Defiant Sean Day says he will be back next season after being cut by the Rangers.

The New York Rangers raised some eyebrows last week when they made the move to cut ties with once promising defensive prospect Sean Day. Day, who was once given "exceptional status" by the Ontario Hockey League something only John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid had received prior, so the expectations on his shoulders were massive and the reality is he has never been able to live up to those expectations. 

The Rangers placed Day on unconditional waivers last week for the purpose of terminating his contract and when no team in the National Hockey League made the move to claim him, many believed that the once promising prospect was done for good. Day, to put in bluntly, seemed like wasted potential and many were suggesting that retirement was the next obvious step, but a defiant Sean Day recently spoke to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and made it clear he's not ready to fade into the shadows just yet.

“I’m playing (next season) for sure,” said Day without a pause as per Friedman.

Day has often been characterized as a player with immense talent that simply did not put in the work during the early stages of his development as a serious NHL prospect. The defenseman however believes that he was never going to be a fit for the New York Rangers, seemingly suggesting that he always felt the writing was on the wall in New York.

“It was not a good fit for New York, [but] I’m not going to sit here and bash them,” Day said. “They did give me the opportunity to play pro hockey and they drafted me. I’m overly grateful for that. It is just time to move on. I wasn’t in their [future]. I could tell that.”

Day however claims to have a renewed focus on the game and believes that he has proven himself to some degree in the more recent seasons of his professional career. I believe it is safe to say that the Rangers disagree with that assesment, however Friedman hinted at the fact that there is still interest in him although the currently suspended season is causing teams to shy away prior to the start of next season. Day clearly believes he has what it takes.

“I love hockey, and the last two years, I’ve done enough to show people that I really do care about this sport and I want to do it for a living.”