Larry Brooks
Breaking up is hard to do, unless you're the Rangers following a season in which the team got Tom Renney fired after 61 games; finished 12th in the NHL overall standings; 28th in offense and 29th in power-play efficiency; in a three-way tie for 19th in regulation victories; and lost the first round of the playoffs to Washington after leading the series 3-1.
"It was a terrible year, not only the way the team ended, but personally," Scott Gomez, who had the worst season of his career when the best was required, said at yesterday's break-up day. "I've got to get back to just creating, to making the people I play with better, which is what I've always done and have to get back to.
"In Torts' eyes, we all have to come back, and it'll be different, let's put it that way."
"Torts" is John Tortorella, who guided the team to a 12-7-2 record after replacing Renney on Feb. 23. The head coach yesterday addressed various issues, including whether his team has enough top-end talent to compete. "I don't think we have [enough] totally within our team and I don't think we got it totally from the people within our team," Tortorella said. "This is definitely going to be addressed.
"I think we need to grind more and need more size. We need to be in better condition. I struggle with some of the effort from some guys, and that's going to be addressed.
"I have a pretty good idea what's here now. I have a pretty good idea of who I'd like to keep and who I'd like to change, but I'm not the [GM], it's not that easy because of the cap and contracts that we have, but does Glen Sather want to change this team?
"[Darn] right he does."
Everyone knows that's easier said than done, what with the contracts attached to Gomez, Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival, and the no-move clauses attached to the contracts of Chris Drury and Markus Naslund.
There was much talk yesterday about the need for the players to report in better condition, but the Rangers supposedly did report to camp in remarkable condition last year, remember?
"I worry that some of the guys are tired now, and we played one round," Tortorella said. "That's unacceptable. That concerns me."
Sean Avery on his game and Tortorella: "If the organization, my teammates and the coach are behind me, I have to play my game. For the first time I feel I have a coach who will make me a better player. I can't think of a coach I'd rather play for" .
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naslund offically retires. pretty indifferent about it, thought he had a decent season with us despite whatever the critics say. at least it opens up some cap space.
WHEN the Rangers gather this week for their organiza tional meetings at Glen Sather's digs in La Quinta, Calif., you can be certain Scott Gomez will be front and center on the agenda.
It doesn't matter if you or I believe that Gomez can bounce back from a disastrous season that was by far the worst of a productive nine-year career, it only matters whether John Tortorella believes the 29-year-pivot can carry the 22-23 minutes a night that come with first-line responsibilities.
The contract will be secondary in the decision-making process, though it will be a paramount consideration and considerable obstacle should the Rangers attempt to trade Gomez rather than commit to him as a piece of the foundation.
No one ever expected Gomez to morph into Sidney Crosby or Vincent Lecavalier simply because he moved into the same high-rent district with the seven-year, $51.5 million contract he signed with the Rangers in 2007. It doesn't work that way in free agency, when the price always inflates expectations and nearly always exceeds value.
There was, however, every reason to believe Gomez would be a dependable and occasionally brilliant, 21-minute-a-game, first-line center who could produce, say, 23 goals and 60 assists a season while dynamically transporting the puck out of his own end and contributing to the power play from his spot off the half-wall.
Gomez was much of that in his first season on Broadway, even as he failed to mesh with Jaromir Jagr. And here's the reminder that no matter the inflated price tag, Gomez was brought to the Garden -- or is that bought by the Garden? -- to be a complementary player.
Indeed, Gomez was outstanding in the 2008 first-round rout of the Devils, perhaps the Rangers' best player while booed each time he touched the puck in the three games in Newark. He was clever, creative, tough, involved, and played with an edge.
He was none of those things this past year; none of those things for Tortorella after being none of those things in Year 2 for Tom Renney. Instead, Gomez looked lost as he consistently turned over the puck in traffic while just as consistently turning away from hits. Neither Gomez's mind nor body were willing or able to assume the burden and responsibility commensurate with the job as first-line center.
If Tortorella -- who, by the way was on the other bench in the spring of 2007 for an up-close-and-personal look when New Jersey's Gomez dominated Tampa Bay in the first round -- believes Gomez has both the talent and character to be a part of the Rangers' core, then the Blueshirts will commit to the center and seek to acquire a north-south sniper to add to his line.
But if not, if Gomez's play down the stretch and in the series against Washington created large enough doubts in the head coach, then Sather will attempt to move No. 19, which will not be easy to do.
Understand: The contract, which features an annual cap hit of $7,357,143 for another five years and has $33.5 million remaining in actual salary, is going to be the trade, if there's a trade. If there's an exchange, the value for the Rangers will come in removing the contract from the cap, not in the return coming the other way. The contract will be the trade.
The Rangers might be able to trade Gomez for a player with an onerous contract, say, Edmonton's 26-year-old, 6-foot-4, 245-pound winger Dustin Penner, who is to the Oilers what Wade Redden -- forget Gomez -- is to the Blueshirts. Penner, vilified since coming to Edmonton from Anaheim via a Group II offer sheet two years ago, has three years at $4.25 million per season remaining on his deal.
That would appear to be a possibility, or at least a starting point for talks, given both Edmonton's difficulty in attracting talent without dramatically overpaying for it, and the Rangers' need for a winger with size.
Except ... except that Gomez has a no-trade clause under which he can name three teams to which he cannot be dealt. One would expect Gomez and his agent, Ian Pulver, would be able to read the NHL as well as Slap Shots and thus would include the Oilers on the center's no-go list.
The Rangers have decisions to reach on Nikolai Zherdev -- feature him as part of a package offered to Tampa Bay for Martin St. Louis at the Entry Draft; qualify him at $3.25 million and take their chances that there's more there than met the eye; or don't qualify him and allow him to walk away for nothing at the age of 24 -- and on Nik Antropov, Paul Mara, Blair Betts and Colton Orr, if not on Derek Morris.
But first things first, which for the Rangers will center around Tortorella's opinion of Gomez, and whether the head coach believes that No. 19 has it in him to be his team's first-line center and whether Tortorella believes the Rangers can compete with Gomez slotted as one of the team's best players.
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can you say overpaid and a signing as bad as bure or lindros . 7 mil for the next 5 years is gonna hurt the rag$ big time, . oh i love how the disses never stop with this team. this team is a joke as long as sather is running the show or ruining the show, lmfao.
Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
well everyone knew that out of gomez and drury, one has to go this off season. i personally would rather see drury go than gomez. both are insanely overpaid, but unloading both wouldn't be realistic.
then the other pairing... redden and rosival, i am hoping the rangers are considering to unload one of those two as well. with such a good core of young defensemen that the rangers have, who do you keep out of the two? redden the veteran? or rosival who has 4 years of broadway experience?
either way they will be opening some cap space, which is a good thing. i just hope darth spends the $$$ wisely (ha).
say what you will about gomez,
but without him,
who is gonna get the puck in deep?
Think about it
how much was he relied on to carry the puck into the offensive zone,..........just something to consider.
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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
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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."
The Rangers have signed last year's number one draft pick, Mike Del Zotto, to an NHL contract. The defenseman is still just 18 years old, so the signing doesn't signal an imminent move to the NHL (he's not even eligible to play in the AHL). At left is a recent interview Jess Rubenstein conducted with Del Zotto for the February edition of Blueshirt Bulletin -- the text of the article is below. For more, see NYR.com, Howlings, Ranger Rants, and Blue Notes.
In other news, former head coach Tom Renney has accepted a position as associate head coach to new head coach Pat Quinn in Edmonton -- for more, see the Oilers' web site, the Toronto Sun, TSN, Ranger Rants, and Blue Notes. The Post reports that there is mutual interest in a free agent contract between the Rangers and former Ranger Mike Knuble. And if you missed it last week, Clint Smith, the last surviving member of the 1940 Ranger Cup champs, passed away at the age of 95 -- see the Times, NYR.com, Ranger Rants, and Blueshirts Blog.
Catching up on other links from the past week, this site is reporting that Nik Zherdev turned down an offer to play for Ufa of the KHL, but Beyond the Blueshirts already reported that -- here is part 2 of BtB's translation of an Artem Anisimov interview in Russian (part 1 is here). NYR.com's series reliving the 1994 playoffs continues here, here, and here. And Prospect Park's coverage of the Memorial Cup, won by Windsor, culminates here, here, and here (the last two sets of links are from newest to oldest, so if you want to read them in the order they were written, click the links from right to left).
Easy Going With DZ
By Jess Rubenstein, Blueshirt Bulletin
Mike Del Zotto has played his entire career in the shadow of one great player or another. His good friend John Tavares, expected to be drafted first or second overall in June, got all the attention in Oshawa, where the two played together, and now in London, to whom the two were traded together. Earlier in his career, he played with last June’s first overall draftee, Steve Stamkos.
Now, the Rangers’ 2008 first round pick (20th overall) watches quietly as third rounder Evgeny Grachev gets all the publicity because of his gaudy numbers and his play for Russia in the World Juniors. None of this bothers “DZ” -- you get the feeling he knows his time in the spotlight is going to come.
Despite being overshadowed by Tavares, those who know London understand Del Zotto’s importance. Assistant GM Jim recalls the last Ranger who played for the Knights: “Dan Girardi,” he said. “A great kid. We won the Memorial Cup with him.” It was the only time London has won the Memorial Cup and Girardi was a player they traded for, so McKellar is clearly hoping history repeats itself. London loves having Del Zotto just as much as he loves being there. They are a perfect match.
Talking to DZ makes it clear that this was the right pick for the Rangers in at least one respect, as here is someone who has no problem communicating -- Del Zotto has an outgoing personality that is ideal for a place like New York City. And this 18-year-old already has his priorities straight -- try talking about his first All-Star honor, and he shifts the focus to a game his team plays a few nights later. Del Zotto is not about self promotion but rather about wanting to win.
At 6’1, 190 pounds, DZ is not the biggest player on the blueline. But one thing is for sure -- nobody is going to outwork him for his place on the ice. He is open and honest about who he is as a player and person, about what he feels he has to do to make his way to the Rangers. Nothing seems to faze the young man from Stouffville, Ontario.
Blueshirt Bulletin: Can you tell us about your family back home?
Del Zotto: My dad’s name is Steve and my mom’s is Louise. They both work at IBM, coming up on their 29th year there. They met each other there. I could not ask for a better set of parents as they have supported me all the way while growing up. They have put so much time, effort, and money in helping me develop my hockey career. Even to this day, they travel everywhere to see me play and watch me every single weekend. They are just unbelieveable. I also have an older brother David who is 22 who just graduated from Queens University and has a job now. He is just like my parents, very supportive. I could not have asked for a better family to come from.
BB: You dropped 15 pounds to get ready for the draft. Why did you take the weight off so close to the draft? Have you kept it off?
DZ: I trimmed down quite a bit because I felt that, while my strength was there, I wanted to be a bit qucker going into camp so I could compete with the NHL guys. I wanted to become quicker mainly in my own defensive end so I could have better positioning. I also wanted to improve my conditioning.
BB: A lot has happened since training camp.
DZ: Well, it has been an up and down year for me. Obivously camp was one thing as I got to play in two exhibition games, which I got a lot out of. I returned to Oshawa for a couple of months and three weeks ago I got traded to London. It was a pretty emotional time for me leaving Oshawa as I was there for two and a half years. Oshawa was my home and it was hard to leave. Coming to London is a great experience for me, an opportunity. London is a great franchise and we hopefully can put something special together and go all the way.
BB: In Oshawa you missed some time due to injure. Have you fully recovered?
DZ: I missed a couple of weeks with a high ankle sprain but I’m completely healed from it.
BB: What are the differences between playing for Oshawa and London?
DZ: With the Generals, we had a lot of young guys, so I had to show them the ropes, I was playing close to forty minutes a night and it was taking its toll on my body. Coming to London, there is a group of six great defensemen, so I play less minutes. But I’ve come to a winning team and that is what I want to do -- I want to win. So whatever the coaches need me to do or ask of me I do.
BB: So who are you pairing with on defense?
DZ: Right now we’re still trying to find who gels with each other. On the power play I’m paired with John Carlson [2008 first round pick by the Capitals]. Five on five I’ve been playing with Vlad Roth.
BB: So why does it seem that everywhere you go, there is John Tavares? Are you going to be glad to be on your own once you join the Rangers?
