Give us the same time horizon even in a 30 team league and we will see
Anyways it has been fun talking hockey with you Ranger fans and I will leave your thread to you. Thought you guys might be interested in this story about Slats that ran in the Vancouver Sun today.
Glen Cameron Sather is 64 years old, one of exactly two living architects of bona fide NHL dynasties, a Hockey Hall of Famer. But before he is allowed to give an interview these days, he must first say: "May I?"
Granted, this is not a particularly good time to be working for Madison Square Garden. So you can perhaps forgive the paranoia that permeates the Cablevision empire, which recently has paid out millions in judgments and settlements for sexual harrassment of employees by its basketball team's GM and head coach and, more recently, a former hockey p.r. assistant.
The gawd-awful Knicks sit tiny percentage points out of last place in the NBA East, while Isiah Thomas -- who was at the centre of the $11.6-million judgment against MSG over his treatment of former executive Anucha Browne Sanders -- somehow hangs onto his job.
By comparison, you might suppose Sather's New York Rangers, tied for fourth in the NHL's Eastern Conference until they ran into Roberto Luongo at GM Place, would be up for MSG Employee of the Year.
But Sather still has to clear it with the team's media relations department before he is permitted to speak.
"What's it about?" the p.r. man asks.
The scribe has no idea. That's how a conversation works sometimes. It starts with hello, and it goes where it goes.
But all right. It's been five years since the Rangers came west. Not a single player on the team Sather generally manages was with the club the last time it was in Vancouver. How about starting there? Even on a squad as bad as the one Sather took over in June of 2000, 100-per-cent turnover in five years is bizarre.
"Well, you've got to go back further than five years," Sather said Thursday. "A lot of the transition from that team to this team developed because of what went on before I got there. They were trying to win another Stanley Cup, and they traded draft picks, traded prospects, and had an older mature team that was on the verge of ... well, doing what it did do."
That is, lose a lot. Miss the playoffs annually. And draw a lot of salary.
"The farm team had won the American League with an average age of 31. There were no prospects there. But I knew that when I was offered the job. I knew it was not going to be a short process. The only way to get through that transition period, until we got some draft picks that we could actually use in the game -- and I think the first one was [goalie Henrik] Lundqvist [drafted in 2000, No. 205 overall, didn't play until 2005-06] -- was to sign some free agents."
Sather inherited Theo Fleury and thought he could salvage his career, but Fleury ended up in alcohol rehab and the problems were compounded when the new GM threw millions more at Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure and Bobby Holik, none of whom came close to panning out in The Apple.
"There's things we did that I wouldn't do again," he said, not mentioning short-lived coach Bryan Trottier's 54 games behind the bench, "but there were a lot of players already there under long-term contracts for a lot of money ... and there's really no way to fill holes without draft picks and youth. We had none of that."
Sather dismantled the Rangers' scouting staff, and it may yet turn out that with Lundqvist, defenceman Marc Staal and Russian centre Artem Anisimov and winger Alexei Cherepanov -- assuming they can get their first-rounder from last June out of Russia -- there is something resembling a young nucleus in the making.
But the Rangers are not quite out of the woods on that score and Sather, who has been mocked in New York for failing to deliver on the remnants of his reputation from Edmonton dynasty days, knows it.
"I don't think there's any such thing as immediate results in this business. How many Sidney Crosbys come along in this game?" he said. "You try to fool yourself into thinking you're smarter than anyone else or that there's a shortcut to success, you're out of your mind."
He never asked for the genius tag, by the way, but he never exactly objected to it, either. There's no question the rich seven-year gig he got from MSG in 2000 -- which has since been redone and basically has no end-date -- was due to the fact the Rangers believed there was more magic left in the old Oiler jar.
"I have plenty left to prove," he said, that day. "It's not like putting up a building on Madison Avenue and saying, 'OK, its finished.' Hockey is never finished. It's a challenge every day, and I look forward to that challenge."
Even at 64, even on the bad days -- and Thursday, when his Rangers completely outplayed the dead-legged Canucks and got nothing for it, was one -- he still does.
