Captain Cally officially called it quits today. After missing last season due to his degenerative back, Ryan Callahan formally retired today. The epitome of the heart-and-soul Rangers under John Tortorella, Calahan's pell-mell style ultimately was his undoing but when he was on the ice, he was a fan favorite, especially his days at MSG.
— Ryan Callahan (@TheRealCally24) December 30, 2020
The meshing of Callahan and Tortorella came at a time where the Rangers were establishing their identity, an area still undergoing refinement now under coach David Quinn. Black-and-blue became the style, which fit Callahan, and of course, Torts, to a T. That dup peaked with an Eastern Conference Finals run in 2014, where New York's inability to close out a series in under seven games resulted in an exhausted and spent squad against New Jersey. Larry Brooks summed up the symbiotic relationship perfectly:
"Nobody gave him anything. He put so much into the game. In my mind, he epitomized the way you have to play the game, at least in my opinion. He did it by pure effort and desire. Never took a shift off. Never took a practice off.…“And that’s how he becomes the captain of the Rangers. The G-D Original Six New York Rangers!…
“He wasn’t about rhetoric. He didn’t say an awful lot,… Tortorella said. “But he showed the way. He was the foundation of our style of play. He grew as a player and he grew as a leader. We had a good team, of course Hank [Henrik Lundqvist,] but Ryan Callahan was the guy who was the example.…
Updated column. On Ryan Callahan, the ultimate Black-and-Blueshirt. https://t.co/RI8Wbkecs3 via @nypostsports
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) December 30, 2020
When you think of Callahan, you think of him sacrificing his body for the team. The blocked shot that broke his leg against Zdeno Chara that broke his leg and forced him to miss the playoffs. This video by the NHL is the perfect epitome of what he was. No stick, no problem. Perfect positioning, two blocked shots sandwiched around a dive to try and clear the puck and a sequence that ended with a check.
In honor of Ryan Callahan's (@TheRealCally24) retirement, we thought you'd like to relive this memorable shift from February 26, 2013. 👠pic.twitter.com/dH2XJ30bdL
— NHL (@NHL) December 30, 2020
In Callahan's case, the wear and tear on his body and Glen Sather's decision not to include a no-move clause in contract discussion paved the way out of town for the Rangers' captain to Tampa in exchange for Martin St. Louis. Cally signed a six-year, $34.8 million contract with the Lightning during the summer of 2014, which ironically did not include an NMC. Evidence, that as Brooks wrote, negotiations became about personalities rather than possibly principle.
When I think back on Cally, my recollections are how he left it all on the ice. Grit, Desire. Will to win. Sacrificed his body. Wore the Rangers' jersey with pride and was the epitome of a captain. Fare thee well in retirement Captain Cally.
A really well done video remembering all those who passed this year from the NHL community:
"To you from failing hands we throw the torch be yours to hold it high."
— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) December 29, 2020
We are competitors. We are teammates. We are friends and at times even foes, but when all is said and done we are family. Our #NHLAlumni family fondly remembers all those that we've lost this year, forever. pic.twitter.com/n9KYJPjF0w