DZ [laughing]: Yeah, it does seem that everywhere I go I’m with him. But he really is a great player and it was nice to come over here with someone I know. Actually, now I’m on my own as I don’t have a roommate like I did with Oshawa. I’m on my own for the first time. It’s a change and it’s nice as it helps me get ready for New York -- I’m learning to be independent.
BB: At last check you ten goals and 44 points in 45 games. Did you set scoring goals for this season?
DZ: Just going into this season, I didn’t want to put any pressure on myself to achieve a certain amount of goals, points, or plus-minus. I just wanted to go into the year and develop my game overall. I just wanted to become a more complete player. I didn’t want to let points be the deciding factor as to how my year went. That has been how I’ve gone the full year.
BB: But it’s hard to ignore your point production when you average a point a game as a defenseman. Are you satisfied with your season?
DZ: It’s been that way my whole career. But for me this year has been to improve my defensive game. I think if I focus on that then the points will take care of themselves.
BB: OK, then let’s talk about your defensive game. The “experts” knock your defense, so is this increased focus your idea of a response?
DZ: Very much so, especially the last couple of years. It’s been the knock on me my whole OHL career, since the Rangers drafted me, and it’s been what I’ve been focused so hard on this year. I just want to pay more attention to detail and work on that part of the game. I work on closing down my gaps, use better body positioning. It’s more of a mental thing than not knowing what to do. It’s paying closer attention to detail and wanting to remember to do all those little things.
BB: Do you picture yourself in a couple of years wearing a Ranger uniform?
DZ: Of course, yes, that’s the ultimate goal. It’s not my decision, it’s the coaches’ decision as to when I will be ready for the Rangers. I’m working hard every day and hoping to get there soon.
BB: You have a big week ahead of you starting with the OHL All-Star on Wednesday. How excited are you about that?
DZ: The guys have been talking about this game [Friday in Windsor] since I got here three weeks ago. It’s a huge rivalry -- they’re first in the league and ranked so highly in Canada [first in the CHL]. It’s going to be a great test for us and we’re going to have to just see what happens.
BB: Since I can’t get you to talk about the All-Star game, how about you then? Got a nickname that you like the best?
DZ: I have a bunch of nicknames but I like DZ the best.
BB: Favorite Music?
DZ: I like any kind of music. I’m not really picky.
BB: Three people for dinner?
DZ: Bobby Orr, my mom, and Pamela Anderson.
BB: Wait, the first two I can understand, but Pamela Anderson?
DZ [laughing]: Gotcha! Just having some fun, just want to keep you guessing.
BB: You’re so relaxed, unlike others I’ve interviewed. Do you enjoy this?
DZ: I’m an outgoing guy. I like to smile a lot, to tell jokes and have some fun.
BB: I do this all the time with these interviews: Michael Del Zotto, it’s the last minute of Game 7 -- tell us how you score the goal that wins the Cup for the Rangers.
DZ: I’m going to make a defensive play to break up the rush. The puck gets turned over, so we break out three on three on the rush. The forward will break in as I join the rush late, he feeds me the puck, and I go bar down to score.
BB: Bar down? That’s pretty descriptive. I take it you’ve dreamed of that moment.
DZ: Yes I have -- many times.
BB: The last word always belongs to you guys, the prospects, to talk to Rangers fans directly.
DZ: I’ve already been to a game at MSG. It was so unbelievable. The fans there are so very passionate and so intense in how they get so very behind the team. I love that -- it’s so huge for me. I’m going to do whatever it takes to help the team win the Cup. I want to be that guy who helps the Rangers win.
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We have some exclusive information on the Rangers' two new signees, Ilkka Heikkinen and Andres Ambuhl, today at Blueshirt Bulletin+ -- Heikkinen, the defenseman from Finland, tells us how he came to sign with the Rangers, what he expects from his move to North America, and what kind of player he thinks he is, while sportswriter Philipp Muschg of Zurich's Tages-Anzeiger gives us his take on what kind of player Ambuhl might be in the NHL (we hope to hear directly from Ambuhl as well).
Click here to see it if you subscribe to Blueshirt Bulletin and have registered for BB+ access. Subscribers who need help accessing BB+ should write to us at <!-- e --><a href="mailto:Blueshirt@mindspring.com">Blueshirt@mindspring.com</a><!-- e -->. E-mail us or click here to learn how to subscribe to the magazine and get quick access to BB+ -- you can be up and running in the time it takes to write an E-mail message if you subscribe via PayPal or credit card.
Introducing Andy and IIlka
The two newest Ranger acquisitions are relatively unknown to fans on this side of the Atlantic. Ilkka Heikkinen is a 6-2, 200-pound 24-year-old who skated with HIFK Helsinki of Finland's top league last season, where one of his teammates and close friends is former Ranger draftee Kimi Hirschovits. Andres Ambuhl is a 5'9, 195-pound winger from Switzerland who will turn 26 in September. The feisty eight-year veteran of HC Davos set career highs in every category last season.
We got in touch with Heikkinen to learn more about him. "The Rangers and a couple other teams were interested a year ago but I didn't have an NHL option on my contract," he said about how he came to sign with the Rangers. "This year, the Rangers were most interested and really wanted me, so it was an easy choice." We asked Ilkka to describe himself as a player. "I think I'm an all-around D-man and try play physical sometimes," he said. "Let's see how good I can play physical in there [in North America]. But I think my best talent is on offensive play, power play and slap shot.
Heikkinen is obviously coming to New York with the hopes of making it in the NHL but he certainly understands that he may need some seasoning in Hartford first, something the Rangers have already indicated to him. "My expectation is to play NHL next year," he said. "I'll try to be in the best shape I can be and take a spot on the Rangers. Maybe I'll have to start the season in Hartford, but I'm not disappointed in that. I think the Rangers are expecting me to become an NHL player next season."
We hope to hear from Ambuhl about his own expectations. In the meantime, our friend Philipp Muschg, a sportswriter for Zurich's Tages-Anzeiger, one of Switzerland's top newspapers, who has long considered himself a Ranger fan when it comes to NHL hockey, has sent us this report:
It will be interesting to see how AA does. He definitely has NHL speed, hustle and conditioning. Ambuhl never quits on a play, has good hockey sense, offensive instincts, and a defensive conscience. His skating is fantastic. He doesn't have Bure-like thrust but is incredibly shifty. He can turn on a dime and must be among the most elusive players on the planet. Plus, he is as low-maintenance as they come. He can play both center and on the wing, but seems more suited for the latter. On the flip side, Ambuhl clearly lacks size. And no matter how much he hustles and jumps into the fray against much bigger players, he just doesn't have a mean streak. He could get meaner, but size will always be a problem.