"Look at this [Vancouver] franchise. Sure, it's built around a goaltender. But it wouldn't be where it is without drafting and player development, and players maturing, and how the coaching staff has brought them along. We didn't have any of that stuff. We had to go out and start doing it."
The fact that the Rangers seem closer to finding the answers now than they did pre-salary cap, when they could outspend anyone else, might prove Sather is more comfortable when he has to haggle at least a little over dollars, as he always did in Edmonton. Or merely that the lockout wiped the slate clean, and he was allowed to get out from under a pile of contracts and start over.
"You can't change somebody's perception. If they think that's the way it is, then that's the way it is. The only reality you can work under is your own. I don't think spending's got anything to do with it," he said.
"Anyway, it's not like Edmonton's a small market. That's a real fallacy. The largest revenue-generating teams in this league are the Canadian teams. Small market? I think one of the things the Americans teams should consider is going back to these Canadian clubs and getting the money back that they subsidized them with for all those years."
An American Assistance Plan? That's what you're advocating, Slats? Boy, you really have become a New York guy.
"I'm not a New York guy. Canada, the West, Banff -- those will always be home. I just spent a week in Banff, shoveling snow, taking the grandkids on a sleigh ride, skated on the river a couple of days, saw a couple of bull elk fighting each other. It was great.
"I like New York, though. It's been good. But it's the same challenges as everywhere else. You gotta be shitty for a while to be successful today, unless you're real lucky."
The Rangers were, uh, that way. Never quite crappy enough to get a Sidney Crosby in the draft, alas.
Hope the Cablevision boys don't read that quote.
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
heck i like the canucks out of the west.
the 9th uniform is probably the nicest theyve had in years.
and the original blue- who can argue with that .
trevor linden is one of the best guys- i even liked him in 94.
oh and tyhe commercial the sundin brothers made a few seasdons back- that was hilarious.
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
Give us the same time horizon even in a 30 team league and we will see
Anyways it has been fun talking hockey with you Ranger fans and I will leave your thread to you. Thought you guys might be interested in this story about Slats that ran in the Vancouver Sun today.
Glen Cameron Sather is 64 years old, one of exactly two living architects of bona fide NHL dynasties, a Hockey Hall of Famer. But before he is allowed to give an interview these days, he must first say: "May I?"
Granted, this is not a particularly good time to be working for Madison Square Garden. So you can perhaps forgive the paranoia that permeates the Cablevision empire, which recently has paid out millions in judgments and settlements for sexual harrassment of employees by its basketball team's GM and head coach and, more recently, a former hockey p.r. assistant.
The gawd-awful Knicks sit tiny percentage points out of last place in the NBA East, while Isiah Thomas -- who was at the centre of the $11.6-million judgment against MSG over his treatment of former executive Anucha Browne Sanders -- somehow hangs onto his job.
By comparison, you might suppose Sather's New York Rangers, tied for fourth in the NHL's Eastern Conference until they ran into Roberto Luongo at GM Place, would be up for MSG Employee of the Year.
But Sather still has to clear it with the team's media relations department before he is permitted to speak.
"What's it about?" the p.r. man asks.
The scribe has no idea. That's how a conversation works sometimes. It starts with hello, and it goes where it goes.
But all right. It's been five years since the Rangers came west. Not a single player on the team Sather generally manages was with the club the last time it was in Vancouver. How about starting there? Even on a squad as bad as the one Sather took over in June of 2000, 100-per-cent turnover in five years is bizarre.
"Well, you've got to go back further than five years," Sather said Thursday. "A lot of the transition from that team to this team developed because of what went on before I got there. They were trying to win another Stanley Cup, and they traded draft picks, traded prospects, and had an older mature team that was on the verge of ... well, doing what it did do."
That is, lose a lot. Miss the playoffs annually. And draw a lot of salary.
"The farm team had won the American League with an average age of 31. There were no prospects there. But I knew that when I was offered the job. I knew it was not going to be a short process. The only way to get through that transition period, until we got some draft picks that we could actually use in the game -- and I think the first one was [goalie Henrik] Lundqvist [drafted in 2000, No. 205 overall, didn't play until 2005-06] -- was to sign some free agents."
