New York Rangers Add A Furry Teammate To The Roster

The New York Rangers have a new team member–an adorable 6-month-old puppy named Ranger they are helping train as a service dog for a child with autism. The team paired with a non-profit group that trains and offers service dogs to those with autism. Michelle Brier is the vice president of marketing and development for BluePath and says they are excited to partner with the Rangers to help raise understanding and awareness for those with autism.
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Brier says the service animals offer companionship and safety for those with autism to do things independently and Ranger will learn a lot of unique skills that will help his human as part of the ‘team.’
Ranger is already a bit of a celeb, as he gave fans a bit of ‘barkground’ information on his Insta account. He told fans his pre-game treat is peanut butter and he has been enjoying learning how to handle pucks. As well, Ranger says he is mastering the subway like a boss dog.
Some barkground on me:
— Ranger (@NYRangersPup) August 7, 2018
Adam Graves is the Rangers’ former left wing and he had the pleasure of sharing the new teammate’s big news with the world on his Insta story.
RangersTown, meet our new best friend, Ranger!
In partnership with BluePath, @NYRangersPup will be training to become a professional service dog for a child with autism.
Learn more about the path that Ranger is on ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/p5nCJj3e4P
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) August 7, 2018
The team seems to be in approval of the new guy, as defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk tweeted a welcome to Ranger, saying he might be Shattenkirk’s new favorite teammate.
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I have to agree–if ever anything would get me to watch hockey, this cute little guy might be it!
Rookie would like to invite Ranger to our Bark-In-The-Park game on Sunday August 19. He can help Rookie with Hockey and Rookie can teach him about baseball. Plus he can meet dozens of other dogs. pic.twitter.com/VtEpCyWY50
— Trenton Thunder (@TrentonThunder) August 8, 2018
He’s already gotten a few invites to some new venues as well, including a fun invitation from Trenton Thunder’s Rookie to trade hockey skills for baseball skills!

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