Quick to relish mentoring role as Rangers backup goalie

Jonathan Quick lived the life of a backup goalie doubling as a mentor at the end of last season with the Vegas Golden Knights. The 37-year-old was rewarded with his third Stanley Cup championship.

He's going to try to do it again this season, this time for all 82 games and hopefully another long run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs while living out a childhood dream and working with a goalie who is already one of the best on the planet.

Quick signed a one-year, $825,000 contract with the New York Rangers on July 1 to be the backup to Igor Shesterkin, who won the 2022 Vezina Trophy voted as the best goalie in the NHL and was eighth in voting last season.

Quick is also from Milford, Connecticut, about 70 miles outside of New York City. He grew up with a poster of Mike Richter on his bedroom wall and was 8 years old when he watched his favorite goalie help his favorite team win the Stanley Cup in 1994.

"Growing up watching the Rangers as a kid, this is just an opportunity you can't turn down," Quick said Monday. "Just want to make the most of it."

Quick said the opportunity he has with the Rangers, and the one he got with the Golden Knights last season, backing up Adin Hill on the Stanley Cup run, was never in his plans.

"Up until about five months ago, I thought I was going to be retiring a King," Quick said. "Those were the discussions that were had."

Then the Los Angeles Kings, with whom Quick won the Cup in 2012 and 2014, and the only team he had known in an NHL career that began with his debut Dec. 6, 2007, traded the goalie to the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 1. Columbus sent him to Vegas a day later.

Quick played 10 games for the Golden Knights in the regular season and dressed for one of the first eight playoff games before Laurent Brossoit was injured in Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round against the Edmonton Oilers. Quick was the backup to Hill the rest of the way.

He was more than a backup, though. He was Hill's partner, sounding board and mentor.

"Unbelievable," Hill said when asked about Quick after Vegas won the Stanley Cup at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on June 13. "I talked to him all the time. Quick has been an awesome guy. He's one of the best guys I've met in the hockey world."

A No. 1 goalie since 2008-09 in L.A., Quick said he got used to the role as the backup/mentor in Vegas. He liked it but doesn't know how much mentoring he's going to have to do with Shesterkin in New York.

"Igor, he's Igor, and he doesn't need too much mentorship with as good as he is and what he's already been able to accomplish in his young career," Quick said. "If there's times when I can help him, I'm definitely willing to and looking forward to that, and also whenever I'm in the net trying to help the team win hockey games."

Winning games is essential to why the Rangers signed Quick. They can't rely solely on Shesterkin to get them into the playoffs.

Video: Jonathan Quick joins New York Rangers started 24 games last season, winning 10 with a 2.72 goals-against average, .903 save percentage and one shutout. The Rangers will need similar from Quick, assuming Shesterkin again plays between 55-60 games and ideally wins close to 40. He started 58 and won 37 last season.

"I think it'll be seamless," Rangers general manager Chris Drury said. "He's excited to be a Ranger. A Connecticut kid that wanted to come here, play here and be a Ranger. He obviously knows all about 'Shesty' and his accomplishments, and I think he's ready to take on the role of mentor, similar to what he did in Vegas. We're excited to have him."