Sather inherited Theo Fleury and thought he could salvage his career, but Fleury ended up in alcohol rehab and the problems were compounded when the new GM threw millions more at Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure and Bobby Holik, none of whom came close to panning out in The Apple.
"There's things we did that I wouldn't do again," he said, not mentioning short-lived coach Bryan Trottier's 54 games behind the bench, "but there were a lot of players already there under long-term contracts for a lot of money ... and there's really no way to fill holes without draft picks and youth. We had none of that."
Sather dismantled the Rangers' scouting staff, and it may yet turn out that with Lundqvist, defenceman Marc Staal and Russian centre Artem Anisimov and winger Alexei Cherepanov -- assuming they can get their first-rounder from last June out of Russia -- there is something resembling a young nucleus in the making.
But the Rangers are not quite out of the woods on that score and Sather, who has been mocked in New York for failing to deliver on the remnants of his reputation from Edmonton dynasty days, knows it.
"I don't think there's any such thing as immediate results in this business. How many Sidney Crosbys come along in this game?" he said. "You try to fool yourself into thinking you're smarter than anyone else or that there's a shortcut to success, you're out of your mind."
He never asked for the genius tag, by the way, but he never exactly objected to it, either. There's no question the rich seven-year gig he got from MSG in 2000 -- which has since been redone and basically has no end-date -- was due to the fact the Rangers believed there was more magic left in the old Oiler jar.
"I have plenty left to prove," he said, that day. "It's not like putting up a building on Madison Avenue and saying, 'OK, its finished.' Hockey is never finished. It's a challenge every day, and I look forward to that challenge."
Even at 64, even on the bad days -- and Thursday, when his Rangers completely outplayed the dead-legged Canucks and got nothing for it, was one -- he still does.
"Look at this [Vancouver] franchise. Sure, it's built around a goaltender. But it wouldn't be where it is without drafting and player development, and players maturing, and how the coaching staff has brought them along. We didn't have any of that stuff. We had to go out and start doing it."
The fact that the Rangers seem closer to finding the answers now than they did pre-salary cap, when they could outspend anyone else, might prove Sather is more comfortable when he has to haggle at least a little over dollars, as he always did in Edmonton. Or merely that the lockout wiped the slate clean, and he was allowed to get out from under a pile of contracts and start over.
"You can't change somebody's perception. If they think that's the way it is, then that's the way it is. The only reality you can work under is your own. I don't think spending's got anything to do with it," he said.
"Anyway, it's not like Edmonton's a small market. That's a real fallacy. The largest revenue-generating teams in this league are the Canadian teams. Small market? I think one of the things the Americans teams should consider is going back to these Canadian clubs and getting the money back that they subsidized them with for all those years."
An American Assistance Plan? That's what you're advocating, Slats? Boy, you really have become a New York guy.
"I'm not a New York guy. Canada, the West, Banff -- those will always be home. I just spent a week in Banff, shoveling snow, taking the grandkids on a sleigh ride, skated on the river a couple of days, saw a couple of bull elk fighting each other. It was great.
"I like New York, though. It's been good. But it's the same challenges as everywhere else. You gotta be shitty for a while to be successful today, unless you're real lucky."
The Rangers were, uh, that way. Never quite crappy enough to get a Sidney Crosby in the draft, alas.
Hope the Cablevision boys don't read that quote.
That policy has been in place since 2001. it applies more to the knicks. during the pregame, morning shootaround and postgame, a media relations official is required to type notes into a blackberry and send them up the chain of command.
They also do that for player interviews.
They do it for the Rangers but it's more extensive or more well-known with the Knicks.
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."
now i see why we got eliminated so quicklyin the nhl battle game thing.
these canucks must hate us , specially since weve been around so long ( orig 6 )
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
i would love to sign up for a luxury suite with some of you fuckers!!
my company had a box last year and i sat up there for a few games. all the food you can eat, and all of the beer you can drink for free! it was a great experience. pretty high up though... i felt like i could reach out and touch the knicks banners.
