Brennan Othmann Claims He Did Not Receive a Fair Opportunity With Rangers

Brennan Othmann Claims He Did Not Receive a Fair Opportunity With Rangers

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Eight months after his departure from New York, former first-round draft pick Brennan Othmann claimed he did not receive a fair opportunity with the Rangers and labeled his limited playing time last season as “egregious,” according to the NY Post.

Speaking to reporters before the Calgary Flames played the Rangers at the Scotiabank Saddledome, the 23-year-old forward revealed that his exit from New York was a mutual decision. That conversation took place a couple of weeks after training camp last season, following an earlier-than-expected demotion to the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Othmann, selected 16th overall by New York in the 2021 NHL Draft, said that the fit never fully materialized on a Blueshirts roster heavily reliant on top-six production. Of his 42 total games with the Rangers, he started just seven in the top six and averaged 9:53 of ice time during 17 appearances last season.

“I thought that some got more of a leash than I did, and I was still a very good player,” Othmann told the NY Post. “I still produced in Hartford very well. I felt like when I came up, I just never got a fair leash. I felt like others did, and I just wanted that opportunity somewhere else. Calgary has been giving me that since I’ve got here.”

The forward made his NHL debut on the third line alongside Nick Bonino and Jonny Brodzinski during the 2023-24 season. He later logged a six-game stretch on the top line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, and featured alongside J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafrenière in the season finale.

Across 22 games in the 2024-25 campaign, he recorded two assists, setting his career high for NHL appearances in a single season.

Othmann specifically pointed to his deployment under former head coach Peter Laviolette and his lack of legitimate special teams opportunities as sources of frustration. He said that veterans Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad aided his development in New York, but expressed appreciation for the support system he has found in Calgary under head coach Ryan Huska and former Ranger Ryan Strome.

“Honestly, everyone in this room just makes me feel confident every day, and makes you want to feel good going onto the ice,” Othmann told the NY Post. “I know the saying is, ‘You look good, feel good, play good.’ But it’s a fact. You feel good all the time, and you play good.”

The trade materialized on March 6, when the Rangers sent Othmann to Calgary in a one-for-one exchange for Jacob Battaglia ahead of the trade deadline. Now integrated into a rebuilding Flames squad, Othmann is embracing an environment removed from the intense media and ownership scrutiny of the New York market.

“I’m really happy here in Calgary. I’m enjoying my time, and we don’t have any pressure to win or do well,” Othmann told the NY Post.

“I know in New York is a big market, and media and fans and people have a lot of pressure on the team to do well, and the owner as well, rightfully so. Here, everyone knows that we’re not a superstar team. We don’t have pressure to win, but that gives us a chance every night to go out there and give it our best effort.”

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