Former New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo recently opened up on social media platform X about the circumstances surrounding his abrupt departure from the team in 2021, describing the situation as “mishandled.” Despite the contentious breakup, DeAngelo clarified that he holds no animosity toward the organization.
DeAngelo’s comments came in response to a fan’s inquiry about his continued interest in following and discussing the Rangers, given the nature of his exit. “I love to follow. I don’t root or not root for them, to be honest,” DeAngelo wrote. He expressed disappointment not over the team’s decision to part ways but with how it was handled. “They mishandled the way I was let go, but I have no hard feelings for them wanting to let me go. Just wish they would have traded me instead of waiving and causing chaos for no reason.”
During his four-season tenure with the Rangers, DeAngelo played 167 games and accumulated 92 points. His time with the team ended abruptly in February 2021 after an altercation with goaltender Alexandar Georgiev following a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. At the time, DeAngelo had expected to be traded, but the Rangers instead placed him on waivers—a move that left him frustrated.
Reflecting on his departure, DeAngelo acknowledged that his own performance contributed to the rocky start of the 2020-21 season, which made the situation less surprising in hindsight. “To be honest with you, it wasn’t a total shock that I was going to be out of there at that point because the season started off so rocky—a lot of it being my fault,” he admitted in August.
Since leaving the Rangers, DeAngelo has played for the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers, though his NHL career was short-lived. He is now playing in Russia for Saint Petersburg Hockey Club.
Meanwhile, the Rangers are navigating challenges of their own, recently suffering a 7-5 loss to the Seattle Kraken and sitting fourth in the Metropolitan Division with a 14-11-1 record.