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
ouch, that looked like a pretty bad collision for shanahan, knee-on-knee with penner. he looks like he's in a lot of pain but at least shanny is still on the bench.
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."
typical chris drury goal also, right in front of the net.
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."
ouch, that looked like a pretty bad collision for shanahan, knee-on-knee with penner. he looks like he's in a lot of pain but at least shanny is still on the bench.
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...
************************************
lets keep his dad in our prayers.
an aneurism can be fatal, lucky that he didnt bleed out and die.
especially after long airplane flights and the pressurization that occurs on long flights, it couldve been worse.
rehab can be long and tedious too,....
he hasnt had his game in a while now,....
Dad on Henrik Lundqvist's mind
BY JOHN DELLAPINA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Monday, January 7th 2008, 4:00 AM
Keivom/News
Henrik Lundqvist insists his father's health has not been a distraction.
Henrik Lundqvist insists it is neither a valid excuse for anything that has happened over the last several weeks nor a reasonable explanation for any particular goal against or subpar performance.
But then, the Rangers' franchise goaltender concedes that his father's health - slowly improving but still a matter of major concern - is on his mind constantly.
Peter Lundqvist underwent brain surgery in mid-December. Henrik doesn't want to discuss the details. But his father apparently suffered an aneurysm that required the surgery shortly after he returned to Sweden from a late-November visit to the United States to see his twin sons Henrik and Joel of the Dallas Stars play against each other at the Garden.
According to one account, which Henrik did not want to discuss, Peter Lundqvist underwent the surgery without Henrik or Joel knowing until after it was over. The procedure was successful. But the recovery has been slow.
And monitoring it from across the Atlantic has not been easy.
"I think about it every day, of course," Lundqvist told the Daily News. "But it's not that he's that sick. He's just recovering from a tough operation - a tough surgery. And it's going to take awhile for him to get back.
"It was something on the brain. I don't want to go into too much on it. Knowing that he's getting better, you see improvements every week. So that's good. It makes me relax."
Lundqvist was anything but relaxed coming off the ice in Edmonton on Saturday after yielding the only goal of the shootout to Sam Gagner in a 3-2 loss that completed a winless Rangers road trip. Lundqvist repeatedly lashed his goalstick into anything that crossed his path, splintering it to pieces.
And he has not been the same goaltender over the last month that he was through the season's first two months.
In his first 24 starts, Lundqvist allowed more than three goals just once, while holding opponents to two or fewer 17 times. He played to a 1.82 goals-against average and .930 save percentage over that stretch, which ran through the Dec.1 victory at Ottawa that completed a 12-3-1 surge.
Lundqvist has allowed four goals or more in half of his 12 starts since while holding opponents to two or fewer just four times. Over that stretch, he has played to a 3.17 goals-against average and .867 save percentage.
THAT HURTS: RW Brendan Shanahan said after Saturday night's game that the left knee injury he suffered in an unintentional center-ice collision with Edmonton's Dustin Penner 9:01 into the third period was "just a contusion." There was no update from the Rangers Sunday, as they spent the day flying back from Edmonton.
After writhing on the ice for several seconds, Shanahan attempted to walk and skate it off. He returned for one 20-second, penalty-killing shift but didn't play anymore.
Rangers coach Tom Renney said LW Martin Straka suffered "a stinger" from slamming into the backboards 1:10 into overtime. Straka did not return to the game and was hunched over and hurting in the Rangers' dressing room afterward.
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
looks like that stinger by straka is a concussion.
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."
looks like that stinger by straka is a concussion.
terrible news, terrible timing.
we have the bottom feeders coming up in the next couple of games, we need regulation Ws bigtime.
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
nigel dawes back up with the big club, cally sent back down to try and gain some confidence back, should be interesting ,.
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
and welcome to the lineup Pierre Parenteau from Hartford
and shit hitting the fan is what has happened to tampa bay losers of seven in a row and the second-worst team in the league.
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."
