Ducks’ Frank Vatrano excited he is teammates again with Chris Kreider

Frank Vatrano knew Chris Kreider before he even joined the Rangers as a trade deadline acquisition in March 2022.

Vatrano’s cousin, Barry Almeida, played with Kreider at Boston College.

And after coming two wins away from a Stanley Cup Final berth with Kreider and the Rangers three years ago now, Vatrano — who left New York for Anaheim as a free agent that following summer — knows better than most what the Ducks are getting in the 13-year veteran.

He is now the one welcoming Kreider into a new organization.

“When I got to New York, he texted me right away and said I could live at his place in the city,” Vatrano said of Kreider and their time together as Rangers teammates before the two participated in the Shoulder Check Showcase at Terry Conners Rink in Stamford, Conn., on Thursday.

“That was so nice of him to do that. Didn’t make me pay a dime or anything. I was living large in Tribeca. It was great. I’ll forever be grateful for that. Now, to play with him again, it’s going to be awesome. I know, for him, you play on one team for a long time, change isn’t the easiest thing. But he’s going to come to a place where he’s good buddies with me, [Jacob Trouba] and [Ryan Strome]. I think it’s more laid back in California, where you can kind of fly under the radar. Great place to raise a family, in the sunshine every day, so he’s going to love it.”