On top of that, AA has another serious flaw in terms of NHL standards: it's his shot. It isn't great in the first place, and he doesn't use it nearly enough. Ambuhl reminds me somewhat of a Petr Prucha without the shot. Crowds will love him, teammates will like him, but coaches won't be sure what to do with him. He's too skilled to be a fourth liner, not enough of a scorer for top-two line duty. I'd say he's most suited for a third-line forechecking role, a market that already seems pretty covered. And while more ice time in the AHL could mean solid numbers, they likely won't translate to the big leagues.
Thanks, Philipp! That's 1000% more than we already knew about AA -- though we'll have to call him AA-II since we already have Artem Anisimov as our resident AA. Philipp also tells us that former Ranger Thomas Pock has signed a contract to play in Switzerland next season. An NHL free agent after a season as an Islander, the affable Pock is succeeded by Ambuhl as the Ranger with an umlaut in his name (though we're no longer inserting it as we used to -- with apologies to Tommy and Andy).
For more reading on AA-II, see Ranger Rants, Blue Notes, Slap Shot. Prospect Park has more on another recent Ranger signee, Mike Del Zotto, as does Ranger Rants. Prospect Park also names Evgeny Grachev prospect of the year and has a round-up on other prospects. Ranger Rants looks ahead to the 2010 draft with their eye on Beukeboom. Did the Caps have an unfair and perhaps illegal advantage in the playoffs? So says the Daily News, reporting on a steroids scandal, though that will not change the outcome even if true. Blueshirts Blog talks to Howie Rose about his immortal "Matteau!" goal call. Hockey's Future ranks the Rangers 12th overall in their organizational
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John Davidson - the beloved Rangers goaltender who became a beloved Rangers broadcaster for more than 20 years as the team's color analyst - has been selected to receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster, the Hall of Fame announced Tuesday. He will be honored alongside longtime Penguins beat writer Dave Molinari - who will receive the Elmer Ferguson Award for print journalism - at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Nov. 9.
And he should also be joined by another hockey great who will help give Hall of Fame weekend in November a distinct '94 Rangers flavor. Brian Leetch is eligible for induction for the first time this year and should be a shoo-in. It shouldn't hurt Leetch's chances that Davidson sits on the selection committee.
Davidson - who left MSG Network in 2006 to become president of hockey operations for the St. Louis Blues - said he learned he would receive the honor just as the Blues' season was ending.
"I was sitting in my office - we were down 3-0 to Vancouver," Davidson said by telephone Tuesday, referring to his Blues' first playoff berth since 2004 ending in a sweep by the Canucks. "I got a phone call from Chuck Kaiton (Hurricanes play-by-play man and 2004 recipient) and I almost fell out of my chair."
Davidson, dealt from St. Louis to Broadway in 1975, was a Ranger until injuries forced him to retire in 1983 at age 29. MSG immediately brought him upstairs as the third man on a team with Jim Gordon and Phil Esposito.
"I was as green as green could be," Davidson recalled. "My first interview was with Bill Torrey, who was running the Islanders then, and I was so nervous that the microphone I was holding in my right hand was shaking so bad I was worried about knocking his teeth out. God's honest truth - I apologized to him afterward."
After leaving for a two-year stint with the CBC, Davidson worked the 1986 All-Star Game in Hartford for ESPN, his first game with partner Sam Rosen. Once Esposito left the MSG booth to become the Rangers' GM in 1986, Sam and J.D. were put together for a partnership that lasted 20 years.
"You couldn't find a more deserving person for this than J.D.," Rosen said. "He set the standard in hockey broadcasting."
Davidson will join Jiggs McDonald (1990), Sal Messina (2005) and Mike Emrick (2008) as local hockey voices to receive the honor.
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The greatest player the Rangers have ever produced will take his rightful place among the greats of the game.
In an announcement that has been scheduled ever since Brian Leetch hung up his skates three years ago, the Hockey Hall of Fame officially elected the legendary Ranger defenseman to its formidable Class of 2009. Leetch will join Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille at the induction ceremony on Nov.9 in Toronto.
The 18-member selection committee also tabbed Lou Lamoriello for induction in the builders' category, which the Devils president called "a complete surprise" - the only one of the day, in fact.
"A pretty overwhelming day, to say the least. I'm certainly humbled, excited, proud," Leetch said on a conference call, later adding that he was perhaps relieved above all. "And congratulations to the rest of the guys (elected) today. Just an amazing thing."
Leetch, the Rangers' top pick in the 1986 draft, joined the team in 1988 after stints with Boston College and the U.S. Olympic team, and won the Calder Trophy as the top rookie the following season. He played 17 seasons in a Blueshirt, covering 1,129 games - nine fewer than Harry Howell's team record - scoring 240 goals and 981 points (second on the team list to Rod Gilbert) while establishing himself as one of the best two-way defensemen in history.
Leetch won Norris Trophies in 1992 and '97, and cemented his place in Ranger lore by taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the 1994 playoff MVP when the Blueshirts broke their 54-year Stanley Cup drought.
Leetch, 41, was driving in his car yesterday afternoon when a call came into his cell phone from a number with a Toronto area code - meaning good news was on its way from Hall chairman Bill Hay. "I pulled my car over, took the call from Bill, and then sat there for another 15 minutes or so," Leetch said. "It was a sigh of relief."
That's a stark contrast from the call Leetch received on March 3, 2004, when Glen Sather's number on his caller ID made Leetch's stomach drop. The Rangers president/GM was calling that day to inform his best player that he had been traded to Toronto - a deal that devastated Leetch.
Leetch's next trip to the Garden came in 2006 in a Boston Bruins sweater; he returned again on Jan. 24, 2008, to watch his No.2 ascend to the rafters.
While Yzerman (692 goals), Hull (741) and Robitaille (668) are connected by the Cup they won together in Detroit in 2002, Leetch, Hull and Lamoriello share a bond from their Team USA days, peaking with their victory over Canada in the 1996 World Cup final. Leetch - widely regarded as the best U.S.-born defenseman - also left an impression on Lamoriello during the Rangers' epic defeat of the Devils in the '94 semis.
