members in the dressing room. 

He is a great player, leader and role model and would be a perfect person to lead this team onto the ice next season.

I'd love to hear your thoughts so get the conversation going by leaving a comment below. 

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Tom Urtz is an NHL Featured Columnist, a New York Rangers Featured Columnist, a WWE Featured Columnist and a lifelong sports fanatic.

Tom can be found on Twitter by clicking the button below.