B R O A D W A Y***B L U E S H I R T S

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  • NY PJ1NY PJ1 Posts: 9,533
    Bathgate66 wrote:
    they should let the NYR play an outside game against the fishsticks in Yankee Stadium before they tear it down .

    im jealous of buffalo and the penguins getting this game.

    why arent americas team the new york rangers in this game ?

    pfffft


    this should be between original six teams , c'mon Bettman ,... you litttle dweeb.

    :rolleyes:


    SID
  • HawkshoreHawkshore Posts: 2,153
    NY PJ1 wrote:
    SID


    Bingo....like it or not he is the face of the NHL now
    Van 92.07.21 / Van 98.07.19 / Sea 98.07.22 / Tor 98.08.22 / Sea 00.11.06 / Van 03.05.30/ Van 05.09.02/ Gorge 06.07.22 & 23 / EV Van 08.04.02 / Tor 09.08.21 / Sea 09.09.21 & 22 / Van 09.09.25 / Van 11.09.25 / Van 13.12.04 / Pem 16.07.17 / Sea 18.08.10
  • Gary CarterGary Carter Posts: 14,067
    ny Pj1 wrote:
    sid
    pusssy
    Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
    Sammi: Wanna just break up?

  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    Hawkshore wrote:
    Bingo....like it or not he is the face of the NHL now



    sorry

    i prefer callahan , girardi, dubinsky, asiminov, cherapenov, prucha and lundqvist.
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
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  • NY PJ1NY PJ1 Posts: 9,533
    Bathgate66 wrote:
    sorry

    i prefer callahan , girardi, dubinsky, asiminov, cherapenov, prucha and lundqvist.


    yeaaa bath
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    Hawkshore wrote:
    Bingo....like it or not he is the face of the NHL now


    I i prefer Callahan , Girardii , Dubinsky, Jessimen , Staal ( the sensible staal brother ) , Prucha, Asiminov, Cherepanov, & Lundqvist.
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • NY PJ1NY PJ1 Posts: 9,533
    Bathgate66 wrote:
    I i prefer Callahan , Girardii , Dubinsky, Jessimen , Staal ( the sensible staal brother ) , Prucha, Asiminov, Cherepanov, & Lundqvist.


    yeaaaaaaa bath get crazy double post it
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    whoa my screen almost exploded

    sorry for the double dribble.
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • NY PJ1NY PJ1 Posts: 9,533
    Bathgate66 wrote:
    I i prefer Callahan , Girardii , Dubinsky, Jessimen , Staal ( the sensible staal brother ) , Prucha, Asiminov, Cherepanov, & Lundqvist.


    staal played awesome in the prospect tourney :)

    so did doobie, 4 goals and a fight!!


    asiminov back from knee problems

    cherpy still in russia from the dirty hit by sutter
    but he is ready to play for his team there
  • did you know that drury wears 23 because of mattingly and gomez wears number 19 because of tony gwynn?
    Reading 2004
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    Chicago 2007
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    MSG 2024, MSG 2024
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    "I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
    Things happen in the game. Nothing you
    can do. I don't go and say,
    "I'm gonna beat this guy up."
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    did you know that drury wears 23 because of mattingly and gomez wears number 19 because of tony gwynn?


    i knew that he wore 23 - even in buff- in tribute to mattingly.

    growing up in CT i hear hge was / is a HUGE YANKEE Fan, so how fitting that hes here now.

    interesting that gomez tributes gwynn like that.

    also interesting that gomez wanted to give betts 10,000 bucks for letting him wear 19, but Betts refused the money and gave it up gladly. ( for free )
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
    platessmall.jpg
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  • NY PJ1NY PJ1 Posts: 9,533
    Bathgate66 wrote:
    i knew that he wore 23 - even in buff- in tribute to mattingly.

    growing up in CT i hear hge was / is a HUGE YANKEE Fan, so how fitting that hes here now.

    interesting that gomez tributes gwynn like that.

    also interesting that gomez wanted to give betts 10,000 bucks for letting him wear 19, but Betts refused the money and gave it up gladly. ( for free )


    19 is my number (joe sakic) i wish drury won the toss
  • NCBRINCBRI Posts: 1,902
    NCBRI wrote:
    Looking for a few people to fill out our fantasy hockey league. It is mostly Canes fans but all hockey fans are welcome. If you are interested, here is the info:

    You have been invited to join ncbri's Custom League in Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Hockey.

