Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesThe New York Rangers’ 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday night marked the last game of Jonathan Quick’s 19-year illustrious NHL career.
On Monday, after the Rangers’ morning skate, Quick announced that he would officially be retiring at the end of the 2025-26 season.
While Quick tried to prepare for Monday’s matchup in Sunrise, Florida, like any ordinary game, he couldn’t help but feel the magnitude of the moment.
“There were some memories throughout the day,” Quick said. “Obviously with the morning skate, saying what I said, I had some texts coming in throughout the day. It takes you down the memory lane a little bit with some of the things some former teammates are saying to me, but obviously, all good things. It was special. I’m very fortunate to play as long as I did and with the people I did. Just great people, great teammates, great families. I’m very fortunate for the relationships I was able to make throughout my career.”
The 40-year-old goaltender made 14 saves on 17 shots in his NHL swansong. The Rangers’ loss and Quick’s individual statistics don’t tell the whole story of the night.
Mike Sullivan described the occasion as a “celebration” and it truly was from the beginning of warmups until after the final buzzer sounded.
During warmups, every player wore Quick’s jersey with No. 32 on the back.
“I thought we had Stéphane Matteau out there taking warmups,” Quick jokingly said.
After the game, the entire Florida Panthers team stayed on the ice to individually congratulate Quick on closing an incredible chapter in his life.
“It’s in the back of your head throughout it, but you’re just trying to enjoy it,” Quick said about trying to manage the emotions of the night. “This team played great. I wish I had a couple more saves for them. It’s unfortunate how it finished up, but they deserved to win. I didn't have as many (saves) as I'd like to tonight, but it was still special.”
Serving in a backup goaltending role under Igor Shesterkin for the past three seasons, Quick has been able to make a profound impact on the Rangers through not just his play, but the leadership and energy he brought to the locker room.
“I mean, a guy like him, he's as good a teammate as you can find. I've been thinking about it for a little bit now after finding out that was going to be his last year. It's like, things that I could say,” Vincent Trocheck said. “There's an infinite amount of positive things you can say about him. When you have a career as long as his, you come across hundreds of different teammates. Before being lucky enough to play with him a few years ago, you talk to guys that he played with, and every single one of them says the same thing. ‘He's the best teammate, an unbelievable guy.’ He's always trying to set things up to bring the guys together. He is the definition of a glue guy.
“He was — is — a Hall of Famer. Three cups. He was the starter in L.A. for 17 years, and he comes here, and he's the backup to Shesty, and it doesn't change a thing. He's still the greatest guy. He's so excited to be at the rink, and the guys are excited to come to the rink and be with him. So you can't say enough good things about him. He's the kind of guy that you need on a team in order to have success.”