Quotable Jeff Halpern

July 12, 10:07 AM EDT
“ Everyone considers New York to be a great organization and a great city to play in, just a great hockey environment to be a part of. So to get that opportunity is something I wanted to jump on. Plus how close the team is to winning a championship is something I want to be a part of. ”
- Jeff Halpern
“ I think New York is one of those exceptional teams that is seriously challenging for a championship now. As an outsider, I thought the strides that have been made the past couple of years show (the Rangers) are Cup contenders. They have an anchor for a good core for years to come, too. ”
- Jeff Halpern
“ To now be in New York with a team that has such a good tradition and such a good reputation, and be as competitive as they are, I signed here with complete excitement. This is a tremendous opportunity, and that's all it is right now, an opportunity. ”
- Jeff Halpern
“ I played about twenty games for Torts (after late-season trade to Tampa) and he's demanding, for sure. But he is up front and honest. I think if you do what is asked, then there is no problem. It's pretty cut and dry with him, which is fine with me. ”
- Jeff Halpern

Late Wednesday afternoon the cell phone of BlueshirtsUnited.com's Jim Cerny went off, and on the other end was veteran center Jeff Halpern, who just agreed to terms on a free agent contract with the Rangers earlier in the week.

Halpern discussed a variety of topics with Cerny, most notably why he chose to come to Broadway and why he views the Rangers as a serious Stanley Cup contender. He also chatted about his ties to New York, having played for head coach John Tortorella in Tampa Bay, and much more.

Several of Halpern's thoughts are shared here in this quotebook---other stories and anecdotes will be contained in The Blueshirts Beat blog on this site a bit later today.

See what Jeff Halpern has to say here, then share your thoughts below.

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For complete coverage of the team follow @thenyrangers and @jimcerny on Twitter.

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