New York Rangers: Alexandar Georgiev talks about life in New York and with the Rangers

New York Rangers backup goalie Alexandar Georgiev talks about life with the Rangers and in New York.

The New York Rangers potentially have found the heir apparent to Henrik Lundqvist. On the scene since February is 21 year old Alexandar Georgiev. On February 22nd he made his debut against the Montreal Canadiens and although he lost, posted 38 saves. He won his first game against the Edmonton Oilers on March third after posting 35 saves on that night.

Currently, Georgiev sits with a 3-2 record, one tie, and a 2.94 goals against average. His save percentage is .922, which actually comes in slightly higher than Lundqvist’s at .916. Yes of course it is only six games but clearly the young goaltender is talented. He has the ability that one day, if he stays in the organization, could be the goalie that takes over when the King decides that it is time to hang up his skates.

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Not too long ago, Georgiev sat down for an interview with a Russian publication, which was translated to English by the Hockey Writers. We’ll talk about some of the interesting points from the discussion.

He shows a great deal of humility when asked if he was pushing Lundqvist to his pension:

"[laughs] It’s early to talk like that. For now, I’m happy to have the trust of the coaches and to play for the Rangers. Lundqvist still has a long contract with the team. He’s a very experienced player. I still have a lot to demonstrate."

It’s not as big of an issue in hockey but it does happen. We see athletes come up to the professional level and act as if the world owes them something. Georgiev isn’t like that. He understands he needs to wait his turn behind Lundqvist and play when he can. Being humble is a very appealing trait. It would do him well here in New York.

He seems to be enjoying New York so far:

"With any free day I try to discover something new. But I also think that you can spend your whole life studying New York without knowing it all anyway. I like that each borough has its history. At three minutes by feet from the Madison you have the Korean district, there is a lot of stores and restaurants there."

Isn’t that nice? An athlete that wants to learn things. Again, that happens more often in hockey than in other sports, but we just never hear about it. The athletes that get the news stories are the partiers, like Odell Beckham Jr. Guys that are into the culture of their new city don’t often get talked about, so we talk about them here. Kudos to young Alexandar for taking advantage of being in the greatest city there is.

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He may be humble, but he is also confident in his ability. Look at his answer when asked if was shaking the first time he played his first NHL game:

"Absolutely not! I long waited [for] that moment, and I was thinking during the practices that I was ready to play [in the NHL]. I tried not to think too much and to have a good debut."

Now, was that a confidence issue or an adrenaline issue? It could have been a combination of both. But confidence is a good thing. The backup has to know he is ready and able to play when the starter isn’t in the lineup or has to come out. He can’t be nervous, first game or 1,000th game. To have the confidence early in his career is a great sign for Georgiev.

Maybe he really can be the heir apparent to the King.

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