So the word at Fenway Park yesterday from Team USA general manager Brian Burke regarding Chris Drury’s selection to represent the Yanks at the Vancouver Games in what will be No. 23’s third Olympics, was: “I don’t have to say anything else about Chris Drury except that he’s Chris Drury. . . . We picked Chris Drury because he’s Chris Drury.
“He provides essential leadership,” Burke said at a press conference following the Winter Classic. “He represents a lot of things we need to be successful [in Vancouver].”
To which Drury indirectly responded in a phone conversation with The Post by saying, “Obviously experience and leadership are important ingredients of what not only I can bring, but Jamie Langenbrunner and Brian Rafalski, too, but I also know I can play.
“I don’t think I’m on the team to be a cheerleader.”
Neither, for that matter, does Rangers coach John Tortorella, who will be a Team USA assistant.
“Dru is a guy who you look to for a huge play at a key time,” Tortorella said by phone. “Maybe it won’t be on offense, maybe it’ll be on defense, or on the PK, but he’s a guy whose presence gives a coaching staff a lot of confidence and a lot of options.”
Drury, who won a silver medal at the 2002 Salt Lake Games and played for the U.S. squad that placed eighth at the 2006 Turin tournament, isn’t the only Ranger who will be trading in one set of red, white and blue duds for another next month. He will be joined by Ryan Callahan.
“I’m excited, overwhelmed and honored,” Callahan said by phone. “When I was growing up, my goal was to play in the NHL, but then when I was watching back in 2002, I started to think about how special it would be to represent my country in the Olympics.
“In ’06 I had no idea whether I’d even have a chance for this year, I wasn’t in pro hockey yet, and now for me to look back and see how far I’ve come from then to now, it’s just an awesome feeling.”
Drury and Callahan, who will play this afternoon at the Garden as the Rangers seek to sweep their home-and-home against the Hurricanes that opened with a 2-1 New Year’s Eve victory in Raleigh, were both formally notified of their selections by Burke yesterday morning.
While Drury, who brought his wife and newborn daughter, Kelly, home from the hospital following yesterday’s practice, received a voice mail, Callahan spoke to Burke while having breakfast with his girlfriend.
“First thing I did was call back home and tell everyone to book a trip to Vancouver,” said the Rochester native. “Everyone was pretty excited.”
And that “everyone” includes Tortorella, whose Rangers roster contains four Olympians — Drury and Callahan plus Marian Gaborik (Slovakia) and Henrik Lundqvist (Sweden).
“To have a couple of Rangers on the U.S. team, I’m damn proud of them, just as I am with Gabby and Hank,” Tortorella said. “Let’s not overthink whether playing an extra few games in a tournament in February might have a negative impact in March or April.
“I’m not thinking about that or concerned about that in the least. I couldn’t be prouder for these guys. It’s a tremendous honor.”
* The Blueshirts are 5-1-1 in their last seven overall, but are on 1-5-2 and 2-8-2 skids at Garden.