On Sunday, the New York Rangers placed defenseman Tony DeAngelo on waivers. The decision to place the 25-year-old on waivers stems from an altercation following the team’s loss on Saturday.

New York faced off against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. The Rangers were able to stall and match the Penguins in the game. The game was even as the score was tied at four and went into overtime. During overtime, it was Penguins’ star Sidney Crosby that scored the game-winning goal as it slipped past Rangers’ goaltender Alexandar Georgiev.

The altercation occurred immediately after the loss. As the teams were heading into their respective tunnels, DeAngelo started the altercation by saying remarks towards the goalie following the loss. It is believed that the two had a miscommunication on the ice, prior to Crosby’s game-winning goal. The defenseman made a remark to the goalie that caused the altercation to become physical between the two players. Luckily, the two were broken up by teammate K’Andre Miller.

The Rangers responded to this incident by placing the 25-year-old defenseman on waivers the following day. The decision to waive the young player goes beyond Saturday’s incident. The 25-year-old has had prior issues regarding his behavior on and off the ice and recent poor performances did not help his cause. It goes without saying that this latest incident was the breaking point for the Rangers.

While playing for the Arizona Coyotes in 2017, the defenseman was suspended for abuse of an official. Furthermore, he was suspended twice in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for violating the league’s harassment, abuse and diversity policy. New York already disciplined him in the past for social media behavior that drew criticism.

DeAngelo’s waivers clause expire on Monday. If no team claims him, he would remain with New York. If that were the case, then it is likely the team would demote him to their affiliated development team, the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL.

Hockey season is on its way, and the New York Rangers’ season tickets are now on sale!

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The Rangers are entering the second year of the “rebuild” that management announced last year and look to enter 2019-2020 with hopes that all the hard work paid off and that they will indeed reach the playoffs this year. Veteran goalkeeper and star Henrik Lundqvist had declining numbers each of the past few years in save percentage and goals against, but many claim it had a lot to do with the team’s performance, which dipped at exactly the same time. We’ll see if the team pulls together and the premier Lundqvist is what we get this coming season.

The return of Tony DeAngelo from a holdout will also help Lundqvist protect the goal. Add Brady Skjei and Jacob Trouba to the defensive side and all you have to worry about is offense. So where do the Rangers stand offensively?

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

Of course, the signing of Artemi Panarin is a huge factor. The Russian star signed a seven-year, $81.5 million deal with the Rangers this summer. Panarin has become a major start by raising his points scored total from 74 to 87 in the past few years. He is a work horse that went undrafted to earn Rookie of the Year honors in 2015. Sky is the limit for him. Now add top pick Kaapo Kakko to the wing and you have a team ready to compete.

Besides heading to Ontario to play the Ottawa Senators on October 5, the Blueshirts stay in the area to play seven games at Madison Square Garden. Then, they travel to New Jersey and Washington D.C. to play the Devils and Senators respectively on back-to-back nights October 17 and 18.

If you have been waiting to purchase season tickets, those went on sale as well, with packages starting at $8,000. These deals include tickets to every single home game.

Get your tickets today!

Here is the schedule for the Rangers’ first few home games of the season:

THU OCT 3: Winnipeg Jets at New York Rangers
7:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

SAT OCT 12
Edmonton Oilers at New York Rangers
1:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

THU OCT 17
New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils
7:00 PM – Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, US

FRI OCT 18
New York Rangers at Washington Capitals
7:00 PM – Capital One Arena, Washington, DC, US

SUN OCT 20
Vancouver Canucks at New York Rangers
1:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

TUE OCT 22
Arizona Coyotes at New York Rangers
7:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

THU OCT 24
Buffalo Sabres at New York Rangers
7:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

SUN OCT 27
Boston Bruins at New York Rangers
7:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

TUE OCT 29
Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers
7:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

MON NOV 4
Ottawa Senators at New York Rangers
7:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

WED NOV 6
Detroit Red Wings at New York Rangers
8:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

SUN NOV 10
Florida Panthers at New York Rangers
1:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

TUE NOV 12
Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers
7:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

WED
NOV 20
Washington Capitals at New York Rangers
8:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

MON NOV 25
Minnesota Wild at New York Rangers
7:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

WED NOV 27
Carolina Hurricanes at New York Rangers
7:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US

FRI NOV 29
New York Rangers at Boston Bruins
1:00 PM – TD Garden, Boston, MA, US

SAT NOV 30
New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils
1:00 PM – Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, US

MON DEC 2
Vegas Golden Knights at New York Rangers
7:00 PM – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US