Playing for the Rangers was a childhood dream fulfilled for Jonathan Quick, a native of Milford, Conn. The three-time Stanley Cup Champion achieved that dream after signing with the Rangers in the offseason as a free agent.
Prior to playing for the Rangers, Quick boasted quite an impressive resume with a 375-277-84 all-time record through 740 starts and 753 games played for a .911 SV% and a 2.47 GAA. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound left catch spent the majority of his career with Los Angeles where he backstopped the Kings to Stanley Cup wins in 2012 and 2014. Quick went on to earn the Conn Smythe Trophy (annually awarded to the most valuable player of his team during the Stanley Cup Playoffs) in 2012 with a 16-4 record and three shutouts through 20 games.
After being dealt at the 2023 Trade Deadline from Los Angeles to Columbus and then flipped to the Vegas Golden Knights, Quick served as backup in the Golden Knights’ eventual Stanley Cup-winning run, where he hoisted the coveted trophy for third time in his career.
Since Joining the Rangers, Oct. 21, Quick earned his first win in his first career start on Oct. 21 as he backstopped the team to a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Get to know more about the Rangers’ newest addition between the pipes, No. 32.
How has it been joining the Rangers and fulfilling your childhood dream?
It's been great. We're fortunate we came out a little early, so we had six weeks before camp to get to know everybody who was coming to the rink, meet my new teammates and get to spend some time with them. It made the transition a lot easier.
How has it been getting settled and moving your family back East?
Usually, we come back [to Connecticut] in the summers. They know the area pretty well. The biggest transition for them will be in school, meeting new friends and all that stuff. They've been enjoying it so far. It has been a little bit of a transition, but they've dealt with it really well.
What was it like growing up in Connecticut and what was the hockey culture like?
You talk to anyone growing up, and hockey is big in the northeast, right? Being from Connecticut, you’re talking about kids traveling to play from New York, Long Island, New Jersey, to Massachusetts – just playing all over. There were a lot of great moments going to weekend hockey tournaments and all that. Now, my son is out here, and he’s going through that same thing. It’s fun to be on the other side of it and watching him enjoy it now.
Unfortunately, he’s a goalie as well. It’s really way more stressful watching him play than playing it myself. Now, I know what I’ve put my parents and wife through all these years.
If you didn't play hockey, what do you think you would have been interested in pursuing as a career?
I’m not sure. Fortunately, it never really got to a point where I had to kind of start considering that. When I was in high school, I knew I wanted to play hockey in college, and when I was in college, I knew I wanted to try to play pro. I haven't had to grow up and be a full-time adult yet. So now, I’m just trying to enjoy the moments and enjoy the process here.
What's something that people wouldn't know about you or a hobby you enjoy doing?
I don’t have too much time for hobbies. I do enjoy playing Mario Kart with the kids. I’m not going to lie, I’m really good at it. I was originally [playing as] Donkey Kong and then my wife started racing with it, so then I switched to Link. Then for some reason my son started racing to Link, so now I’m Iggy [Koopa] -- the crazy-eyed one.
What’s something you’ve learned throughout your career?
Just to always try to enjoy the moment. It’s something I learned really early in my career. When you're at the rink, you’re at the rink. You’re focused on what you’re doing there. When you’re at home, you’re at home. You leave your work behind and focus on being a parent. That’s probably the biggest thing, just enjoying those moments.
Why do you wear No. 32?
That was the number they gave me when I was called up [with the Kings]. It was handed to me. I’ve worn some other numbers in the past [like 29] but have been fortunate to have 32.