"I wish I couldn't comment on that, but I will," joked Lamoriello, whose Devil teams have won three Stanley Cups. "He was the catalyst for that Ranger team. His play was just extremely exceptional. We couldn't contain him."
The '09 class stacks up as one of the best to enter the Hall, although it gets a challenge from the 2007 group led by Leetch's pal Mark Messier that included Scott Stevens, Al MacInnis and Ron Francis. None of yesterday's honorees cared to compare classes.
"It's just great to be going into the Hall of Fame and joining those guys," Leetch said.
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The greatest player the Rangers have ever produced will take his rightful place among the greats of the game.
In an announcement that has been scheduled ever since Brian Leetch hung up his skates three years ago, the Hockey Hall of Fame officially elected the legendary Ranger defenseman to its formidable Class of 2009. Leetch will join Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille at the induction ceremony on Nov.9 in Toronto.
The 18-member selection committee also tabbed Lou Lamoriello for induction in the builders' category, which the Devils president called "a complete surprise" - the only one of the day, in fact.
"A pretty overwhelming day, to say the least. I'm certainly humbled, excited, proud," Leetch said on a conference call, later adding that he was perhaps relieved above all. "And congratulations to the rest of the guys (elected) today. Just an amazing thing."
Leetch, the Rangers' top pick in the 1986 draft, joined the team in 1988 after stints with Boston College and the U.S. Olympic team, and won the Calder Trophy as the top rookie the following season. He played 17 seasons in a Blueshirt, covering 1,129 games - nine fewer than Harry Howell's team record - scoring 240 goals and 981 points (second on the team list to Rod Gilbert) while establishing himself as one of the best two-way defensemen in history.
Leetch won Norris Trophies in 1992 and '97, and cemented his place in Ranger lore by taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the 1994 playoff MVP when the Blueshirts broke their 54-year Stanley Cup drought.
Leetch, 41, was driving in his car yesterday afternoon when a call came into his cell phone from a number with a Toronto area code - meaning good news was on its way from Hall chairman Bill Hay. "I pulled my car over, took the call from Bill, and then sat there for another 15 minutes or so," Leetch said. "It was a sigh of relief."
That's a stark contrast from the call Leetch received on March 3, 2004, when Glen Sather's number on his caller ID made Leetch's stomach drop. The Rangers president/GM was calling that day to inform his best player that he had been traded to Toronto - a deal that devastated Leetch.
Leetch's next trip to the Garden came in 2006 in a Boston Bruins sweater; he returned again on Jan. 24, 2008, to watch his No.2 ascend to the rafters.
While Yzerman (692 goals), Hull (741) and Robitaille (668) are connected by the Cup they won together in Detroit in 2002, Leetch, Hull and Lamoriello share a bond from their Team USA days, peaking with their victory over Canada in the 1996 World Cup final. Leetch - widely regarded as the best U.S.-born defenseman - also left an impression on Lamoriello during the Rangers' epic defeat of the Devils in the '94 semis.
"I wish I couldn't comment on that, but I will," joked Lamoriello, whose Devil teams have won three Stanley Cups. "He was the catalyst for that Ranger team. His play was just extremely exceptional. We couldn't contain him."
The '09 class stacks up as one of the best to enter the Hall, although it gets a challenge from the 2007 group led by Leetch's pal Mark Messier that included Scott Stevens, Al MacInnis and Ron Francis. None of yesterday's honorees cared to compare classes.
"It's just great to be going into the Hall of Fame and joining those guys," Leetch said.
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Hall, Yes!
What do you think is Brian Leetch's great achievement with the Rangers ?
Congrats to Brian! .... Well deserved he put together a very impressive resume!!!
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
dont suppose theres any chance Brian will consider laacing up the skates ,
for 1 more season, :?:
the free agent market is just a few weeks ( maybe less ) away ,
i hope with all the retirements and injuries plaguing our Beloved Blueshirts
that we can come away with some $ leftover and a few young guys to revive both our lineup and our city.
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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MONTREAL -- NHL general managers arriving here for this Entry Draft weekend have been met with gridlock created by a surfeit of big-money contracts on the trade market and an absence of teams willing to pay the price to take them.
That's why the Rangers remain in the hunt to acquire Dany Heatley from Ottawa, even though they have no intention of surrendering any of their prized young talent in order to obtain the sniper.
A well-placed source reports Ottawa GM Bryan Murray, under pressure to move Heatley before a $4 million up-front payment on his $8M salary for 2009-10 comes due on Wednesday, acknowledged yesterday he hasn't received an offer of close to equal value for Heatley, who has five years and $35M remaining on a contract that comes with a $7.5M annual cap hit.
Though GM Glen Sather has backed himself into a corner with the cap that will remain within a couple of hundred thousand dollars of last year's $56.7M following the NHLPA's vote to trigger a five-percent bump to counteract a decline in revenue, the Blueshirts could absorb Heatley's contract by moving Michal Rozsival ($5M cap hit) and not qualifying Nik Zherdev ($3.25M). Qualifying offers are due by 5 p.m. Monday.
The long-running reality mystery series "Who's No. 1?" -- produced by Charles Wang and directed by Garth Snow -- will come to a conclusion shortly after 7 tonight when the Islanders finally declare whether they're going to use the first-overall selection in the Entry Draft to select London center John Tavares, the most prolific goal-scorer in OHL history, or instead choose big (but not brawny) Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman, or defy common sense by taking Brampton center Matt Duchene.
The Islanders have enjoyed a fair amount of satisfaction in keeping their decision a state secret, even from the three contenders. As such, their selection in no way will be an anti-climax. If it is not Tavares, however, it likely would spark outrage on Long Island.
Meanwhile, there also is mystery surrounding the Devils, who come into the weekend without a head coach following the defection of Brent (See Ya!) Sutter to Calgary.
Three individuals, one with strong ties to the Devils, told The Post yesterday they believe GM Lou Lamoriello is leaning toward bringing back Jacques Lemaire to New Jersey. Lemaire, who resigned as head coach of the Wild following the season, led the Devils to their first Stanley Cup in 1995.
