CALGARY, Alberta – Eight months after Brennan Othmann’s disappointing Rangers tenure ended, the former 2021 first-round pick claimed he didn’t get “a fair leash” in New York, called his lack of playing time last season “egregious” and highlighted his new support system with the Flames. 

Speaking to two New York reporters before Othmann and the Flames took on the Rangers, the 23-year-old – who has strong convictions about why it didn’t work out with the team who drafted him 16th overall – revealed that his departure from the Blueshirts was a mutual decision. 

It was a discussion that occurred just a couple weeks after training camp last season, when Othmann was cut and sent to the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford much earlier than expected. 

The fit was never quite right for a Blueshirts team that needed top-six production and a player who required more patience.

“I thought that some got more of a leash than I did, and I was still a very good player,” Othmann said before returning to the Flames’ lineup from an upper-body injury just in time to face his former team Wednesday night at Scotiabank Saddledome. 

“I still produced in Hartford very well. I felt like when I came up [to New York], I just never got a fair leash. I felt like others did, and I just wanted that opportunity somewhere else. Calgary has been giving me that since I’ve got here.”

Of the 42 games he played for the Rangers, Othmann started just seven skating in the top six. The Rangers had a logjam of top-six forwards at the time, but were also looking for one of the youngsters to seize a bigger role when given the opportunity. 

Othmann made his NHL debut on the Rangers’ third line with veterans Nick Bonino and Jonny Brodzinski, with whom he skated just three games during the 2023-24 season. 

Bouncing around the bottom six after 4 Nations the following season, Othmann then got a run of five games – six in total – on the top line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. He also skated on the second unit with J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafrenière in the season finale. 

The 22 games he saw in that 2024-25 campaign represent his career-high in the NHL, but he posted just two assists. 

Last season, Othmann primarily played most of his 17 games on the Rangers’ third line with occasional appearances on the fourth. He specifically took issue with his average ice time of 9:53.

“Just opportunity, I feel like,” Othmann said when asked why it didn’t work out. “I felt like when [ex-head coach Peter Laviolette] was there, I played a couple of games with [Panarin] and [Trocheck]. I thought I played really well. You lose some games and stuff changes around. And then last year, I played a few games with [Will Cuylle] and [Noah Laba], and I thought we were playing well. And then a lot of people look at the product on the ice and look at stats and stuff like that too. 

“And I keep saying it a lot, I know they may not look like the prettiest, but if you look back, I’ve accomplished a lot and I’ve won a lot. I think I put a good product on the ice when I play. Maybe my game style never worked out the way that their coaching staff wanted it to work out and it is what it is. [Flames head coach Ryan Huska] here says that maybe it takes one stop and you figure it out and starting to learn. 

“His staff and the players are doing a great job of kind of, not redevelop me, but develop me into the player that I think that I can be and what they want [me] to be. It’s a slow process and still learning and it’s a full year of being an NHL player, just looking forward to the process.”

Othmann, who didn’t score his first NHL goal until his 34th career game, described the mental journey of his time with the Rangers as “going through mountains.” 

Citing how much he played in all situations for the Wolf Pack, Othmann alluded to his frustrations with his limited ice time and not getting any legitimate special teams opportunities at the NHL level. 

The 23-year-old mentioned how much Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad helped him along during his time in New York, but it’s clear Othmann feels he’s found a more robust support system in Calgary.

Former Ranger Ryan Strome has taken over some of those mentorship responsibilities from his former New York teammates. 

“Honestly, everyone in this room just makes me feel confident every day, and makes you want to feel good going onto the ice,” Othmann said. “I know the saying is, ‘You look good, feel good, play good.’ But it’s a fact. You feel good all the time, and you play good.” 

Othmann sounded like a player who was liberated once that trade call came in on March 6. 

The Rangers were able to complete the trade with Calgary – one for one, Othmann for Jacob Battaglia – before last season’s trade deadline, but Othmann didn’t get the call until almost 3:30 p.m. before he was set to play in a game for the Wolf Pack. 

Although he knew it was coming, Othmann said he felt “it took all year, and we don’t know why it took all year.” 

Joining a club that’s committed to a rebuild and has a new arena on the way, the Toronto native is excited to be a part of whatever is to come. The opportunities that are sure to come with that are exactly what Othmann has been yearning for. 

“Everyone always wants more, but I just felt like – I hate bringing this up all the time – but being a first-round pick and the opportunity I had in Hartford and then coming up, it was just – I don’t know,” Othmann said. “The time that I had last year was pretty egregious, I thought. I just thought that it was time to change. I would have liked it to work out. The staff in Hartford, honestly, it was great, and they tried to develop me. I know they have a turnaround there, too. I actually still talk to a few players from Hartford that moved on, and a couple staff members too. 

“I’m really happy here in Calgary. I’m enjoying my time, and we don’t have any pressure to win or do well. I know in New York it’s a big market, and media and fans and people have a lot of pressure on the team to do well, and the owner as well, rightfully so. Here, everyone knows that we’re not a superstar team. We don’t have pressure to win, but that gives us a chance every night to go out there and give it our best effort.”