Rangers kids training program coming to Capital Region
Former New York Rangers talent, among others, are slated to teach young hockey players this fall at the Knickerbacker Ice Arena in Troy as part of a 10-week program.
This will mark the first time that the franchise- and Madison Square Garden-affiliated Junior Rangers “Learn To Play” program has come to the Capital Region. It currently operates in 55 locations, mainly in the New York City metropolitan area.
Local officials began talks with Junior Rangers coordinators in May, shortly after Rensselaer County and Troy reopened the Knickerbacker Ice Arena for the first time since 2018.
Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello believes that the county’s use of $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds and the city’s investment of $500,000 in revamping the 34-year-old facility played a significant role in attracting the program.
“They were looking upstate, they were looking in the region,” Mantello said at a news conference Tuesday. “Once they heard about this rink, about just the vibe and the activity that’s going on here in Lansingburgh and this rink, it really enticed them.”
Registration for the program is expected to begin later this week. The program will accept 65 kids across the region, ages 5 to 10. Sessions at other program locations currently cost $350 with a 2.9% processing fee.
The county will provide scholarships funded through the Coats for Kids Golf Tournament to aid up to 10 Troy children interested in the Junior Rangers program, according to Rensselaer County Deputy Executive Jim Gordon. The selection process will be handled by Rensselaer County’s youth department and Troy’s Diversity, Opportunity, and Outreach Office.