    In order to join the league, follow the link above or go to game front page, click the "Sign Up Now" or "Get Another Team" button and follow the links to "Join a Custom League". When prompted, enter the League ID# and password below.

    League ID#: 5782
    Password: password

    Draft: Sun Sep 23 7:30pm EDT (If you miss it you can still autopick your team)


    As of now, there are still 2 spots open for anyone who wants in.

    Do you guys start exhibition games this weekend. I'm going on Sunday to our first one. I think it'll hit me then that hockey is back.
    Brian
  • NCBRINCBRI Posts: 1,902
    stickboy wrote:
    signed up. I just started playing this league last yr. I usually do the free salary cap one at sporting news if u guys wanna set up a league there too. The Sporting news one at least u can win cash for free entry. ;)

    http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/hockey/season1/basic/home.html


    Do we have a league for the Sporting News Salary Cap game?
    Brian
  • Bathgate66 wrote:
    i knew that he wore 23 - even in buff- in tribute to mattingly.

    growing up in CT i hear hge was / is a HUGE YANKEE Fan, so how fitting that hes here now.

    interesting that gomez tributes gwynn like that.

    also interesting that gomez wanted to give betts 10,000 bucks for letting him wear 19, but Betts refused the money and gave it up gladly. ( for free )

    they donated that money to one of the charities.
    Reading 2004
    Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
    Chicago 2007
    Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
    Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
    Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
    Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
    Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
    Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
    Fenway 2, 2018
    MSG 2022
    St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
    MSG 2024, MSG 2024
    Philadelphia 2024
    "I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
    Things happen in the game. Nothing you
    can do. I don't go and say,
    "I'm gonna beat this guy up."
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    they donated that money to one of the charities.

    ah yes of course they did

    didnt remember which one, maybe the hockey in harlem thing they do for the kids- or any of the other multitude of charioties they give to.

    :D
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
    platessmall.jpg
    ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
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  • Bathgate66 wrote:
    ah yes of course they did

    didnt remember which one, maybe the hockey in harlem thing they do for the kids- or any of the other multitude of charioties they give to.

    :D

    although it's highly unlikely he'll make the team, kasparaitis is about 20 pounds lighter and his long hair is gone.
    Reading 2004
    Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
    Chicago 2007
    Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
    Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
    Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
    Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
    Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
    Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
    Fenway 2, 2018
    MSG 2022
    St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
    MSG 2024, MSG 2024
    Philadelphia 2024
    "I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
    Things happen in the game. Nothing you
    can do. I don't go and say,
    "I'm gonna beat this guy up."
  • NY PJ1NY PJ1 Posts: 9,533




    Jaromir Jagr: Rangers can role to Cup


    BY JOHN DELLAPINA
    DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

    Friday, September 14th 2007, 4:00 AM



    Print Email Suggest a Story
    Having been there and done that - none too well, in his own estimation - Jaromir Jagr has this piece of advice for Scott Gomez and Chris Drury:

    Keep your eyes on the prize that the NHL awards on the ice in June; don't be distracted by the prizes the Rangers bestowed on you on July 1.

    "There is one thing I want to make sure that the players understand - and I don't think I had it when I signed (a seven-year, $77 million contract with Washington in October 2001) and I want to make sure it is here and it's starting from the coaches and the organization," Jagr said. "When you sign a new contract with a lot of money, fans and everybody expects you to have big numbers and score a lot of goals. But our goal is different - to win the Cup.

    "Of course, you're not going to have the same numbers like you had in Buffalo when you were on the first power play and you played 25 minutes. Not everybody is going to play 25 minutes. Everybody has to adjust and do it for the team."

    Jagr, after flying to New York from his native Czech Republic Wednesday, took his pre-camp physical yesterday - the Rangers hit the ice for the first time today - and then addressed the media. Sitting on the pool table at the players' lounge in Greenburgh, Jagr was considerably bigger through the chest and shoulders than a year ago, when he was coming off summer shoulder surgery.

    But he wasn't puffing out his chest.

    "Only one thing scares me. I don't want it to be like it was here seven or six years ago because you've got so many top players on the team," he said. "Everybody has to understand that it doesn't matter if you signed a big contract."

    It was actually eight years ago when the Rangers last made a summer splash comparable to the Gomez-Drury twin killing they pulled off on the opening day of free agency over the summer. As it turned out, signing six sought-after free agents - Theo Fleury the most prominent among them - in July of 1999 didn't restore the Rangers to glory.

    Rather, it wound up accelerating the franchise's decline via overspending for high-profile players who didn't fit together or weren't made to do so.

