Conor Sheary quickly separated himself from the rest of the fringe players who came into Rangers training camp three weeks ago.

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Despite having spent the previous season in the AHL with similar players he was competing with for a spot on the Blueshirts roster, Sheary’s veteran presence and relentless hustle easily stood out among the youngsters who were still in middle school when he hoisted his first Stanley Cup in 2016. 

As a result, the Rangers rewarded Sheary with a one-year, two-way deal for the league minimum of $775,000. 

“I was thrilled,” Sheary told The Post of his reaction to receiving a contract. “I’ve talked about coming in on a PTO [professional tryout contract] and how different that was for me. Coming into a new locker room and trying to prove yourself to teammates and coaches and management. To eventually end up with a deal and be on the Opening Night roster was pretty special for me. 

“My goal was to get back to the NHL and stick here and prove that I can still play. So, hopefully throughout this year I can continue to do that.” 

There was little doubt Sheary was going to make the Rangers roster out of training camp, especially with spots on the third line almost wide open.

Not only is Sheary a Mike Sullivan kind of player, after the pair won two Stanley Cups together in Pittsburgh, but the undersized wing was fueled by the prospect of proving people wrong throughout the preseason. 

The Lightning placed Sheary on unconditional waivers in June for the purpose of terminating his contract, which was a mutual decision.

Before he was sent to the team’s AHL affiliate in Syracuse, Sheary said he lost a bit of what made him the player he is due to the role the Lightning had him in. 

It was nerve-wracking coming into a training camp with a new team without a contract, but Sheary made the most of it. 

“Just the unknown,” Sheary said of the process. “You see PTO’s throughout the league just get released and they have to find their way somewhere else. That was obviously an option for me when I came into camp, so I was happy to be able to sign a deal and be able to stay with the Rangers. I think that was really important for me.”

“I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. I think my game is built around my speed and my work ethic, and I think if I continue to do that good things will happen.”

Sheary was one of just a few forwards who were consistently active in the Rangers’ season-opening 3-0 loss to the Penguins on Tuesday.

Along with one shot on goal and two blocks, Sheary was consistently in on the forecheck and covered a lot of ground in 12:42 of ice time.

It also appears Sheary will begin the season on the Rangers’ second power-play unit. 

The road back to the NHL wasn’t the easiest for the undrafted forward, but Sheary did not let this Rangers opportunity pass him by. 

“It’s a big responsibility to try and chip in offensively, but also be a responsible player on the other side of the puck, too,” he said of his third-line role. “It’s a hard role, but I think it’s a good position for me and a place I’ve been before. So, hopefully I can thrive under that.”