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
this will be a real indictment on this team if they can't win again with avery injured. he's a nice player for what he does but the rest of the team possesses enough talent that it's really unacceptable if avery's presence is a big difference in the win-loss record.
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."
you're probably not going to like this one either:
Parenteau, who played five games for the Blackhawks last season (with an assist), skated on a line with Marek Malik (yes) and Marcel Hossa.
(newsday)
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."
Comments
Give us the same time horizon even in a 30 team league and we will see
Anyways it has been fun talking hockey with you Ranger fans and I will leave your thread to you. Thought you guys might be interested in this story about Slats that ran in the Vancouver Sun today.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=827ee490-a312-406b-ac88-2750d97b341f&p=2
Glen Cameron Sather is 64 years old, one of exactly two living architects of bona fide NHL dynasties, a Hockey Hall of Famer. But before he is allowed to give an interview these days, he must first say: "May I?"
Granted, this is not a particularly good time to be working for Madison Square Garden. So you can perhaps forgive the paranoia that permeates the Cablevision empire, which recently has paid out millions in judgments and settlements for sexual harrassment of employees by its basketball team's GM and head coach and, more recently, a former hockey p.r. assistant.
The gawd-awful Knicks sit tiny percentage points out of last place in the NBA East, while Isiah Thomas -- who was at the centre of the $11.6-million judgment against MSG over his treatment of former executive Anucha Browne Sanders -- somehow hangs onto his job.
By comparison, you might suppose Sather's New York Rangers, tied for fourth in the NHL's Eastern Conference until they ran into Roberto Luongo at GM Place, would be up for MSG Employee of the Year.
But Sather still has to clear it with the team's media relations department before he is permitted to speak.
"What's it about?" the p.r. man asks.
The scribe has no idea. That's how a conversation works sometimes. It starts with hello, and it goes where it goes.
But all right. It's been five years since the Rangers came west. Not a single player on the team Sather generally manages was with the club the last time it was in Vancouver. How about starting there? Even on a squad as bad as the one Sather took over in June of 2000, 100-per-cent turnover in five years is bizarre.
"Well, you've got to go back further than five years," Sather said Thursday. "A lot of the transition from that team to this team developed because of what went on before I got there. They were trying to win another Stanley Cup, and they traded draft picks, traded prospects, and had an older mature team that was on the verge of ... well, doing what it did do."
That is, lose a lot. Miss the playoffs annually. And draw a lot of salary.
"The farm team had won the American League with an average age of 31. There were no prospects there. But I knew that when I was offered the job. I knew it was not going to be a short process. The only way to get through that transition period, until we got some draft picks that we could actually use in the game -- and I think the first one was [goalie Henrik] Lundqvist [drafted in 2000, No. 205 overall, didn't play until 2005-06] -- was to sign some free agents."
Sather inherited Theo Fleury and thought he could salvage his career, but Fleury ended up in alcohol rehab and the problems were compounded when the new GM threw millions more at Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure and Bobby Holik, none of whom came close to panning out in The Apple.
"There's things we did that I wouldn't do again," he said, not mentioning short-lived coach Bryan Trottier's 54 games behind the bench, "but there were a lot of players already there under long-term contracts for a lot of money ... and there's really no way to fill holes without draft picks and youth. We had none of that."
Sather dismantled the Rangers' scouting staff, and it may yet turn out that with Lundqvist, defenceman Marc Staal and Russian centre Artem Anisimov and winger Alexei Cherepanov -- assuming they can get their first-rounder from last June out of Russia -- there is something resembling a young nucleus in the making.
But the Rangers are not quite out of the woods on that score and Sather, who has been mocked in New York for failing to deliver on the remnants of his reputation from Edmonton dynasty days, knows it.
"I don't think there's any such thing as immediate results in this business. How many Sidney Crosbys come along in this game?" he said. "You try to fool yourself into thinking you're smarter than anyone else or that there's a shortcut to success, you're out of your mind."
He never asked for the genius tag, by the way, but he never exactly objected to it, either. There's no question the rich seven-year gig he got from MSG in 2000 -- which has since been redone and basically has no end-date -- was due to the fact the Rangers believed there was more magic left in the old Oiler jar.
