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BOSTON — Deciding to put Stephane Quintal out of his Ranger misery, Garden president Dave Checketts has suspended the disgruntled defenseman without pay for the final four games of the season.
Quintal served the first game yesterday, as the Rangers were officially eliminated from the playoffs for the third straight year after tying the Bruins, 2-2, before 17,565 at FleetCenter.
Checketts handed down his punishment Friday night after learning of Quintal’s remarks that were published Friday in La Presse, a French language newspaper in Montreal. In the story, Quintal said that he wants to return to the Canadiens next season.
In addition, Quintal was quoted as saying teammate Petr Nedved was not good enough to center a No. 1 line.
Upon the team’s arrival in Boston Friday, Quintal met with assistant GM Don Maloney and interim coach John Tortorella. Quintal also spoke with Checketts, who was in Vancouver with the Knicks. According to both Maloney and Tortorella, Quintal acknowledged making the comments.
Maloney said that after Checketts ordered the suspension, Quintal, 31, was ordered back to New York.
“When we found out about the article, I talked to Dave,” Maloney said before the game. “We wanted to listen to Stephane and he didn’t deny he said those things. We could not accept a player saying he wanted to be with another organization. I discussed it with Dave and Dave wanted to make a very strong statement that we only want players who want to play for us.”
However, Quintal, who was signed as a free agent by the Rangers last July, made it clear he wanted out of the Rangers in November, when he asked for a trade.
The Boucherville, Quebec native played his previous four seasons with the Canadiens. Apparently, he never acquired a taste for New York, nor did he like playing for John Muckler, whom he also blasted in the LaPresse article.
“My heart’s in Montreal,” Quintal, in his 12th NHL season, was quoted as saying. “I thought about the quality of life I had in Montreal and the family and friends I left behind. My first choice would be to play for the Canadiens next season, but if I really had no choice, I’d go back to New York.”
On Muckler, who was fired Tuesday along with GM Neil Smith, Quintal said, “We had been expecting Muckler to go since October. It was hell. He argued with most of the veterans.”
After yesterday’s game, Nedved returned fire on Quintal.
“If he didn’t want to come here, I’m pretty sure the Ranger management didn’t put a gun to his head and make him come over here,” Nedved said. “He probably should’ve stayed in Montreal if he wanted to.
“Pointing fingers like that is probably the easiest thing we can do especially after the season like this.”
Maloney, who called Quintal’s comments “intolerable,” brushed off questions about whether the team would seek to trade the defenseman before next season.
“We’ll address it in the offseason,” Maloney said.
However, Tortorella, who was behind the bench for his first game as Rangers head coach yesterday, was infuriated with Quintal, who had two goals and 14 assists in 75 games this season.
“It [ticks] you off,” he said. “What Mr. Checketts did was right, send him home. If I’m a teammate, it’s a slap in the face.”
So ends a rather hectic week for the Rangers (29-38-12-3), in which they lost a GM, a coach and an unhappy player, as well as being eliminated from the playoffs. However, they clearly didn’t give in yesterday, as Calder Trophy candidate Mike York scored his 26th goal of the season with 1:20 left in the third period to make it 2-2.
But after the Rangers managed no shots in the OT, their slim playoff chances were erased, not that it was unexpected.
“I don’t think there’s a word strong enough to describe your disappointment,” said Adam Graves, who scored his 23rd of the year yesterday. “You get to this level, you’re here for one reason.”
