When Chris Drury traded Brennan Othmann to the Flames for Jacob Battaglia in a prospect swap, the Rangers president and general manager revealed that Battaglia found out while on the OHL Flint Firebirds team bus sitting next to Nathan Aspinall.
Battaglia leaned over and showed Aspinall an Instagram post that stated he had been traded to New York.
As not only a Blueshirts fifth-round selection in the 2024 draft, but as his Firebirds linemate, Aspinall was elated.
“I gave him a big hug after that,” Aspinall said with a smile after an on-ice prospect development camp session in Tarrytown this past week.
Added Battaglia: “I was pretty excited to see how far our journey is going to go together and just so happy for what the future could be.”
Just under four months later, the last remaining linemate of Battaglia and Aspinall also joined the Rangers organization.
The Rangers drafted Darian Anderson with the No. 163 pick on the second day of the draft at the end of last month, officially obtaining the full trifecta that led the Firebirds in their most successful season in team history in 2025-26.
“I called my coach [Paul Flache] immediately,” Aspinall told The Post of his reaction to hearing the Rangers draft Anderson. “Just saying how awesome it is, and then I sent him a text right away and said, ‘Can’t wait to see you in a couple days.’ ”
And there they all were on the MSG Training Center ice together this week, pushing to make good impressions in front of Rangers management and player development staff.
Having one another to lean on during this time has been a major benefit for the trio. It’s more than just a couple of familiar faces, but teammates they’ve battled alongside during a grueling season and in the OHL playoffs. There’s something special about working next to players who are on the exact same path as you.
“I think it’s great for all of us,” Aspinall said. “I mean, just seeing Darian, my linemate, who got drafted this year, has just made me smile so much. And then seeing them at camp, it just makes it so much better.
“Just being with the guys more and just having some more familiarity with them coming for their first camp, it’s great.”
Though Aspinall and Battaglia are expected to enjoy their first full pro seasons in Hartford, Anderson is committed to Clarkson University for the 2026-27 season. Aspinall described the 19-year-old Anderson as a “shifty” player who “works for everything he earns.”
The only reason why the trio was able to work for the Firebirds was because of Battaglia’s transition to center.
Having always been a wing, Battaglia was moved to the middle upon his arrival in Flint after he was traded from the Kingston Frontenacs.
“It was definitely a whole new world of hockey,” Battaglia said. “I’ve never really had any experience playing down the middle, so I really enjoyed it because I felt like I could use my speed a little bit more and attack with more speed, rather than being flat-footed on the wall. I had a lot of fun playing center and I’m pretty excited to hopefully keep that up.”
