Getty New York Rangers forward Alexander Wennberg skates in a game against the Boston Bruins
There is a chance if New York Rangers recently-acquired center Alexander Wennberg had played hockey a few decades ago he might have been misjudged as a dark arts magician.
Between poor YouTube video resolutions of yesteryear and games being broadcasted in low-quality footage, Wennberg’s white stick could have easily gotten lost in a sea of pixels depicting your favorite rink’s ice floor.
If you are wondering why Wennberg decided to go with the all-white stick instead of the classic black weapon that most NHL players employ, you’re lucky as he just (disappointingly) revealed his secret.
“There’s no bigger secret than I just really like the look and feel,” Wennberg told NHL’s Sasha Kandrach on Saturday, March 24. “I like solid colors. If I have a black stick, I go with black tape. If I have a white stick, I go with white tape.”
Simple yet resolute man, this Wennberg.
According to the Rangers forward, per Kandrach, he uses a particular stick model after the manufacturer delivering the one he used in the past stopped producing Wennberg’s weapon of preference.
“They (CCM) discontinued that one, or maybe it was just discontinued for me,” Wennberg joked. “I saw two other guys still having it.
“Bauer just came out and they made this stick for a junior guy this year,” Wennberg explained, “and they asked me if I wanted to try it out. And I said, ‘Yeah why not?’”
Although Wennberg’s main reason for using a white stick comes down to a simple matter of taste, the center revealed that he believes the white color “could add another layer of deception to his game due to the stick’s ability to blend in with the ice.” Bingo!
Alexander Wennberg Went from Seattle to New York
Since November 2023, Wennberg has been using an all-white Bauer Proto R model on the ice at both Seattle and New York, the two cities he’s played for this season after he was traded from the Seattle Kraken to the Rangers right before the March 8 deadline.
Before joining the New York Rangers via trade, Wennberg played 60 games with the Kraken earlier this season. He wrapped up his tenure in Seattle having appeared in 222 games spanning two seasons and a half. He scored 33 goals and 67 assists for the Kraken for a smooth total of 100 points.
The center signed his most recent contract with the Kraken in the summer of 2021. He is slated to become a free agent next July when his current deal will run out.
🚨Trade
To #NYR
Wennberg $4.5M – 50% retained – UFA
To #SeaKraken
’24 2nd
’25 4th (orig #TexasHockey)
Details per @PierreVLeBrun
Wennberg is earning $4.5 million this year, but the Rangers were able to lower the salary impact on their cap by having the Kraken retain 50% of it upon completing the trade for the forward earlier in March. In exchange for that favor, the Rangers sent Seattle a 2024 second-round draft pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Since joining New York and through games played on Sunday, March 24, Wennberg has played nine games scoring 1 goal (on a Power Play) and getting 3 assists. The Rangers have outscored opponents by one goal with Wennberg on the ice.
New York Rangers Fully in the Race for the President’s Trophy
The Rangers (47-20-4, 98 points) only have 11 games left in their schedule and they are coming off victories against Eastern Conference rivals the Boston Bruins (5-2 on March 21) and the Florida Panthers (4-3 on March 23).
As things stand entering the week, the Rangers are tied with the Vancouver Canucks for the best record in the NHL. Both franchises have 98 points through 71 games played for a .690-point percentage. They lead the Eastern and the Western Conference standings respectively and they split their two meetings earlier this season winning one each.
According to Tankathon, the Rangers have the eighth-easiest remaining schedule while the Canucks sit right in the middle of the pack with the 16th-easiest remaining schedule.