Tony DeAngelo spoke for the first time since the New York Rangers announced he had played his last game with the club.
DeAngelo got into an altercation with goaltender Alexandar Georgiev following a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 30. The team placed him on waivers the next day, and he went unclaimed.
"I’m obviously disappointed about the way things ended in New York and how things have unfolded, but I’m not going to sit here and play the victim card at all," DeAngelo told the New York Post's Larry Brooks.
General manager Jeff Gorton announced two days after the altercation that the team was looking to trade the defenseman. TSN's Darren Dreger reported DeAngelo was generating "tons of interest" on the trade market, but nothing has materialized over the 11 days since the report.
DeAngelo was sour about being a healthy scratch earlier in the season, and Gorton told him if his name came up in anything at all, he would be on waivers. The executive stayed true to his word.
"Hockey-wise, there are mistakes that I have made," DeAngelo said. "I’ve gotten hot-headed at times. I’m the first one to admit that, and I take responsibility for it.
"I’ve tried to learn and get better and better at it, but there are still times where things have happened, and emotionally I’ve gone over the line a little bit, and I accept responsibility for that. The thing with Alex, exactly like he said, emotions got away."
DeAngelo has a history of off-ice issues. During his junior career with the Sarnia Sting, he was suspended twice for violating the OHL's harassment, abuse, and diversity policy. In one instance, he was accused of directing an offensive slur toward a teammate.
The 25-year-old had been criticized for his outspoken nature on Twitter, where he was vocal about COVID-19 denials and the American election being rigged.
DeAngelo finished fourth in scoring among defensemen last season with 53 points before signing a two-year, $9.6-million contract with the Rangers in the offseason. The New Jersey native tallied just one assist and a minus-6 rating in six games this year.
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