LIer Bobby Trivigno has game face on for preseason contest vs. Isles
Bobby Trivigno of the Rangers during training camp in Greenburgh, NY on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. Credit: Errol Anderson
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — If you think no one gets amped up for NHL preseason games, you should talk to Rangers forward Bobby Trivigno.
“I'm pretty excited,’’ Trivigno said Sunday after the Rangers practiced in preparation for Monday’s preseason opening game at the Garden against the Islanders. “I haven't played at MSG before. I'm playing with [Ryan] Carpenter and [Ryan] Reaves, who are really good players. And I'm excited to grind with them, honestly. It's kind of best way to get into it, is just compete. Throw the puck in the corner, get in on the forecheck, get used to the speed, and everything like that.’’
Trivigno, the Setauket native who signed with the Rangers last spring as an undrafted free agent after finishing his college career at UMass, is anticipating a dozen or more family and friends coming to the Garden to see him play his first game as a Blueshirt. And if just playing in an NHL game wasn’t enough, it happens to be against the Islanders, as well, which is a big deal, too.
“Yeah, I mean, a lot of my friends are Islanders fans,’’ he said. “I don't know, it's pretty split. But it's a rivalry. Not many people can say they played Rangers-Islanders, and I'm excited for that. I know it's a preseason game, but it does mean a lot to me. I'm super excited just to get that first one at MSG and see what happens after that.’’
Trivigno isn’t naïve; he knows he’s not likely to make the Rangers’ main roster for opening night, Oct. 11, and that he probably will instead be playing with the Rangers' Hartford farm team in the AHL. But he still wants to perform well Monday.
“I just hope to play well, honestly,’’ he said. “I'm not expecting anything crazy, like a hat trick or anything crazy. I just, honestly, want to get out there, get some good chemistry with my line, just make some nice plays, [and] play in the offensive zone. But I'm excited.’’
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
