NHL

Serby’s Q&A with … Ryan Callahan

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.

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.

Q: Have you always been a leader or seen yourself as a leader?

A: When I played junior hockey, I was captain there for two years … obviously at this level, it’s a bit different … but I think last year, with Chris Drury being out for quite a bit of time, I kinda stepped into that role a little bit and kinda had a dress rehearsal, and I think that really helped me coming into this year.

Q: But you’re not a rah-rah kind of captain, are you?

A: No I’m definitely not. I’m not a guy who’s gonna scream and yell. I will speak up if something needs to be said or something needs to be addressed, but I just try to go out there and lead by example, and hopefully, guys will follow.

Q: Do you see yourself as an extension of Coach Tortorella?

A: I think you have to be as a captain.

Q: Do you sit down one-on-one with him and discuss the team?

A: Yes I have, that’s part of it, just to get a feeling of what’s going on in the room, and tell that to him, and tell the guys exactly what’s he’s feeling too. … He’s approachable, so there’s nothing wrong with that.

Q: So on the eve of the playoffs now, tell me what the feeling is inside the room of the New York Rangers.

A: There’s a lot of excitement in there. You play 82 games to get to this point, and I think it’s just the anticipation and ready to get going on that Game 1.

Q: Describe Coach Tortorella for me.

A: He’s passionate …

Q: Everybody uses that word.

A: You can see it in his postgame interviews. He’s emotional, he cares about us, cares about the team. And I think it’s good to play for a guy like that who’s honest. You’d rather have him tell you straight up how he feels than have to question him.

Q: Was it an adjustment period for you to deal with a personality like his?

A: Yeah it is. There’s a bit of an adjustment period there. He’s hard on you, he let’s you know when you make mistakes, and I think it takes a player that has to look at himself and realize that he’s just trying to make you better, and he’s trying to help you, he’s not a guy who’s trying to beat you down, or make you look bad in front of your teammates. It’s all for a purpose, and it’s all for a reason.

Q: Do any guys do imitations of him?

A: There’s a couple of guys, yeah, floatin’ around the room, but uh (chuckle), I’ll keep that to myself.

Q: Seen that’s why you’re a good captain.

A: (Chuckle) Yeah, exactly.

Q: Are they good imitations?

A: There’s some good ones out there.

Q: Is it an imitation of what he says, or how he walks, or … ?

A: Geez, you’re gonna get me in trouble … just what he says. I mean, obviously it’s amongst the team, amongst the guys, just jokin’ around, he knows it too, we say it to him. So he’s good about it. It’s something that’s not done behind his back.

Q: What would Rangers fans be surprised to learn about him?

A: I think they see this side of him that is hard and tough, but he cares, he cares about you. If you have a problem with anything outside of hockey or anything, he’ll sit down and he’ll talk to you. He’s a very approachable coach, and I don’t think you see that maybe from the exterior of him.

Q: Your wife is due when?

A: End of May.

Q: How do you separate emotionally, the quest for the Stanley Cup, and the birth of son or daughter?

A: We don’t know. We’ll see. It’s tough. I think right on through my career, I’ve tried to separate my home life and what’s going on at the rink. I think with her support and her help, it’s easier. She knows what I’m going through, she knows how important this is to me. Obviously I’m excited for the birth of my first child, but at the same time, there’s business to be taken care of, and that’s what I’m here for is to try to win a Stanley Cup.

Q: What would that mean to you to win a Stanley Cup in New York?

A: It’d mean everything. This city is unbelievable, the fans are great, I couldn’t think of a better place to win a Stanley Cup. Just looking back at some of the videos, some of the photos of the ’94 team when they did it, it’s something that’s … it’s hard to imagine and hard to picture.

Q: When was the last time you looked at some of those videos and photos?

A: Every once in a while it’s on TV, on MSG Network, and if I catch it, I’ll stop and I’ll watch it. As you walk through the hallway here, you see the parade that they had in ’94 … you just wish, you want to be a part of that, and you want to have that moment, I guess, in New York City.

Q: Do you remember watching Messier holding the Cup?

A: Yeah I remember watching the games, and watching it. I think one thing that sticks out, that final faceoff they had there against Vancouver. At the time I didn’t imagine obviously I’d be in this position, but I definitely remember watching the games and watching that moment.

Q: Ever talk to Messier about that moment and that run, or about being captain in New York?

A: I’ve never spoken to him about that moment or that run, but I have spoken to him about being captain. He’s approachable, he’s always around the rink, and no better to learn from than Mark Messier (smile).

Q: You picked his brain about being a captain?

A: Not too much. He congratulated me obviously when I first got it. I asked him, “What’s the biggest thing about being captain?” He said, “Just be yourself. Be yourself, and you’ll be fine.”

