The NHL lockout is finally over, and tomorrow the Rangers kick off their much-delayed season in Boston against the Bruins. We caught up with some of the squad’s biggest stars to find out some of the more interesting ways they passed their almost four-month hockey hiatus.
BRIAN BOYLE, CENTER
Bonding with bro
The 6-foot-7 Bostonian calls the lockout “dark days,” but his “silver lining” was the chance to see his 19-year-old brother Tim play hockey during his freshman season at Union College in Schenectady, NY.
“We’re very close,” says Boyle, who is the seventh of 13 children. “I was excited to get to see him play because I never got to see him play in high school.”
Boyle, who saw his brother pass the puck against Harvard and Brown, almost missed a game due to a lockout of a different kind. After flying to Boston from Tampa on game day, he lost his car keys and tore up Logan Airport trying to find them. “I was panicking because I told him that I would be there,” says Boyle, who raced to Cambridge in a rental car.
The 28-year-old was also caught his 17-year-old brother Nicholas scoring his first goal with his new high school team, Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Mass.
But after a few months surrounded by enough family to populate a small town, the Upper West Side resident’s departure from Boston was much less frenetic.
“[My parents] weren’t even home. I left them a voice mail and kind of just left,” he says. “But I get to play hockey again. I never say I take it for granted.”
DAN GIRARDI, DEFENSEMAN
Shopped for preschools
When Dan Girardi took his son Landon for his 2-year-old checkup last year, he got a rude awakening from the pediatrician. “He asked me where Landon was going to preschool,” says the Ontario native. “I said we would wait until next September, and just sign him up.” The doctor had to break the news to the 28-year-old dad that in Manhattan, getting your child into school was a sport almost as brutal as hockey. He and his wife, Pamela, began intense research. “It’s a unique experience to put your 2 ½-year-old through interviews, but we’re letting Landon do his thing,” he says.
Hopefully the towheaded cutie will have a leg up. Landon was one of the breakout stars of last year’s HBO docu-series “24/7,” where he played guitar and showed a precocious aptitude for hockey. “I hope they [recognize him] because there’s a better chance of him getting in,” jokes Girardi.
“[The preschool admissions process] was a cool experience, and obviously we want to get into as many schools as possible,” says the Upper West Side resident. They’re hoping to get good news by the time Landon — whose hobbies include watching his “24/7” cameo on YouTube — turns 3 on March 8.
CARL HAGELIN, LEFT WING
High school reunion
They say you can’t go home again, but that’s exactly what this 24-year-old Swede did. “I stayed with my mom and dad for a month,” says Hagelin, who slept in his sister’s childhood bedroom for all of October and played for his old junior team in Södertalje with the added bonus of having his five best friends from high school as teammates.
“When the opportunity arrived, it was a no-brainer. For me to be able to come back, was very special. There were a lot of laughs,” says Hagelin. “It was good to get my mom’s cooking. She’s really good at different fish dishes, and obviously you have to go with the Swedish meatballs when you’re home.”
After returning back to the states in early November, the lean Hagelin kept in top form by skating at a rink in Jersey and joined some of his teammates for training at the Upper West Side gym As One.
But he’s relieved he’s back in the game: “It was a great feeling when you knew the lockout was over.”
HENRIK LUNDQVIST, GOALIE
Daddy-daughter time
Before the lockout became a reality, the Swedish goalie was already undergoing a life change. He and wife Therese welcomed their first child in July — daughter Charlise.
“It was definitely an adjustment for me the first couple of weeks. Then after a couple of months, you start getting used to the new routine,” says Lundqvist, 30, who took his new family back to Gothenburg, Sweden, in October.
“That’s the only good thing about this lockout. I had the opportunity to spend time with family, and I know they appreciated [spending time with Charlise],” says Lundqvist. “She’s a happy baby and hardly screams. My mom keeps telling me that we’ve been lucky.”
Lundqvist says his little lady lights up when she sees their Doberman, Nova. “She laughs hysterically when she sees the dog.”
The Lundqvists flew back just before the lockout ended Jan. 5. When word of a deal spread, the team didn’t pop the Champagne. The goalie immediately rallied a group to head to the team’s Tarrytown rink. “Our celebration was skating with a purpose.”
Indeed, all seems right with the world for The King. Both at work — and most definitely at home. “I enjoy [Charlise] more and more each week. I look forward to the connection we’re going to have,” he says. “I like the idea of daddy’s little girl.”
BRAD RICHARDS, CENTER
Chef cusine
Richards remained in New York, where the self-proclaimed oenophile and teammate Steve Eminger spent much of their time sharpening their culinary chops. In between training sessions, the pals made frequent trips to Chelsea Market for fresh ingredients. Their favorite dish: Asianinspired chicken and veggies.
When the 32-year-old wasn’t cooking with his sous-chef, he was spearheading charitable work for victims of Hurricane Sandy. He organized hockey clinics on Staten Island, guest-bartended at Bay Ridge watering hole Yellow Hook Grille and helped cleanup efforts in the Rockaways. Over Thanksgiving weekend, he lent his name to Operation Hat Trick — a charity game in Atlantic City that drew NHL superstars from around the world. “I love being in New York, and I love the whole area. And to be able to help out, that’s just perfect,” Richards has said.
Richards’ Chicken and Veggies Recipe: Chop onions, green peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, fresh ginger. Sauté the vegetables in sesame oil. Add the chicken, soy and peanut sauces until thoroughly cooked.
RYAN McDONAGH, DEFENSEMAN
Betrothal and Borat
As the lockout languished, many players went to the Russian league to play. But for two months, the 23-year-old McDonagh took the ice in Kazakhstan, of all places.
“The food is unique,” says the Minnesota native. “You can’t really go buy a steak at the grocery store. Sometimes the stores even run out of chicken.” While there, McDonagh subsisted on carbs and fresh veggies.
His trip to Borat’s homeland didn’t just put his red-meat consumption on hold — it also delayed his marriage proposal to his girlfriend of seven years, Kaylee.
“I had been thinking about [proposing], but going over to Kazakhstan put a wrench in everything,” says McDonagh.
Shortly after he returned in early December, he surprised his trainer gal pal by decking out his UWS apartment with flowers, candles and Champagne. “I got the right answer,” he reports.
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