Chris Kreider’s move to the Montréal Canadiens came with some behind-the-scenes baggage, and Arthur Staple shed light this week on one reason the winger may have been so set on landing there.
Staple said the fallout from the firing of longtime Rangers athletic trainer Jim Ramsay still lingered for Kreider. Ramsay later joined the Canadiens and came back to Madison Square Garden during Montréal’s lone road game against the Rangers in the 2023-24 season. That night also happened to be the one when Kreider scored a hat trick, but Ramsay was not acknowledged or shown on the Garden video board.
Staple believes that omission hit Kreider hard.
"At the end of the game, Kreider would stand by the door leading off the ice to acknowledge everyone. That night, as he did it, you could see him kind of pointing and whispering in guys' ears to make sure that everyone went over and acknowledged Ramsay in the middle of the ice," Staple said. "When that was done, Kreider went over and embraced Ramsay himself, in full view of everyone [in what was] probably one of the most public things he's ever done."
He added, "Despite scoring a hat trick, Kreider wasn't seen in the post-game dressing room," he continued. "There was plenty of speculation as to why, but it seemed, putting two and two together, that he was not happy that Ramsay was not acknowledged."
Staple also said Kreider’s path to Montréal was effectively pre-scripted before the waiver process ever played out. According to his reporting, Kreider’s agent let general managers around the league know not to place a claim on the veteran winger. Even if a team had done so, Staple reported that Kreider would not have reported.
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