New York Rangers rookie Adam Edstrom had never dropped the gloves before Saturday night, but one wouldn’t have known it watching his first-ever hockey fight against Utah’s Jack McBain.
The 6-foot-7 Rangers forward landed some solid punches in the second-period scrap, bloodied McBain, and walked away with plenty to say about the adrenaline-fueled moment.
“Yeah, that’s the first one,” Edstrom said.
Despite never having fought before, Edstrom handled himself like a seasoned brawler on his birthday on Saturday. He claimed his preparation came from tips he’d received from linemate and fellow young enforcer Matt Rempe.
“I’ve talked to this guy,” Edstrom said. The two have been almost inseparable since their time in AHL Hartford, the Rangers affiliate team in the minors, with Rempe teaching Edstrom how to handle himself in a fight.
“Oh, we just go out there sometimes and, like, wrestle around and show grips and stuff like that,” Rempe said. “He’s a big, strong guy, so he can take care of himself.
“It was awesome. I was very excited for him.”
Edstrom’s debut fight occurred after a net-front scrum involving both him and Carrick.
While the latter engaged in a fight with Michael Kesselring and were already exchanging blows, McBain and Edstrom paired off, unaware that they were setting off a secondary fight. Because of that, McBain and Edstrom only earned game misconduct penalties.
Edstrom didn’t know Carrick and Kesselring were already fighting when he put the clamps on McBain.
"No, I did not," Edstrom said. "I guess that fight kind of started behind my back, and we were kind of getting into a scrum, net front. And then it happened.”
Despite the chaos, Edstrom seemed to enjoy the experience, expressing his willingness to potentially drop the gloves again and turn into the new enforcer of the team going forward.
“I mean, yeah, it was all right," Edstrom said. "‘Big up’ to that guy (McBain) too. He’s not a small guy, either. But, I mean, we were scrapping, so yeah, it was fun.”
Finally, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette was the ultimate man to praise Edstrom’s performance in the fight, noting that it proved he's added that trait to his skill set.
“Any time you start adding layers to your game, you’re adding pieces that can help the team.”
