On Jan. 12, Dan Girardi was sharing his memories with me of Steven McDonald, the inspirational NYPD Detective who had died two days earlier and for whom the Rangers’ Extra Effort Award is named.
In the course of the conversation Girardi casually said, “I never won the award, but …” and I thought, “What?”
So now, let us stipulate there never has been a Ranger more deserving of a lifetime Steven McDonald Award than the 33-year-old defenseman, who is the personification of what any organization looks for in a player, what any player looks for in a teammate, and the embodiment of what any individual looks for in a friend.