One of the notable differences in this year’s training camp is the players approach. Under new coach Alain Vigneault, the Rangers are preaching a new motto. Ryan McDonagh was sporting a shirt with that message. CLEAN SLATE. GRAB IT!

Along with Vigneault openly discussing his goal of winning a Stanley Cup, the team will no longer have to watch their backs. John Tortorella ran a tight ship, not allowing his players to look ahead. Despite success, that couldn’t have been much fun. Already he’s fired shots at Twitter coaching Vancouver. At least the Rangers no longer have to concern themselves with the former coach’s antics.

It’s a chance to start over. With plenty of enthusiasm coming from team leaders, they’ve turned the page. Vigneault wants his players to focus on this year. For Brad Richards, he admitted to losing himself in a recent Daily News article from Pat Leonard.

“Was he talking about last year?” Vigneault said yesterday. “I told him not to.”

“I think with any player, and it’s probably important in Brad’s case, I’ve told  him to turn the page as much as he can, not answer questions about last year,  because it has no significance or importance to now,” Vigneault added. “I think  what he’s got to do is stay in the moment, be here.”

It’s that kind of positive thinking that should make it easier to prepare for 2013-14. Richards has the benefit of a full camp, which can help team chemistry. In the shortened season, the Rangers never really looked in sync. Key subtractions from the ’11-12 team that reached the Conference Final and the big addition of Rick Nash didn’t allow them much time to gel. For Richards, it’s a chance at redemption. Glad to be back, he’s looking forward to the new challenge.

“I think it’s going to be a little different style of hockey (under Vigneault),  which probably will help me,” Richards expressed. “I can’t predict the future. I’ve  played for different coaches and different styles throughout my career, and like  I said, I know I can play the game, so in the end it’s (up to) myself and  getting prepared. I think this staff and talking to Alain, it’s very positive.  He uses the clean slate thing, but especially for me, (to show) that all is  forgotten, and he’s excited to get back to work. I think he’s excited to help me get back on track, but in the end, it’s really all up to me.”

“I knew I was going to be playing hockey somewhere this year, so I just wanted  to get back to the level I wanted to play at. I wanted it to be  here. I’m happy I’m here – thrilled. I did not want to end my New York Ranger  tenure like that.

“So I’m grateful I’m still here and getting a chance to be part of this  organization,” he continued. “That’s what I wanted for a while … Hopefully this  is a (chance) to start new and fresh and get back on track.”

Richards, McDonagh and Henrik Lundqvist have all spoken up about it being a new chance for the team to put it together.

“He comes in with a different approach,” Lundqvist told Leonard in a piece that put the focus on the team and not his contract. “And the way they  (Vigneault and his staff) talk — it’s just different.”