    Having finally changed that culture coming out of the 2004-05 lockout - with help from a salary cap that mandated some fiscal restraint - the Rangers have since managed to rebuild around a superstar in Jagr and subsequently add future Hall of Famer Brendan Shanahan without reverting to their old, misguided ways. The trick now is to assimilate both Gomez and Drury - each signed to deals averaging more than $7 million per year - into a team concept that continues to value the whole over the parts.

    "Somebody has to cut their ice time and cut their power-play time," Jagr said. "Everybody has to do it a little bit.

    "But the whole key is to win the Cup. And I just want to remind guys of that all the time. And the coaches have to remind guys of that all the time when the media criticizes a guy because he doesn't put up the same numbers.

    "I know I went through that when I was younger. I got traded to another team. And when I signed a big deal, I know how it was. And I want to make sure those guys don't go through what I did. Because it wasn't good."

    Which isn't to say that Jagr doesn't share in the belief that the Rangers are one of the NHL's true title contenders this season.

    "The first thing I saw when we signed two free agents: the organization is pretty serious," he said. "It's a sign for our fans that we want to win it right now, don't wait for anything else. Now, it's our time."
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    NY PJ1 wrote:




    Jaromir Jagr: Rangers can role to Cup


    BY JOHN DELLAPINA
    DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

    Friday, September 14th 2007, 4:00 AM



    Print Email Suggest a Story
    Having been there and done that - none too well, in his own estimation - Jaromir Jagr has this piece of advice for Scott Gomez and Chris Drury:

    Keep your eyes on the prize that the NHL awards on the ice in June; don't be distracted by the prizes the Rangers bestowed on you on July 1.

    "There is one thing I want to make sure that the players understand - and I don't think I had it when I signed (a seven-year, $77 million contract with Washington in October 2001) and I want to make sure it is here and it's starting from the coaches and the organization," Jagr said. "When you sign a new contract with a lot of money, fans and everybody expects you to have big numbers and score a lot of goals. But our goal is different - to win the Cup.

    "Of course, you're not going to have the same numbers like you had in Buffalo when you were on the first power play and you played 25 minutes. Not everybody is going to play 25 minutes. Everybody has to adjust and do it for the team."

    Jagr, after flying to New York from his native Czech Republic Wednesday, took his pre-camp physical yesterday - the Rangers hit the ice for the first time today - and then addressed the media. Sitting on the pool table at the players' lounge in Greenburgh, Jagr was considerably bigger through the chest and shoulders than a year ago, when he was coming off summer shoulder surgery.

    But he wasn't puffing out his chest.

    "Only one thing scares me. I don't want it to be like it was here seven or six years ago because you've got so many top players on the team," he said. "Everybody has to understand that it doesn't matter if you signed a big contract."

    It was actually eight years ago when the Rangers last made a summer splash comparable to the Gomez-Drury twin killing they pulled off on the opening day of free agency over the summer. As it turned out, signing six sought-after free agents - Theo Fleury the most prominent among them - in July of 1999 didn't restore the Rangers to glory.

    Rather, it wound up accelerating the franchise's decline via overspending for high-profile players who didn't fit together or weren't made to do so.

    Having finally changed that culture coming out of the 2004-05 lockout - with help from a salary cap that mandated some fiscal restraint - the Rangers have since managed to rebuild around a superstar in Jagr and subsequently add future Hall of Famer Brendan Shanahan without reverting to their old, misguided ways. The trick now is to assimilate both Gomez and Drury - each signed to deals averaging more than $7 million per year - into a team concept that continues to value the whole over the parts.

    "Somebody has to cut their ice time and cut their power-play time," Jagr said. "Everybody has to do it a little bit.

    "But the whole key is to win the Cup. And I just want to remind guys of that all the time. And the coaches have to remind guys of that all the time when the media criticizes a guy because he doesn't put up the same numbers.

    "I know I went through that when I was younger. I got traded to another team. And when I signed a big deal, I know how it was. And I want to make sure those guys don't go through what I did. Because it wasn't good."

    Which isn't to say that Jagr doesn't share in the belief that the Rangers are one of the NHL's true title contenders this season.

    "The first thing I saw when we signed two free agents: the organization is pretty serious," he said. "It's a sign for our fans that we want to win it right now, don't wait for anything else. Now, it's our time."



    nice piece- i saw Dellapi9nas writeup in todays News.

    Jaromir was also on " MSG NY " on the MSG Network last night- he was interviewed by John Giannone, and it was pretty much the same stuff in that article .