*
If all things are equal at the time of their first selection at 19th overall, Rangers will target a high-end talent at forward. Red Deer center Landon Ferraro, son of former Blueshirt and Islander pivot Ray Ferraro, is believed in the group being considered. Blueshirts likely would select Windsor defenseman Ryan Ellis, whose offensive ability is elite, if he's available, but chances of that are slim.
The Rangers, who will select 19th, 47th (the compensatory pick for Alexei Cherepanov) and 80th, could trade down in an attempt to add selections in the second and third rounds. They traded their own second-round pick to Toronto for Nik Antropov, who seems destined to leave Broadway via free agency.
The Islanders, meanwhile, own six of the first 62 picks in the draft (1, 26, 31, 37, 56, 62), and are in position to attempt to improve their second-pick position in the first round by offering multiple picks in exchange.
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Post edited by Bathgate66 on
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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in the past , the guy has been 99.9 % correct on details like this beforehand.
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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Gomez and/or Redden would be bait for either. There's rumors Toronto is interested in Redden, which would be outstanding!
funny,
i rermember redden getting his game together come playofs.
i could be totally wrong here but i thought he bounced back from a horrific season
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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Bash brooks all u want but he always gets insider info and does his homework. I love his work in the ny post. I can't tell u all how fucking happy I am cause of the draft. I'm on fucking cloud nine.
Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
Bash brooks all u want but he always gets insider info and does his homework. I love his work in the ny post. I can't tell u all how fucking happy I am cause of the draft. I'm on fucking cloud nine.
Bash brooks all u want but he always gets insider info and does his homework. I love his work in the ny post. I can't tell u all how fucking happy I am cause of the draft. I'm on fucking cloud nine.
Eklund gets insider info too....
Enjoy Taveres, good to see the rink packed in LI.
ekuland and brooks are the only ones I really trust. We will def enjoy tavares. I haven't been this happy to be an isles fan in a long ass time
Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
Comments
Larry Brooks
Breaking up is hard to do, unless you're the Rangers following a season in which the team got Tom Renney fired after 61 games; finished 12th in the NHL overall standings; 28th in offense and 29th in power-play efficiency; in a three-way tie for 19th in regulation victories; and lost the first round of the playoffs to Washington after leading the series 3-1.
"It was a terrible year, not only the way the team ended, but personally," Scott Gomez, who had the worst season of his career when the best was required, said at yesterday's break-up day. "I've got to get back to just creating, to making the people I play with better, which is what I've always done and have to get back to.
"In Torts' eyes, we all have to come back, and it'll be different, let's put it that way."
"Torts" is John Tortorella, who guided the team to a 12-7-2 record after replacing Renney on Feb. 23. The head coach yesterday addressed various issues, including whether his team has enough top-end talent to compete. "I don't think we have [enough] totally within our team and I don't think we got it totally from the people within our team," Tortorella said. "This is definitely going to be addressed.
"I think we need to grind more and need more size. We need to be in better condition. I struggle with some of the effort from some guys, and that's going to be addressed.
"I have a pretty good idea what's here now. I have a pretty good idea of who I'd like to keep and who I'd like to change, but I'm not the [GM], it's not that easy because of the cap and contracts that we have, but does Glen Sather want to change this team?
"[Darn] right he does."
Everyone knows that's easier said than done, what with the contracts attached to Gomez, Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival, and the no-move clauses attached to the contracts of Chris Drury and Markus Naslund.
There was much talk yesterday about the need for the players to report in better condition, but the Rangers supposedly did report to camp in remarkable condition last year, remember?
"I worry that some of the guys are tired now, and we played one round," Tortorella said. "That's unacceptable. That concerns me."
Sean Avery on his game and Tortorella: "If the organization, my teammates and the coach are behind me, I have to play my game. For the first time I feel I have a coach who will make me a better player. I can't think of a coach I'd rather play for" .
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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dubinsky deserves the A now.
WHEN the Rangers gather this week for their organiza tional meetings at Glen Sather's digs in La Quinta, Calif., you can be certain Scott Gomez will be front and center on the agenda.
It doesn't matter if you or I believe that Gomez can bounce back from a disastrous season that was by far the worst of a productive nine-year career, it only matters whether John Tortorella believes the 29-year-pivot can carry the 22-23 minutes a night that come with first-line responsibilities.
The contract will be secondary in the decision-making process, though it will be a paramount consideration and considerable obstacle should the Rangers attempt to trade Gomez rather than commit to him as a piece of the foundation.
No one ever expected Gomez to morph into Sidney Crosby or Vincent Lecavalier simply because he moved into the same high-rent district with the seven-year, $51.5 million contract he signed with the Rangers in 2007. It doesn't work that way in free agency, when the price always inflates expectations and nearly always exceeds value.
There was, however, every reason to believe Gomez would be a dependable and occasionally brilliant, 21-minute-a-game, first-line center who could produce, say, 23 goals and 60 assists a season while dynamically transporting the puck out of his own end and contributing to the power play from his spot off the half-wall.
Gomez was much of that in his first season on Broadway, even as he failed to mesh with Jaromir Jagr. And here's the reminder that no matter the inflated price tag, Gomez was brought to the Garden -- or is that bought by the Garden? -- to be a complementary player.
Indeed, Gomez was outstanding in the 2008 first-round rout of the Devils, perhaps the Rangers' best player while booed each time he touched the puck in the three games in Newark. He was clever, creative, tough, involved, and played with an edge.
He was none of those things this past year; none of those things for Tortorella after being none of those things in Year 2 for Tom Renney. Instead, Gomez looked lost as he consistently turned over the puck in traffic while just as consistently turning away from hits. Neither Gomez's mind nor body were willing or able to assume the burden and responsibility commensurate with the job as first-line center.
If Tortorella -- who, by the way was on the other bench in the spring of 2007 for an up-close-and-personal look when New Jersey's Gomez dominated Tampa Bay in the first round -- believes Gomez has both the talent and character to be a part of the Rangers' core, then the Blueshirts will commit to the center and seek to acquire a north-south sniper to add to his line.
But if not, if Gomez's play down the stretch and in the series against Washington created large enough doubts in the head coach, then Sather will attempt to move No. 19, which will not be easy to do.
Understand: The contract, which features an annual cap hit of $7,357,143 for another five years and has $33.5 million remaining in actual salary, is going to be the trade, if there's a trade. If there's an exchange, the value for the Rangers will come in removing the contract from the cap, not in the return coming the other way. The contract will be the trade.