Q: What was it like the first time you stepped on the ice with the C on your jersey?

A: It’s still a special feeling. But to be an Original Six team captain, it’s not only just an NHL team, but an Original Six team, with so much history, and all the great captains before me … it’s an honor and a privilege, and that’s how I look at it.

Q: What was that Olympic experience like for you?

A: It was amazing. And I think the biggest thing for me is being able to have my family there and enjoy that experience with me … to be able to put on your country’s colors, and you go out there and represent the USA, I can’t even describe how good it felt.

Q: What’s it like playing in New York City representing the New York Rangers?

A: Yeah it’s exciting, to be able to call MSG your home office and your home arena, it’s such an historic building. I love the fans here in New York, they’re so passionate about their sports teams. It’s great to go out there and play in front of ’em every night.

Q: Give me a scouting report on yourself.

A: That’s tough, I don’t like these questions (smile). Obviously I try to be a guy who goes out there every night and puts 110 percent out there, and willing to do anything to win, and take the body, and blocking the shots, and hopefully popping a goal or two here and there.

Q: Superstitions?

A: Your whole gameday is one big routine … if we don’t have a pregame skate, go for a walk, take the dog for a walk, come back and just relax for a little bit. I gotta have my chicken parm prior to the game. … Then at the rink, you gotta do everything the same way, the way you tape your stick, the way you tie your skates, from going to get a drink of water, everything is planned out. It gets tiring, but keeps you in the moment, I think, when you do those routines.

Q: So where’s the best chicken parm in New York?

A: It’s tough. … Right now I’ve been ordering it from Serafina, it’s close to my house, so they deliver.

Q: Why did you decide to live in New York City?

A: At the time when I got the apartment, all the guys pretty much are living in the city now, so you want to be down there. … You don’t know how long you’re gonna get a chance to play for the New York Rangers so when you’re here you want to feel the city and get to experience that.

Q: Twenty-five words or less, let’s go over a couple of your teammates, on the ice or off: Gaborik.

A: I guess on the ice is how much speed he has. His shot is amazing. I guess off the ice, he’s a guy that likes to joke around a lot in the room. He likes cars, he’s always talking about the cars he has, and he’s a great guy in the room.

Q: Girardi.

A: Girardi’s very sarcastic, he’s got a dry humor that always lightens the room up. He’s a guy that’ll do anything for you on the ice, the way he blocks shots, and the year he’s had has been amazing.

Q: Brad Richards.

A: He’s a leader in the room. He’s a guy who’s helped me out through my first year being captain, and he’s been through it before, he’s won a Cup, so he’s a guy that I’ve gone to and leaned on throughout this process.”

Q: Henrik.

A: Focused. It seems this year he has a new demeanor to him. He’s the backbone on this team.

Q: You see it in his eyes?

A: You just see it in his preparation, the way he’s competing in practice, the way he competes in the game. Gamedays you can’t talk to the guy, he’s unapproachable, he’s really focused.

Q: What are you like on gamedays?

A: Until about two hours before the game, I’m relaxed, I try not to think too much about it. But once you get close to it, you start to dial in and focus on what you have to do.

Q: Dubinsky?

A: Jokester. He’s loud, he’s always talking in the room (chuckle). Before anything, you think you hear Duby as you walk in the room. He’s a guy too that embodies what we’re about taking the body and the way he plays.

Q: Staal?

A: Staals is a bit more quiet. You could see it on the ice, he’s calm, the way he controls the play. He’s a guy that doesn’t talk too much but when he does, you listen.

Q: Del Zotto.

A: He’s a guy I think guys like to get on a little bit, he’s an easy guy to joke around with (smile). This year he’s been big for us on our power play, the way he moves the puck really well out there and sees the ice well.

Q: Who are some of the other jokesters on the team?

A: Girardi is the big one. Brian Boyle’s a real character, he does a lot of impressions. He’s a funny guy (smile).

Q: What impressions does he do?

A: He does all these voices. … He’s a larger-than-life character, he’s such a big man too, when he does things, it’s pretty funny.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: Wedding Crashers.

Q: Favorite actor?

A: Will Ferrell.

Q: Favorite actress?

A: Angelina Jolie.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: We’ll go Jeter, we’ll stay on that theme; Lance Armstrong; Barack Obama.

Q: What intangible trait does this Rangers team have that can enable it to make a run for the Cup?

A: I think it’s the way everybody has bought into our system and bought into our identity that we’ve been trying to create since Torts has been here, and that’s a team that’s in your face, blocking shots, you know, hard to play against. And the way, right from a guy like Gaborik, who scores 40 goals, to our fourth-liners who don’t play a ton, but everybody’s doing the same thing. And when everybody’s on the same page, I think it’s a hard team to beat.

steve.serby@nypost.com