Oct 17, 2022; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (31) warms up before the first period against the Anaheim Ducks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
NHL: Anaheim Ducks at New York Rangers
Before the New York Rangers got pummeled by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, the stars were out for practice as they typically do pre-game. Head coach Gerard Gallant put Jaroslav Halak in front of the cage, meaning that their guy, Igor Shesterkin, had the night off. “Shesty” is known for being one of the best goaltenders in not only the NHL, but around the globe. He won the Vezina trophy last year with New York and was a major reason why the team marched all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals.
What we may not know about the young netminder are his people skills. The Garden was sold out on Sunday with 18,006 fans showing support inside Rangerstown. Among them was a young girl who got Igor’s attention as the team was doing laps around their own half of the rink. She made a trade proposal to the young star that could not be refused in any way, shape, or form. He tossed his goalie stick to the girl in the seats in what looked like a wholesome moment, but the return value for that stick? A fresh and fluffy teddy bear.
One toss of the hockey stick, one toss of the teddy bear which was gloved by Shesterkin. The stick was a tad damaged as the young lady could not grab it with one hand. Nevertheless, he skated off with the stuffed animal and admired it as he arrived at the Rangers’ bench. He sat out for the entirety of the 5-1 defeat to the Blue Jackets, but for Igor, at least he got something out of the afternoon.
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