"I have plenty left to prove," he said, that day. "It's not like putting up a building on Madison Avenue and saying, 'OK, its finished.' Hockey is never finished. It's a challenge every day, and I look forward to that challenge."
Even at 64, even on the bad days -- and Thursday, when his Rangers completely outplayed the dead-legged Canucks and got nothing for it, was one -- he still does.
"Look at this [Vancouver] franchise. Sure, it's built around a goaltender. But it wouldn't be where it is without drafting and player development, and players maturing, and how the coaching staff has brought them along. We didn't have any of that stuff. We had to go out and start doing it."
The fact that the Rangers seem closer to finding the answers now than they did pre-salary cap, when they could outspend anyone else, might prove Sather is more comfortable when he has to haggle at least a little over dollars, as he always did in Edmonton. Or merely that the lockout wiped the slate clean, and he was allowed to get out from under a pile of contracts and start over.
"You can't change somebody's perception. If they think that's the way it is, then that's the way it is. The only reality you can work under is your own. I don't think spending's got anything to do with it," he said.
"Anyway, it's not like Edmonton's a small market. That's a real fallacy. The largest revenue-generating teams in this league are the Canadian teams. Small market? I think one of the things the Americans teams should consider is going back to these Canadian clubs and getting the money back that they subsidized them with for all those years."
An American Assistance Plan? That's what you're advocating, Slats? Boy, you really have become a New York guy.
"I'm not a New York guy. Canada, the West, Banff -- those will always be home. I just spent a week in Banff, shoveling snow, taking the grandkids on a sleigh ride, skated on the river a couple of days, saw a couple of bull elk fighting each other. It was great.
"I like New York, though. It's been good. But it's the same challenges as everywhere else. You gotta be shitty for a while to be successful today, unless you're real lucky."
The Rangers were, uh, that way. Never quite crappy enough to get a Sidney Crosby in the draft, alas.
Hope the Cablevision boys don't read that quote.
yup
dude- you dont have to " leave our thread " .
heck i like the canucks out of the west.
the 9th uniform is probably the nicest theyve had in years.
and the original blue- who can argue with that .
trevor linden is one of the best guys- i even liked him in 94.
oh and tyhe commercial the sundin brothers made a few seasdons back- that was hilarious.
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
That policy has been in place since 2001. it applies more to the knicks. during the pregame, morning shootaround and postgame, a media relations official is required to type notes into a blackberry and send them up the chain of command.
They also do that for player interviews.
They do it for the Rangers but it's more extensive or more well-known with the Knicks.
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."
now i see why we got eliminated so quicklyin the nhl battle game thing.
these canucks must hate us , specially since weve been around so long ( orig 6 )
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
its back up
6 of us can partake :
http://cgi.ebay.com/6-Rangers-Tickets-Brian-Leetch-Retirement-Night-1-24_W0QQitemZ270201008502QQihZ017QQcategoryZ16122QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
man, that's still alot of dough!
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
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."
me when i was like 5 or 6...maybe 7
http://a211.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/24/l_8e1f29c51042ad51287757629801d6a2.jpg
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."
we needed shanahan in the shootout.
Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
Like I could even change the world, yeah right...
************************************
an aneurism can be fatal, lucky that he didnt bleed out and die.
especially after long airplane flights and the pressurization that occurs on long flights, it couldve been worse.
rehab can be long and tedious too,....
he hasnt had his game in a while now,....
Dad On Henriks Mind
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
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."
terrible news, terrible timing.
we have the bottom feeders coming up in the next couple of games, we need regulation Ws bigtime.
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
ugh... has shit offically hit the fan?
and shit hitting the fan is what has happened to tampa bay losers of seven in a row and the second-worst team in the league.
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."
strudwick playing forward and big bird back on D
dammit to hell !
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
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."
you're probably not going to like this one either:
Parenteau, who played five games for the Blackhawks last season (with an assist), skated on a line with Marek Malik (yes) and Marcel Hossa.
(newsday)
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."
they'll move strudwick up on offense b4 malik (u know that)