Wlie 540 Am Sportstalkny

New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal talks to 540am SPORTSTALKNY's Mark Rosenman and the media after Rangers 3-1 win over the Islanders in Pre-season, Marc Staal and Mika Zibanejad each wore an ‘A’ as alternate captains for the Rangers in tonight’s game. Staal is entering his 10th season as an alternate captain with the Rangers, as he was first named an alternate captain at the start of the 2010-11 season. Among players on the current roster, Staal is the longest-tenured member of the team’s leadership group. Since the Rangers/NHL began to have players wear an ‘A’ on their jersey as an alternate captain during the 1985-86 season (after not doing so for approximately a decade), Staal is one of only three players who have either worn a ‘C’ or an ‘A’ as captain or an alternate captain with the Rangers for 10 or more seasons. The only other two Rangers who have done so over the span are Brian Leetch (13 seasons – alternate captain from 1991-92 – 1996-97; 2000-01 – 2003-04, and captain from 1997-98 – 1999-00) an