New York Rangers defenseman Chad Ruhwedel officially announced his retirement from the NHL on Tuesday. 

Ruhwedel played 13 seasons in the NHL suiting up for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Rangers. 

"Playing in the NHL has been a dream come true," Ruhwedel said. "I'm incredibly grateful to the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Rangers organizations for giving me the opportunity to live that dream. While there have been countless unforgettable moments on the ice, it's the relationships and friendships built along the way that I cherish most.

"To my family, teammates, coaches, fans and countless others who supported me, thank you for being a part of this amazing journey."

The Rangers acquired Ruhwedel ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline and re-signed him to a one-year, two-way contract that offseason worth $775,000. 

The 35-year-old played in just 10 games for the Rangers over two seasons. 

In 369 career games, Ruhwedel recorded 13 goals, 37 goals, and 50 points while averaging 14:06 minutes. 

Brett Berard dealt with a lot through his rookie campaign with the New York Rangers that went completely under the radar. 

Through his 35 NHL games this past season, Berard showed flashes of promise and there were no signs he sustained any sort of serious injuries. 

However, Berard actually confirmed that he suffered a torn labrum in his 4th NHL game and he played through for the rest of the year. 

The 22-year-old forward finally got his shot in the big leagues and he was determined not to let anything squander his opportunity, including a torn labrum. 

"I was out for a week or so, but it’s one of those things where you’re up in the NHL,” Berard said. “You work your whole life for it. I felt like I was playing pretty good hockey, too, so you don’t want to really lose that. So, just tried to play through it."

Berard was set to play for Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in May, but he was forced to pull out of the tournament due to his injury.

Rangers teammates to process.

Over the course of the summer, Berard has been rehabbing and he’s expected to be 100 percent ready for training camp in December.

On top of his rehab process, Berard has also been training at Prentiss Hockey Performance with Chris Kreider, Matt Rempe, Jonathan Quick, and other NHL players. 

Matt Rempe is set to return to the New York Rangers lineup on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

This comes after Rempe missed four consecutive games with an upper-body injury he suffered on Mar. 25 against the Los Angeles Kings.  

The 22-year-old forward has been active in the last few practices, and Peter Laviolette confirmed on Tuesday that Rempe will play against the Lightning.

By the looks of Monday morning’s optional skate, Rempe is expected to come in for Brett Berard who will likely be a healthy scratch.

With six games remaining, the Rangers are fighting for their playoff lives and Rempe could give the team a spark.