Rangers’ Calvin de Haan Responds After Viral Comment Criticizing Team Treatment
New York Rangers defenseman Calvin de Haan has addressed a viral comment he made that sparked widespread discussion across the NHL, offering further explanation and expressing frustration with his current role on the team.
The situation unfolded Sunday during an optional practice, where de Haan, passing a group of reporters, was overheard saying, “How about the way I’ve been treated here? It’s (expletive),” a remark quickly posted on social media by New York Post reporter Mollie Walker.
De Haan, 33, has been a healthy scratch for 18 straight games and has only appeared in three games since being acquired by the Rangers in a trade with Colorado on March 1.
Calvin de Haan doesn't owe the #NYR anything, so I am very excited to hear what he has to say about what he's experienced.
You have to think there are others around the organization who have similar sentiments but might not feel that they're in a position to speak out. It's… https://t.co/6MbHZ6JNaA
— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) April 13, 2025
Later that evening, de Haan took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify his comment, saying he would have preferred to address the situation in a full media scrum rather than have a single quote go viral without context.
“Going to get ahead of this now…” de Haan wrote. “I was hoping that I would have been able to express [myself] in a scrum setting versus a quote as I was going onto the ice and having it on the internet 30 seconds later.”
He admitted the remark came out of frustration: “Any competitor who says they’d be happy in this position would be lying to you.”
De Haan pointed to the team’s success in the three games he played—posting a 2-0-1 record—and said he had hoped his early contributions might have earned him more chances.
“I know I’m not going to play 20 minutes a night like I have in the past, but I feel like I can still contribute in certain ways,” he continued. “I’m not trying to be the villain or throw shade at the organization.”
He acknowledged the reality of a youth-driven NHL and accepted the decisions made by the coaching staff, but emphasized the difficulty of sitting out when he still feels capable of helping his team.
The Rangers’ PR staff reportedly spoke with de Haan after the incident, and both sides agreed he would refrain from further public comments until the end of the season.
This season, de Haan has registered eight assists in 47 games. He last played on March 5, and the Rangers have since been eliminated from playoff contention following Saturday’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
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