‘I put him in a tough spot’: Rangers coach on James Reimer’s tough debut

James Reimer made his New York Rangers debut Monday night against the Los Angeles Kings, but he was pulled after he gave up three goals on eight shots in the opening frame.

The Rangers lost 6-3, and head coach Mike Sullivan pointed the blame at himself in the post-game media availability.

“For (Reimer) to come in the way he has, in short order, and to go into a game like this. It’s not an easy challenge. It’s a tough challenge. I just felt the game was going, I just felt like maybe (Reimer) needs a little more preparation before we put him in that circumstance,” he said.

“I put him in a tough spot and that’s on me.”

It’s been a whirlwind two weeks for Reimer. He was signed to a professional tryout with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers’ AHL affiliate; became the oldest AHL goalie to record a shutout in nearly 20 years, then signed a one-year contract with the Rangers on Sunday.

New York needed a goaltender after former Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin suffered a season-ending injury earlier this month.

Including Monday’s game, Reimer has a 232-191-67 record with a .909 save percentage (SV%) and 2.88 goals against average (GAA) in 540 career games with the Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Reimer, a native of Morweena, Man., is 5-5 with a .925 SV% and 2.70 GAA in 11 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. He led the Leafs through seven games in a first-round, seven-game series against the Boston Bruins in 2013.

New York is 7-6-1 with 15 points through their first 14 games of 2026-27. They have a five-day break then host the Edmonton Oilers Sunday at Madison Square Garden.