With the NHL trade deadline looming, Vincent Trocheck is facing the very real possibility that his time as a New York Ranger is coming to an end. But the 32-year-old center isn’t dwelling on it.
Fresh off winning an Olympic gold medal with Team USA last month, Trocheck spoke candidly Monday after the morning skate at the MSG Training Center, making it clear he’s at peace with whatever comes next—even if his 7-year-old son has other ideas.
“If I Get Traded, I’m Fine”
“I’ve been doing this my whole life, right?” Trocheck said. “If I get traded, I’m fine. I’m not worried about myself. I’m more worried about my family. That’s the only thing I have to worry about.”
Trocheck has had time to process the likelihood of a move. He spoke with Rangers president Chris Drury on Jan. 16, the same day Drury issued his retool letter to fans, and has used the weeks since to mentally prepare—not just himself, but his children.
“My Son Said: I’ll Stay, I Didn’t Get Traded”
“I don’t want to wait till the last possible second, then we’re traded and it’s like, ‘Hey, your friends are here and this and that.’ So, I warned them,” Trocheck explained.
His daughter Lennon, too young to fully grasp the situation, remains blissfully unaware. But his son, Leo, 7, had a more developed reaction.
“He was like, ‘Well, I’ll stay because I have a hockey team here. I didn’t get traded.’ And I’m like, ‘It’s a good point,'” Trocheck said with a laugh. “They went through the roller coaster of emotions… It was sad at first. It’s like, ‘Why? I have friends here. I don’t want to leave.’ … And then as the days go on, he starts to think about it. He’ll be fine.”
East Coast or Bust
The Pittsburgh native confirmed multiple reports, including one from The Athletic, that he prefers to remain on the East Coast if traded. He has a 12-team no-trade list and made no secret of his geographic preferences: “It’s not a secret: (Western teams) are on my no-trade clause.”
“Family’s important to me, and my family’s on the East Coast,” he added.
Contender Required
Trocheck also made clear that if he is moved, he wants it to be to a team with a legitimate shot at a championship.
“If I’m gonna get traded to a team that’s in the same situation as us, then I don’t want to move,” he said. “That sounds miserable in a new city. I am 32 years old. I would like to win a Stanley Cup, so if I am going to get traded, I would like to go to a team that’s winning, or has a chance to win.”
As the trade deadline approaches, Trocheck has done all he can to prepare himself and his family for an uncertain future. Now, he waits—calm, collected, and ready for whatever comes next.
