It was Kids Day at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, but for the Rangers, it’s been All About The Kids for months.
Goalie Dylan Garand was informed after the AHL Wolf Pack’s game Wednesday that he would make his NHL debut in four days against the Jets at Madison Square Garden, which filled the Blueshirts lineup with at least one rookie at every position in their 3-2 shootout loss to Winnipeg on Sunday.
It was certainly a first game to remember for Garand.
The workload — 35 saves on 37 shots — resembled more of a cannon ball into the deep end than dipping his toe.
His first ever shootout opponent? Perennial 30-goal scorer Kyle Connor.
The second? Gabriel Vilardi, who already scored a power-play goal on him earlier in the game.
“That was awesome,” Garand said after both Jets skaters capitalized in the shootout to hand him his first NHL loss. “It was pretty surreal. I really just tried to be present and take it all in. It was everything you could ever hope and dream of. It sucks to not get the win for the guys, but it was a dream come true.”
Goaltender Dylan Garand #33 of the New York Rangers defends the net during the second period against the Jets on March 22, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Garand held his own in a matchup between the 2024 and 2025 Presidents’ Trophy winners, who both face-planted in their subsequent seasons.
Looking steady between the pipes and only conceding goals he couldn’t do much about, Garand even stonewalled Connor on a short-handed breakaway in the second period to keep the Rangers within one goal at the time.
The 23-year-old netminder had been waiting for this since he made his AHL debut with the Wolf Pack on Feb. 21, 2021.
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It took just under five and a half years, since the Rangers drafted him 103rd overall in 2020, for Garand to get his moment. There were certainly times, like now with Jonathan Quick banged up, when the organization could’ve looked to Garand but opted to go with the more experienced goaltender in their system.
Even earlier this season, the Rangers recalled Spencer Martin — signed out of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League in November — instead of Garand. It’s been a particularly difficult season in Hartford, which likely played a role in the decision to bring up Martin.
With the playoffs out of reach and the Letter 2.0 out in the open, however, the Rangers decided the time for Garand was now.
Tye Kartye #24 of the Rangers celebrates after he scores during the second period against the Jets on March 22, 2026. Getty Images
“I’ve been waiting to make my NHL debut my whole life,” Garand said. “When they tell you you’re actually going to play, it’s pretty cool. It’s kind of like, ‘OK, this is it. Here we go.’ I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, and I felt pretty ready for it. It was a lot of days [since I found out], but it was nice that they gave me lots of heads up.
“Took care of my family’s flights and hotels and stuff like that, which was pretty stressful the first couple days. I had five [people at MSG]: My mom, my dad, my stepmom and then my goalie coach back from Kamloops and his daughter.”
The Rangers were able to answer each Jets goal with one of their own throughout regulation.
Winnipeg regained the lead on Vilardi’s power-play goal at the 6:43 mark of the second period, but the Rangers answered with one of their own to even the score 2-2.
Mika Zibanejad blasted a one-timer from his sweet spot in the circle, which tied the Swede with Adam Graves for the fourth-most goals in franchise history with 280. The Rangers survived the final 20 minutes of regulation, partially thanks to the 11 saves Garand made.
“It was terrific,” Sullivan said of Garand’s debut. “I thought he looked really solid. Calm demeanor in there, tracking pucks well, rebound control was great. He made some big saves for us. I thought he had a really strong game.”