    He looked refreshed, rested, and ready to go at it again.
    I like the part about him playing as long as there was a team that wanted him, im sure NYR will keep him close by .
    Newsday had a nice piece about Henrik, and he's ready to go also.
    Oh , and he did not get married during this offseason.









    Lets Go Rangers
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    did you fellas catch the news ?

    seems some of the Rangers Brass had a list floating around of who was going to bang which of the Ranger Ice Girls a few seassons back- no wonder why theyve long been retired !

    :eek:

    :eek:


    maybe xman can get the juicy details for us, you know- some names !
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • Bathgate66 wrote:
    did you fellas catch the news ?

    seems some of the Rangers Brass had a list floating around of who was going to bang which of the Ranger Ice Girls a few seassons back- no wonder why theyve long been retired !

    :eek:

    :eek:


    maybe xman can get the juicy details for us, you know- some names !


    I dont know any names, but I know the intern that has been named in the Knicks fiasco.
    Reading 2004
    Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
    Chicago 2007
    Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
    Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
    Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
    Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
    Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
    Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
    Fenway 2, 2018
    MSG 2022
    St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
    MSG 2024, MSG 2024
    Philadelphia 2024
    "I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
    Things happen in the game. Nothing you
    can do. I don't go and say,
    "I'm gonna beat this guy up."
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    i wouldnt believe it even tho i saw it with my own eyes !

    the kid Staal Has A Jump On Jagr

    and wow
    our new jersey basically eliminated the color across the shouldewrs with little done to the actual logo.
    cant complain about that.
    Drury Models The New Rangers Jersey
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • i saw that, but jagr really owned staal for most of the scrimmage. amazingly colton orr scored one of the goals.
    Reading 2004
    Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
    Chicago 2007
    Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
    Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
    Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
    Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
    Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
    Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
    Fenway 2, 2018
    MSG 2022
    St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
    MSG 2024, MSG 2024
    Philadelphia 2024
    "I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
    Things happen in the game. Nothing you
    can do. I don't go and say,
    "I'm gonna beat this guy up."
  • NY PJ1NY PJ1 Posts: 9,533
    Bathgate66 wrote:
    i wouldnt believe it even tho i saw it with my own eyes !

    the kid Staal Has A Jump On Jagr

    and wow
    our new jersey basically eliminated the color across the shouldewrs with little done to the actual logo.
    cant complain about that.
    Drury Models The New Rangers Jersey


    awwwww nice
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    10' O' Clock this morning , kids !

    Best Of Luck To Everyone Trying !
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    not a single ticket to be had for January 24th against Atlanta.

    StubHub, or even E- Bay, here I come .


    $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • stickboystickboy Posts: 2,981
    the story behind stickboy :D

    Finding a bit of New York in Winnipeg
    Evan Weiner | NHL.com correspondent Sep 15, 2007, 12:00 PM EDT

    Brian Mullen saw some familiar faces when he reported to training camp with the Jets in 1982.

    Walking into an NHL training camp for the first time is never easy for a rookie. No matter how talented the player, from Sidney Crosby on down to those on tryouts, it is a daunting experience.
    But there are some rare occasions when the first day of camp can be fun. Just ask Brian Mullen, who showed up at the Winnipeg Jets’ training camp in 1982 and was given quite a welcome by his new teammates, who just happened to be old friends.

    Before playing for “Badger” Bob Johnson at the University of Wisconsin, Mullen was the stick boy for visiting hockey teams at Madison Square Garden. In that capacity, he got to know personnel from the rangers and the visiting teamsd quite well.

    At that time, John Ferguson was the Rangers’ general manager and he came to know the 16-year-old Mullen, too.

    Ferguson landed in Winnipeg after being fired by the Rangers. By 1982, Ferguson had added former Rangers goaltender Doug Soetaert, defenseman Mario Marois and right winger Lucien Deblois to his Winnipeg roster. Mullen knew all of them when he showed up for his first camp.

    That’s a big advantage in the room compared to 99 percent of the rookies that walk into their first NHL camp.

    “I walked into the locker room, it so happened on that Winnipeg team there were a few ex-Rangers,” Mullen recalled. “Doug Soetaert, Lucien Deblois and Mario Marios were all on that team. I walked into the locker room thinking I would see my own stall and everything. I walked over to my stall and there were about three dozen sticks. A dozen of Mario’s, a dozen of Lucien’s and a dozen of Dougie Soetaert’s sticks.


