NY Rangers Have Unique Off-Ice Test for Players at NHL Combine

On-ice skills aren't the only thing the New York Rangers are testing at the NHL combine.

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan speaks to reporters after an 8-1 win against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Since they own two first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, the New York Rangers were very busy during the NHL combine.

They were doing extensive work on multiple prospects, figuring out which direction they could go in with the No. 5 and No. 26 overall selections. This is a golden opportunity for the Rangers to add two high-upside youngsters to the organizational depth chart, something they desperately need more of.

In addition to watching players take part in drills on the ice, New York conducted several interviews. There, the Rangers put players through a unique test, something many of them hadn’t exactly prepared for.

As shared by Peter Baugh of The Athletic (subscription required), players were given a piece of paper with numbers 1 through 100 on it. 30 seconds were put on a clock, and they had to then check off as many numbers in order as they could in the allotted time.

Rangers put prospects through unique timed sorting test

NY Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury during a press conference to introduce new head coach Mike Sullivan at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, New York May 8, 2025. / Peter Carr/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While that may sound simple, it is easier said than done. Caleb Malhotra, one of the players New York would love to see on the board when they come on the clock at No. 5, doesn’t believe he did very well.

“I don’t think I had a good score,” he said, sharing that he believes he had only three or four numbers checked off.

Chase Reid, one of the top defensemen in the draft who could be under consideration by the Rangers with the fifth pick, didn’t fare much better than Malhotra did, getting stuck early in the test.

“I couldn’t find five,” Reid added. “I found six, seven, eight, nine, and then I couldn’t find five.”

While the testing being administered might come off as weird to some fans, it is all part of the process for prospects. Teams will ask off-the-wall questions or provide tests like that to see how a player will respond in the moment.

Prospects had varying levels of success with Rangers test

Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan speaks to reporters after a 4-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

One prospect, defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, enjoyed that test and the quirkiness of some interviews with teams.

“It was a cool experience to do (it) with them,” he said. “Different things like that are pretty fun and exciting.”

How much stock New York or other teams put into tests like this is anyone’s guess. But, it certainly can be helpful to see how players can react to something random being thrown at them or respond under pressure, doing a 30-second test they didn’t prepare for.

Adaptability is a key skill to possess because things aren’t always going to go according to plan on the ice.