Ryan McDonagh saw a lot of familiar faces when he first walked into the Lightning dressing room with his new teammates.
McDonagh and J.T. Miller joined the Cup-contending Lightning in a blockbuster trade with the Rangers just before the deadline Monday. They joined a club with three other ex-Rangers — defensemen Dan Girardi and Anton Stralman and forward Ryan Callahan.
Having almost a quarter of the roster with a common former team made for an easy nickname: Rangers South. The guy who was wearing the captain’s “C” for the Rangers a few days ago, though, isn’t a fan.
“It is kind of a crazy coincidence, but if you ask me, I hope that [Rangers South] doesn’t stick much longer past today, because I’m proud to be a part of this team,” McDonagh told the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday. “I’m proud to be a Tampa Bay Lightning, and I want to help add to the success they’ve had this year and do something special.”
The Lightning lead the NHL with 89 points, and could make a second trip to the Stanley Cup Final in four years. Callahan and Stralman were on that 2015 team, one year after Stralman helped the Rangers to the 2014 Cup Final. Girardi joined this past offseason after the Rangers bought out his contract.
Now McDonagh and Miller have joined what was already a high-powered club with sights on winning the Cup for the second time in franchise history.
“It’s awesome to be here, such a fun hockey team to watch around the league,” Miller told the Tampa Bay Times. “And it’s a really good opportunity, so I’m looking forward to it.”