    Evan Weiner is a radio and TV commentator, a columnist, an author and a college lecturer. Between 1988 and 1992, he was part of the Minnesota North Stars radio broadcasts with Al Shaver, doing the pre and post game show and in-between period interviews on all North Stars New York area games.

    More by Evan Weiner:
    [Off the Wall archive]
    More NHL.com features
    NHL.com History section

    NHL.com Hall of Fame section
    Grossman: Mullen returns home

    “John Ferguson was the general manager at the time; they were all peaking around the corner, giggling. We had a good laugh over it. It really made me comfortable and made me feel like one of the guys right away.

    “I threw them (the sticks) right back at them,” Mullen laughed. “It made me feel like I belonged there. There were good guys; I knew them, if I didn’t know them, I would never have thrown them back.”

    Mullen’s Winnipeg story actually started out in the 1960s on West 49th Street in Manhattan, just blocks away from the old Madison Square Garden, which was then located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th streets.

    Mullen’s father worked as part of the Garden’s day-to-day crew and helped maintain the ice during the hockey season.

    Brian Mullen was following in the roller-skate tracks of his older brother, Joey, by playing roller hockey in an open lot, which was then owned by New York Printing on 49th Street. Eventually, Brian Mullen was good enough on ice that he got a hockey scholarship to Wisconsin in 1980.

    “That’s where I grew up playing roller hockey,” Mullen said of the notorious Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. “My apartment building was across the street from the Garden, 416 West 49th Street between 9th and 10th avenues. And there was a schoolyard right across the street where we all played roller hockey. On any given day you could find anywhere between 50 to 100 school kids playing hockey. My neighborhood was a hockey hotbed. (Watch: Brian's brother Joe returns to the old neighborhood: 300K )


    “The Police Athletic League started a league on Saturdays and Sundays. Saturdays was the little guys, they called them the Peanut League, and Sundays was the High School League, where the big guys played. That’s what all the Peanut leaguers wanted to play, in the high school games so we had something to look forward to.

    “It’s not the usual story. When I was on some of the (Jets) teams, I brought some of the Canadian players around to the neighborhood there, you should have seen their reaction.”

    But, Mullen made sure he was exposed to the NHL game, eventually landing a job as one of the visiting team’s stick boys.

    “I was there when I was 16-, 17-years-old,” he remembered. “The Rangers made it to the Finals in 1979 with guys like Lucien Deblois, John Davidson, the Maloney Brothers (Don and Dave), (Ron) Duguay, all those guys were on the team. Nickie Fotiu, Pat Hickey. They had a great team. They made it to the Finals.


    Brian Mullen, a native of New York City, ended his career with the Islanders in 1993.

    “I was the stick boy there. They played Montreal and they had guys like Pierre Larouche, Serge Savard and all those guys. It was a great series. It was fun just being down on ice level with all those guys.”

    But Mullen wasn’t watching the 1979 Stanley Cup Final as a fan. He was a hockey employee and that job helped him understand what he needed to do to get to the NHL level. It also showed him how to work a stick.

    “I worked with the sticks,” he said. “So anytime they break a stick, I would grab one of their sticks and reach over the board, so I actually worked with the sticks and took care of the locker room a little bit there and learned a lot from both teams, both sides. I learned a lot from the Rangers and learned a lot from the teams that came into the Garden.”

    The fact that Mullen got a college scholarship is maybe even more amazing than the fact that he ended up playing in the NHL.

    Mullen started skating late and the youth league competition in the New York area, while improving, was not up to Canadian standards. Mullen learned how to play hockey using box roller skates and a roll of black electrical tape that served as the puck. The black electrical tape seemed to never wear out.

    Still Mullen and his brother Joe (who was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000) somehow made it to the NHL despite not having a traditional ice hockey background.

    “The big difference is the surface, ice versus concrete,” Mullen said of his formative days as a player. “I think the hardest thing I had to learn when I made the transition to ice was how to stop on the ice. It took me a little while, all the other things I learned in roller hockey, all the fundamentals translated over to the ice, just like a normal hockey player would.”

    Mullen started playing ice hockey at around 8, but he was about 6 when he got on ice for the first time at the old Garden.

    “My father brought me down before it closed. He got me a Vic Hadfield stick; Vic was one of my favorite Rangers,” Mullen recalled. “He brought me on the ice, we shot the puck around, and that was basically the first time I stepped on ice.”

    It would not be the last time Mullen would step on Garden ice. About 14 years later, he became a Winnipeg Jets rookie. Winnipeg drafted Mullen in the seventh round of the 1980 draft. After two years in college, Mullen turned pro.

