Evan Passmore is the new captain of the Barrie Colts, and the Rangers now have back-to-back OHL captains coming out of that locker room.
Barrie named the defenseman its 28th captain in franchise history earlier this week, taking over for center Cole Beaudoin.
Beaudoin wore the C in Barrie last season before New York acquired him on July 1 in the Vincent Trocheck trade with the Utah Mammoth.
Two straight seasons now, Rangers property has worn the C in Barrie. Nobody plans that. It just happens.
How does a sixth-round pick end up running an OHL room? Ask the guys who play beside him.
Barrie general manager Marty Williamson called Passmore everything you want in a teammate, friend, protector and a class kid.
At 6-foot-5 and 212 pounds, the right-handed defenseman breaks up plays with his reach and leans on his frame to win puck battles in tight areas.
Passmore's window to land a Rangers contract is closing fast
Passmore and Beaudoin were teammates just last weekend at the Rookie Series against Philadelphia Flyers prospects.
He was an alternate captain in Barrie last season, so the promotion isn't a total surprise. Still, wearing the full C is different.
Last season Passmore put up 10 points, three goals and seven assists, and finished plus-12 across 66 games. He also racked up 58 penalty minutes for the second straight year.
New York took Passmore in the sixth round, 171st overall, in the 2025 Draft, the fourth of five defensemen the club picked that year.
Barrie originally grabbed him 153rd overall in the OHL Priority Selection four years ago. This is his fourth season wearing the horseshoe.
With 130 games played, he's tied for ninth most among defensemen since the start of the 2024-25 season.
Here's the part that matters for Rangers fans. Passmore has one year left to convince management he's worth an entry-level contract.
Miss that window and he's looking at re-entering the draft, the NCAA route, or a minor-league deal instead.
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Landing the captaincy doesn't guarantee any of that. But it's the kind of role that puts a defenseman in front of scouts every single shift.
Should the Rangers fast-track Evan Passmore to an entry-level deal after the captaincy?
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