Rangers' Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox return as team reassembles for practice

GREENBURGH – Their coach, Mike Sullivan, assistant David Quinn, and three teammates are all still in Milan at the Winter Olympics, but without them, the Rangers reassembled at their training facility Tuesday for practice as part of their ramp-up for the final 25 games of the regular season.

Practicing with them for the first time since he left the Jan. 5 game against Utah in the first period with a lower-body injury was goaltender Igor Shesterkin, and practicing in a full-contact jersey for the first time since he finished that same game with a lower-body injury was defenseman Adam Fox.

And that was a sight for sore eyes.

“It’s great, even just seeing them around,’’ defenseman Braden Schneider said. “It's awesome to see those guys back and in full gear, and looking really good. They were probably in the best shape out of all of us, because they had to do a little bit of [rehabbing]. But it's great to see them back, and it's definitely refreshing, for sure.’’

The Rangers were in the thick of the battle to make the playoffs before Shesterkin and Fox got hurt. They were 20-18-5, and coming off a stirring 5-1 victory over the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the Winter Classic in Miami on Jan. 2, before that Utah game. But after Shesterkin got hurt, they lost to Utah in overtime, 3-2, and that was the first of five straight losses that effectively ended their season.

On Jan. 10, they lost at Boston, 10-2, then on Jan. 14, they lost at home to Ottawa, 8-4. Two days later, GM Chris Drury met with the team and announced on social media that the Rangers would begin a “retool.’’ On Jan. 26, they traded defenseman Carson Soucy to the Islanders, and on Jan. 28, they held Artemi Panarin out of the lineup for a game against the Islanders for “roster management.’’ Panarin was traded to the L.A. Kings on Feb. 5.

Without Shesterkin and Fox, the Rangers went 2-11 in their final 13 games before the Olympic break. They are in last place in the Eastern Conference, with a 22-29-6 record.

“Obviously with Foxy and Shesty, they’re just huge parts of this team,’’ forward Jonny Brodzinski said. “It's the quarterback on the first power play [Fox]. What he can provide to the team is unique, unlike anybody else that can do that. So you lose him, it's a really huge part. And then Shesty, obviously, is probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest, part of our team. He's kept us in so many games. I even think that back to that President's Trophy year that we had [in 2023-24], there's no way that we can come close to that without Shesty.’’

Unfortunately for the Rangers, getting Shesterkin and Fox back now is too late to help them in the battle for a playoff spot. Those hopes are long gone. Still, their return is good for the team’s morale.

“It's a boost for sure,’’ Schneider said. “They're obviously two of our best players, and to have them around and playing again is exciting.’’

Notes & quotes: The Rangers called up forwards Brett Berard and Brendan Brisson from Hartford and both practiced with the team Tuesday . . . Forward Conor Sheary also practiced in a full-contact jersey.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.