For Rupp, Focus Is on Families in Need

When the Rangers finally get off the road at the end of this month, Mike Rupp wants to do more than think about and play hockey.

“The game is my job,” said Rupp, who signed with the Rangers as a free agent in July after two seasons with the Penguins. “I never lose sight of that. But I don’t feel like I’m in this world just to play hockey. The N.H.L. has provided me with a great livelihood, but I also have a platform to make a difference.”

A 6-foot-5, 230-pound power forward and frequent fighter, Rupp is also one of the most civic-minded players in the league. He and his wife, Christi, are not interested in just showing up for photos opportunities for charities. Last Christmas, the Rupps wanted to do more for the families they had connected with through the Ronald McDonald House of Pittsburgh. One day after practice, they rented a bus to take 40 people to Ohio for a “Polar Express” train ride – complete with Santa, presents, dinner and Mike and Christi serving chocolate chip cookies and milk.

“You should have seen the faces of these children,” said Becky Magnelli, the assistant family director with Ronald McDonald House. “What Michael and Christi and their own children did for these families was one of the most beautiful things any of us had ever seen. They are special people,” she said.

In Pittsburgh, Rupp and his wife became close to a 12-year-old boy named Austin, who died last year of bone cancer. Austin’s death hit home with the hockey player, who has three children – Maddie, 8, Mason, 6, and Max, 2 – with Christi.

“Austin was such a good kid,” said Rupp. “We learned so much about what’s important from being around him.”

The Rupps sponsor nine children internationally through McDonald House. Christi leads the way in all efforts. “Mike has a level of fame as an N.H.L. player,” she said. “I don’t care about riding his coattails to help people.” They encourage their young children to participate; Maddie and Mason use birthday and holiday money to buy Silly Bandz as their contribution to care packages. When Nicole Cleland, a woman from South Park, Penn., lost her 7-year-old daughter and unborn child and suffered serious injuries when her car was struck by a drunk driver, Mike lined up members of the Penguins and Pittsburgh Pirates for an autograph session to raise money for a family fund.

The Rangers recently returned from two weeks in Europe and leave for four games over 10 days in Western Canada after facing the Islanders in Uniondale on Saturday. Because of renovations at Madison Square Garden, the team’s home opener is not until Oct. 27. Rupp, 31, is eager to immerse his family in local charities when the Rangers finally have a stretch in New York. He favors programs like the Ronald McDonald House that assist families affected by illness and injury.

“When a child is seriously ill, the last thing you want to worry about are the bills and whether there’s food on the table,” said Rupp after Rangers practice on Wednesday. “If we can help these people sleep peacefully for a few hours and not fret over other issues, we should.”