Mike Sullivan addressed the Rangers media and what the press corps got can best be described as "Peter Laviolette-Lite."

A very soft drink for a very soft team.

Granted that The Maven shouldn't have expected an NHL version of the grand orato Winston Churchill but since Simple Sully is going to war for the Rangers,  a little more inspiration would have been a nice touch.

Mike Sullivan Sends Hidden Message In Introductory Press Conference With Rangers Mike Sullivan’s introductory press conference on Thursday was filled with the usual cliches, but had a few strong hidden messages conveyed by the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers" target="_blank">Rangers</a>’ newest coach.

But "nice" is not enough at this stage of the Blueshirts life; especially with the club's 100th Anniversary now in the planning stage. 

Some genuine fire and brimstone might have aroused some enthusiasm from The Faithful. Instead it was a dose of  Saccharine Sully.

Just to be sure, it wasn't just me feeling tepid about Sullivan, I asked one of my most trusted, literate, passionate and insightful Rangers observers for his view.

Author of such valuable Blueshirt histories as "We Did Everything But Win" and "Guardians Of The Goal," George Grimm's reaction to Sully's inaugural address, started with a simple comment:

"Sullivan’s press conference was right out of 'The NHL Coach’s Guide to Press Conferences.' He didn’t give any specifics, didn’t say anything controversial. He said a couple of things meant to inspire the fans and made sure to express how excited he was for the opportunity to coach an historic team like the Rangers. 

"But judging by his low-key demeanor, it was hard to tell whether he was more excited about coaching the Rangers or cashing MSG’s checks! He emphasized that he was looking forward to forming a partnership with Chris Drury, who he called 'Dru', a few times. 

"Drury chimed in saying that they would discuss all player moves, but that he would not be dictating lineup decisions. Sullivan, who referred to his experiences many times during the 20 minute meeting with the media, said,

'The relationship between the head coach and general manager is really important. It’s important we work together on that relationship so that we can share the same vision and work toward the same goals'

"As expected, Sullivan refused to talk about why he left Pittsburgh or what may have been wrong with the Rangers last season.He did say that he had a lot of respect for the Rangers, and that there’s a lot of talent in that room. He added:

 “'But talent alone does not win championships, teams win championships. And I think that’s gonna be our challenge from Day One is to become a team in the truest sense of the word. That’s the challenge that each team faces when they open training camp and we’re no different in that regard.’

"He said he has talked to almost every player on the roster and sees a lot of leadership and passion there. But did not elaborate on how he would harness it. 

"He added that he would discuss naming a team captain with Drury, but that leadership manifests itself in many different ways. He called Adam Fox an elite talent and looks forward to working with him.

"As for working with the younger prospects, Sullivan said that 'There’s no set recipe for developing players. Each player and situation must be handled in an individual manner. 'No one is entitled to anything and that every player earns it.'

"Overall it was as expected, a textbook press conference, but Sullivan did say one thing that can give Rangers fans some hope, 'We’re gonna push these guys every day to maximize the potential that exists here.'"

So, what's the bottom line for Mike Sullivan as Rangers orator?

"I was very uninspired," Grimm concludes. "It was just a lot of blah-blah-blah!"