    As a rookie, Mullen scored 24 goals and assisted in 26 others for 50 points.

    He played in Winnipeg for five years and during the summer of 1987 got a call from Rangers GM Phil Esposito, which ended his Winnipeg career and started perhaps the happiest four years of Mullen’s NHL career.

    “I got the call from Phil and he said; ‘You are coming home and this time you won’t have to work the sticks.’” Mullen said of the trade that took him home. “He brought me back. I got to play before all my family and friends. My dad was still working at the Garden. It was really a nice time when I played there.”

    The Rangers traded Mullen to San Jose for Tim Kerr on May 30, 1991. He played one year in Daly City at the Cow Palace with the Sharks. In August 1992, he was traded to the Rangers bitter suburban rival, the Islanders.

    On Sept. 8, 1993 Mullen suffered a career-ending stroke. Mullen has been involved with various aspects of hockey since then including being a Rangers radio announcer and an NHL ambassador.

    During his playing career, Mullen always had a special place for the stick boys he encountered in his days with the Jets, Rangers, Sharks and Islanders. After all, he was once one of them.

    “I got treated well in New York. Pat Hickey, Nickie Fotiu (a fellow New York City resident, although Fotiu was from the outer borough of Staten Island), the three guys, Lucien, Dougie and Mario, all treated me with respect. They talked to me all the time and it was a good feeling when I was the stick boy and I never forgot it and I always treated the stick boys good.”



    growing up in NY he was always one of my idols/role model cause all I did was play street and ice hockey and always said if he could do it maybe I could...of course that never happened and I never got that job as a stickboy at msg either :( (besides stickman was taken lol)
    Aah, fuck it, I’m just gonna go home, turn on the fuckin’ TV...
    Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
    Like I could even change the world, yeah right...
    ************************************
  • NY PJ1NY PJ1 Posts: 9,533
    got 3 for opening night,,surprised i was able to get thru at 10:20 am
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    practice jerseys- ;)

    for the Irishmen ,...

    New Ranger Jerseys
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
    platessmall.jpg
    ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
    http://www.UNOS.org
    Donate Organs and Save a Life
  • NY PJ1NY PJ1 Posts: 9,533
    DRURY BRINGS WINNING WAYS
    FORWARD EXCITED TO JOIN RANGERS
    BY TIM BONTEMPS
    September 17, 2007 -- Chris Drury is known for being a winner. He was the MVP and winning pitcher of the 1989 Little League World Series championship team from his hometown of Trumbull, Conn., and also won a state championship with his high school hockey team, a national championship at Boston University and a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001.

    After those accomplishments, was there any doubt in his mind he would win a coin flip with fellow free-agent acquisition Scott Gomez for the right to wear No. 23 on his sweater when both men signed with the Rangers July 1?

    "I was nervous," Drury said. "I really wanted it. I'm just glad it worked out."

    Drury set career highs with 37 goals and 69 points with the Buffalo Sabres last season. The Rangers, who gave Drury a five-year, $35.25 million contract on the opening day of free agency this summer, would love to see that kind of point production. But the Blueshirts also awarded Drury the contract because of the intangibles he has become known for, and for the winning that has followed him everywhere he's been.

    "My goal every day is to keep things as simple as possible," he said. "That includes being mentally and physically being ready to play and compete every day, whether it's practice or an exhibition, regular season or playoff game. I think if I keep doing those things it will lead to good weeks, good months and a good year."

    Drury, the Sabres' co-captain the past two seasons, was at the center of the team's revival from the bottom of the NHL before the canceled 2004-05 season to a team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals each of the past two seasons. The 2006-07 Sabres also won the Presidents Cup for being the best team in the regular season, and defeated the Rangers in six games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    But despite all the success he had in Buffalo, Drury couldn't come to an agreement to stay with the Sabres. It's something Drury said he isn't spending time thinking about.

    "I try not to look in the past too much," he said. "I loved my time there. I learned a lot, and I met a lot of great friends . . . coaches included, management included, ownership included. It was a great experience for me, and hopefully for them, and I'm just thrilled to be a Ranger."

    Buffalo's loss was the Rangers' gain, as the Blueshirts landed one of the top free agents available. Now Drury will get a chance to take the ice at Madison Square Garden - something he could only dream about as a kid growing up about 60 miles from New York watching the team.

    "It's enough of a dream to just play in the NHL, but to get to play for the team you grew up rooting for takes it to a whole new level," he said. "It's been a thrill. It's been great since July 1, and I'm looking forward to Oct. 4."
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