Derek Stepan knows exactly what awaits his former New York Rangers teammate Chris Kreider next week, when he returns to Madison Square Garden for the first time as an opposing player. That doesn’t mean he’s got a good strategy for Kreider to get through an emotional day.
“It’s a lot that day, when you’re heading back into the building, even just walking to the other side. It’s just a heavy day,” Stepan explained last week on the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast. “Everyone around you wants to give you advice, like ‘Hey, after your first shift you’ll get into it.