NY Rangers Defenseman Reflects on Rookie Year With Team

In his first year with the New York Rangers, a rookie defenseman made an immediate impact.

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Drew Fortescue (45) skates against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

One of the biggest struggles for the New York Rangers over the last few years has been developing young talent.

They had plenty of opportunities with first-round picks from 2017 through 2021, with nine selections. Yet, only two, Alexis Lafrieniere and Braden Schneider, remain with the club. It is a major reason why Jed Ortmeyer was relieved of his duties as the director of player development and replaced by Tanner Glass.

However, in more recent years, the Rangers have started to find more success with their younger players. One such development is Drew Fortescue, a 21-year-old left defenseman who emerged down the stretch of the 2025-26 campaign.

A native of Pearl River, New York, it was a special season for the former Boston College Eagles star, who made his debut and created a life-long memory on March 27.

Drew Fortescue reflects on rookie year with Rangers

Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Drew Fortescue (45) skates against the Detroit Red Wings during the third period at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

“Playing at MSG, in the state I grew up in, 30 minutes from my house — it’s something I’ll never forget,” he said, via Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required).

Fortescue ended up playing in nine games with New York. He recorded two points, both being assists, and made a positive impact on the ice with a plus/minus ratio of plus-4. Willing to put his body on the line for the team, he also tallied seven blocks and six hits.

Stuffing the stat sheet isn’t something that he has been known for in his career. Instead, it is his ability to handle himself like a seasoned veteran, never looking like the moment is too big for him, that he excels.

Fortescue received praise from head coach Mike Sullivan for his ability to handle the puck with poise, and the team performed at a high level. As noted in The Athletic piece, opponents averaged only 1.83 goals per 60 minutes when he was on the ice.

“That is the loudest rookie lap that I’ve ever heard here at Madison Square Garden,” said @VallysView.

Exciting night for Drew Fortescue! #NYR pic.twitter.com/gH1ZPFLlRp

— Snark Messier (@SnarkMessier) March 27, 2026

By all accounts, his debut was strong, but he isn’t getting complacent, knowing there are areas of his game that need to be improved upon.

“I was happy with the way I played,” Fortescue said. “There’s a lot of work that I need to do, but I thought just kind of breaking the puck out and stuff like that, I thought I did a decent job in it. But there’s obviously a lot of work to do, and I’m just kind of excited to get started with all that this summer.”

This summer will be an important one for the Pearl River native. Adding strength and honing his skills will provide him a real chance to crack the defensemen rotation for the 2026-27 season right out of the gate.