The Rangers might be able to trade Gomez for a player with an onerous contract, say, Edmonton's 26-year-old, 6-foot-4, 245-pound winger Dustin Penner, who is to the Oilers what Wade Redden -- forget Gomez -- is to the Blueshirts. Penner, vilified since coming to Edmonton from Anaheim via a Group II offer sheet two years ago, has three years at $4.25 million per season remaining on his deal.
That would appear to be a possibility, or at least a starting point for talks, given both Edmonton's difficulty in attracting talent without dramatically overpaying for it, and the Rangers' need for a winger with size.
Except ... except that Gomez has a no-trade clause under which he can name three teams to which he cannot be dealt. One would expect Gomez and his agent, Ian Pulver, would be able to read the NHL as well as Slap Shots and thus would include the Oilers on the center's no-go list.
The Rangers have decisions to reach on Nikolai Zherdev -- feature him as part of a package offered to Tampa Bay for Martin St. Louis at the Entry Draft; qualify him at $3.25 million and take their chances that there's more there than met the eye; or don't qualify him and allow him to walk away for nothing at the age of 24 -- and on Nik Antropov, Paul Mara, Blair Betts and Colton Orr, if not on Derek Morris.
But first things first, which for the Rangers will center around Tortorella's opinion of Gomez, and whether the head coach believes that No. 19 has it in him to be his team's first-line center and whether Tortorella believes the Rangers can compete with Gomez slotted as one of the team's best players.
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Sammi: Wanna just break up?
then the other pairing... redden and rosival, i am hoping the rangers are considering to unload one of those two as well. with such a good core of young defensemen that the rangers have, who do you keep out of the two? redden the veteran? or rosival who has 4 years of broadway experience?
either way they will be opening some cap space, which is a good thing. i just hope darth spends the $$$ wisely (ha).
but without him,
who is gonna get the puck in deep?
Think about it
how much was he relied on to carry the puck into the offensive zone,..........just something to consider.
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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The ONLY thing better than a glass of beer is tea with Miss McGill
A protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers
you want redden....
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."
Hmmmm...we have plenty of turnover happy d-men whats one more !
The ONLY thing better than a glass of beer is tea with Miss McGill
A protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers
In other news, former head coach Tom Renney has accepted a position as associate head coach to new head coach Pat Quinn in Edmonton -- for more, see the Oilers' web site, the Toronto Sun, TSN, Ranger Rants, and Blue Notes. The Post reports that there is mutual interest in a free agent contract between the Rangers and former Ranger Mike Knuble. And if you missed it last week, Clint Smith, the last surviving member of the 1940 Ranger Cup champs, passed away at the age of 95 -- see the Times, NYR.com, Ranger Rants, and Blueshirts Blog.
Catching up on other links from the past week, this site is reporting that Nik Zherdev turned down an offer to play for Ufa of the KHL, but Beyond the Blueshirts already reported that -- here is part 2 of BtB's translation of an Artem Anisimov interview in Russian (part 1 is here). NYR.com's series reliving the 1994 playoffs continues here, here, and here. And Prospect Park's coverage of the Memorial Cup, won by Windsor, culminates here, here, and here (the last two sets of links are from newest to oldest, so if you want to read them in the order they were written, click the links from right to left).
Easy Going With DZ
By Jess Rubenstein, Blueshirt Bulletin
Mike Del Zotto has played his entire career in the shadow of one great player or another. His good friend John Tavares, expected to be drafted first or second overall in June, got all the attention in Oshawa, where the two played together, and now in London, to whom the two were traded together. Earlier in his career, he played with last June’s first overall draftee, Steve Stamkos.
Now, the Rangers’ 2008 first round pick (20th overall) watches quietly as third rounder Evgeny Grachev gets all the publicity because of his gaudy numbers and his play for Russia in the World Juniors. None of this bothers “DZ” -- you get the feeling he knows his time in the spotlight is going to come.
Despite being overshadowed by Tavares, those who know London understand Del Zotto’s importance. Assistant GM Jim recalls the last Ranger who played for the Knights: “Dan Girardi,” he said. “A great kid. We won the Memorial Cup with him.” It was the only time London has won the Memorial Cup and Girardi was a player they traded for, so McKellar is clearly hoping history repeats itself. London loves having Del Zotto just as much as he loves being there. They are a perfect match.
Talking to DZ makes it clear that this was the right pick for the Rangers in at least one respect, as here is someone who has no problem communicating -- Del Zotto has an outgoing personality that is ideal for a place like New York City. And this 18-year-old already has his priorities straight -- try talking about his first All-Star honor, and he shifts the focus to a game his team plays a few nights later. Del Zotto is not about self promotion but rather about wanting to win.
At 6’1, 190 pounds, DZ is not the biggest player on the blueline. But one thing is for sure -- nobody is going to outwork him for his place on the ice. He is open and honest about who he is as a player and person, about what he feels he has to do to make his way to the Rangers. Nothing seems to faze the young man from Stouffville, Ontario.
Blueshirt Bulletin: Can you tell us about your family back home?
Del Zotto: My dad’s name is Steve and my mom’s is Louise. They both work at IBM, coming up on their 29th year there. They met each other there. I could not ask for a better set of parents as they have supported me all the way while growing up. They have put so much time, effort, and money in helping me develop my hockey career. Even to this day, they travel everywhere to see me play and watch me every single weekend. They are just unbelieveable. I also have an older brother David who is 22 who just graduated from Queens University and has a job now. He is just like my parents, very supportive. I could not have asked for a better family to come from.
BB: You dropped 15 pounds to get ready for the draft. Why did you take the weight off so close to the draft? Have you kept it off?
DZ: I trimmed down quite a bit because I felt that, while my strength was there, I wanted to be a bit qucker going into camp so I could compete with the NHL guys. I wanted to become quicker mainly in my own defensive end so I could have better positioning. I also wanted to improve my conditioning.
BB: A lot has happened since training camp.
DZ: Well, it has been an up and down year for me. Obivously camp was one thing as I got to play in two exhibition games, which I got a lot out of. I returned to Oshawa for a couple of months and three weeks ago I got traded to London. It was a pretty emotional time for me leaving Oshawa as I was there for two and a half years. Oshawa was my home and it was hard to leave. Coming to London is a great experience for me, an opportunity. London is a great franchise and we hopefully can put something special together and go all the way.
