As the Rangers begin their quest for their first Stanley Cup, Post columnist Steve Serby caught up with the captain, Ryan Callahan.
Q: Do you actually have dreams ... or daydreams ... of holding the Cup?
A: Yeah since you’re a kid you do, you’ve always dreamt of that moment. When you’re a kid, you’re playing street hockey outside, you’re always talking about winning the Stanley Cup, or it’s Game 7, and gotta score that goal (smile). We take the first step [tonight] in hopefully getting that dream to come true.
Q: What drives you?
A: I think winning, trying to get to that ultimate goal, and get that prize, which is obviously the Stanley Cup. I think that’s what drives you day in and day out, just trying to get there, and trying to help your team get to that point.
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Ryan Callahan
Q: What message would you like to give Rangers fans about this team starting tonight?
A: I think right through everybody, we’re a passionate team, we’re excited about the playoffs, and hopefully we can make this city proud of the way we work and what we do on the ice. I hope they see that every night we go out there and we try to win, and we do everything we can to win.
And hopefully, at the end of the day, we bring home something that they’ll always remember.
Q: How realistic is that?
A: We feel like it is, it’s a long road. I mean, playoffs are hard. It’s a lot of good teams, and you gotta catch breaks along the way.
But we got a team in there that believes, and I think that’s the first step.
Q: What’s the difference in intensity level in the playoffs?
A: It’s faster, it’s more physical, every little play means something ... if you don’t get a puck in, you don’t get a puck out, could be the difference in a series. It definitely intensifies, and you realize that right away.
Q: What is your one single playoff moment?
A: For me personally, probably scoring two goals against Atlanta my first playoff experience at the Garden.
Q: Do you remember the first time you stepped on the Garden ice?
A: You’re in amazement. I think that warmups, I felt like I wasn’t even touching the ice (smile), it’s so surreal being able to go out there and play.
Q: What do you see the role of captain being?
A: For me, it’s to lead by example, try to do everything the team tries to embody, and do it best you can to have the guys follow.
Q: Do you study captains in other sports?
A: No, not too much. A guy that I’ve kind of admired and looked up to is a guy like Derek Jeter, the way he’s handled the New York media, and how he presents himself on the field and off the field is a guy that I was always a fan of, and now that I’m (team) captain in New York is another guy that I look up to.
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