Drew Fortescue Uses Development Camp to Sharpen His NHL Case
The 21-year-old defenseman returned to Tarrytown after a nine-game NHL debut, focused on earning a roster spot in September.
Drew Fortescue showed up at Rangers development camp this week as the only player on the roster with NHL experience. He's treating it like a job interview.
The defenseman signed with New York in late March after three years at Boston College and played nine games down the stretch. He posted two assists, a plus-4 rating, and averaged 14:51 of ice time, mostly on a sheltered third pair with Braden Schneider. The Rangers outscored opponents 8-4 at five-on-five with him on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick, though his expected goals share sat at 42.75 percent.
Fortescue, 21, could have skipped development camp. He chose to be in Tarrytown anyway.
"I think this camp is just to come here and learn and try and be around and kind of just set myself up as best I can going forward, going into camp," Fortescue told reporters Tuesday, per nhl.com. "It's nice to be here, be around all the guys, meet all the new guys."
He spent the spring finishing his junior year at Boston College, where he's working toward a degree in leadership and management. Once classes wrapped, he went back to training at Prentiss Performance Center in Stamford, Connecticut. He's living with his parents in Pearl River, New York, for the summer.
The competition on the left side is real. Vladislav Gavrikov anchors the top pair with Adam Fox. Behind him are Matthew Robertson, Urho Vaakanainen, and Fortescue, all vying for minutes. The Rangers also took five defensemen in the 2026 draft, including first-rounder Alberts Smits.
Head coach Mike Sullivan praised Fortescue's puck poise and vision in April, telling reporters he plays "smart hockey," not just safe hockey, per foreverblueshirts.com. Sullivan also noted Fortescue needs to add strength to his 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame.
Fortescue knows the list. "It's getting stronger, puck touches, breakouts, and all the passing, and making sure you put the pucks on guys' tape," he said. "I think kind of just the more you play, the more you get used to it."
He has one more year of online classes to finish his degree. By then, he hopes to be a regular on Broadway.
