Vincent Trocheck’s first trip back to Madison Square Garden as a member of the Utah Mammoth came with a familiar face waiting near the Rangers’ side of the rink. Before Sunday’s game, Trocheck and Will Cuylle shared a warm reunion after spending the 2024 season under the same roof.
A home away from the rink
Trocheck, dealt by the Rangers to Utah in July after four seasons in New York, had taken Cuylle in as a housemate during the young winger’s 2024 campaign. Cuylle grew close not only with the veteran center, but with Trocheck’s family during that stretch.
“He told me that staying there was my choice and that I was always welcome,” Cuylle said in 2024. “He’s very easy to live with, and his family is great.”
Trocheck returns to New York
- Trocheck arrived at the Garden for his first game back in the city following the July trade.
- He paused for photos with supporters of both the Rangers and Mammoth outside the usual game-night routine.
- The pregame meeting with Cuylle followed, setting an emotional tone before puck drop.
The veteran said earlier in the week that leaving New York was difficult after putting down roots over several seasons.
“It is hard when you have been somewhere for a few years and become comfortable with the area,” Trocheck said Wednesday. “You grow to love a place, and we certainly did. Moving on is difficult, but it is part of the business. It has happened to me a few times during my career.”
Sunday’s return brought that reality into focus, but the Trocheck-Cuylle embrace was a reminder that the bonds built in a dressing room — and sometimes in a shared home — do not disappear with a trade.