BB: In Oshawa you missed some time due to injure. Have you fully recovered?
DZ: I missed a couple of weeks with a high ankle sprain but I’m completely healed from it.
BB: What are the differences between playing for Oshawa and London?
DZ: With the Generals, we had a lot of young guys, so I had to show them the ropes, I was playing close to forty minutes a night and it was taking its toll on my body. Coming to London, there is a group of six great defensemen, so I play less minutes. But I’ve come to a winning team and that is what I want to do -- I want to win. So whatever the coaches need me to do or ask of me I do.
BB: So who are you pairing with on defense?
DZ: Right now we’re still trying to find who gels with each other. On the power play I’m paired with John Carlson [2008 first round pick by the Capitals]. Five on five I’ve been playing with Vlad Roth.
BB: So why does it seem that everywhere you go, there is John Tavares? Are you going to be glad to be on your own once you join the Rangers?
DZ [laughing]: Yeah, it does seem that everywhere I go I’m with him. But he really is a great player and it was nice to come over here with someone I know. Actually, now I’m on my own as I don’t have a roommate like I did with Oshawa. I’m on my own for the first time. It’s a change and it’s nice as it helps me get ready for New York -- I’m learning to be independent.
BB: At last check you ten goals and 44 points in 45 games. Did you set scoring goals for this season?
DZ: Just going into this season, I didn’t want to put any pressure on myself to achieve a certain amount of goals, points, or plus-minus. I just wanted to go into the year and develop my game overall. I just wanted to become a more complete player. I didn’t want to let points be the deciding factor as to how my year went. That has been how I’ve gone the full year.
BB: But it’s hard to ignore your point production when you average a point a game as a defenseman. Are you satisfied with your season?
DZ: It’s been that way my whole career. But for me this year has been to improve my defensive game. I think if I focus on that then the points will take care of themselves.
BB: OK, then let’s talk about your defensive game. The “experts” knock your defense, so is this increased focus your idea of a response?
DZ: Very much so, especially the last couple of years. It’s been the knock on me my whole OHL career, since the Rangers drafted me, and it’s been what I’ve been focused so hard on this year. I just want to pay more attention to detail and work on that part of the game. I work on closing down my gaps, use better body positioning. It’s more of a mental thing than not knowing what to do. It’s paying closer attention to detail and wanting to remember to do all those little things.
BB: Do you picture yourself in a couple of years wearing a Ranger uniform?
DZ: Of course, yes, that’s the ultimate goal. It’s not my decision, it’s the coaches’ decision as to when I will be ready for the Rangers. I’m working hard every day and hoping to get there soon.
BB: You have a big week ahead of you starting with the OHL All-Star on Wednesday. How excited are you about that?
DZ: The guys have been talking about this game [Friday in Windsor] since I got here three weeks ago. It’s a huge rivalry -- they’re first in the league and ranked so highly in Canada [first in the CHL]. It’s going to be a great test for us and we’re going to have to just see what happens.
BB: Since I can’t get you to talk about the All-Star game, how about you then? Got a nickname that you like the best?
DZ: I have a bunch of nicknames but I like DZ the best.
BB: Favorite Music?
DZ: I like any kind of music. I’m not really picky.
BB: Three people for dinner?
DZ: Bobby Orr, my mom, and Pamela Anderson.
BB: Wait, the first two I can understand, but Pamela Anderson?
DZ [laughing]: Gotcha! Just having some fun, just want to keep you guessing.
BB: You’re so relaxed, unlike others I’ve interviewed. Do you enjoy this?
DZ: I’m an outgoing guy. I like to smile a lot, to tell jokes and have some fun.
BB: I do this all the time with these interviews: Michael Del Zotto, it’s the last minute of Game 7 -- tell us how you score the goal that wins the Cup for the Rangers.
DZ: I’m going to make a defensive play to break up the rush. The puck gets turned over, so we break out three on three on the rush. The forward will break in as I join the rush late, he feeds me the puck, and I go bar down to score.
BB: Bar down? That’s pretty descriptive. I take it you’ve dreamed of that moment.
DZ: Yes I have -- many times.
BB: The last word always belongs to you guys, the prospects, to talk to Rangers fans directly.
DZ: I’ve already been to a game at MSG. It was so unbelievable. The fans there are so very passionate and so intense in how they get so very behind the team. I love that -- it’s so huge for me. I’m going to do whatever it takes to help the team win the Cup. I want to be that guy who helps the Rangers win.
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Come on !
He just Lasik surgery on his eyes...he will average 50-60 goals now !
:P
The ONLY thing better than a glass of beer is tea with Miss McGill
A protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers
heard zherdev got an offer from the KHL, but turned it down in hopes to be playing for the rangers next season.
http://www.fromtherink.com/2009/5/26/88 ... orov-going
hot off the wires:
We have some exclusive information on the Rangers' two new signees, Ilkka Heikkinen and Andres Ambuhl, today at Blueshirt Bulletin+ -- Heikkinen, the defenseman from Finland, tells us how he came to sign with the Rangers, what he expects from his move to North America, and what kind of player he thinks he is, while sportswriter Philipp Muschg of Zurich's Tages-Anzeiger gives us his take on what kind of player Ambuhl might be in the NHL (we hope to hear directly from Ambuhl as well).
Click here to see it if you subscribe to Blueshirt Bulletin and have registered for BB+ access. Subscribers who need help accessing BB+ should write to us at <!-- e --><a href="mailto:Blueshirt@mindspring.com">Blueshirt@mindspring.com</a><!-- e -->. E-mail us or click here to learn how to subscribe to the magazine and get quick access to BB+ -- you can be up and running in the time it takes to write an E-mail message if you subscribe via PayPal or credit card.
Introducing Andy and IIlka
The two newest Ranger acquisitions are relatively unknown to fans on this side of the Atlantic. Ilkka Heikkinen is a 6-2, 200-pound 24-year-old who skated with HIFK Helsinki of Finland's top league last season, where one of his teammates and close friends is former Ranger draftee Kimi Hirschovits. Andres Ambuhl is a 5'9, 195-pound winger from Switzerland who will turn 26 in September. The feisty eight-year veteran of HC Davos set career highs in every category last season.
We got in touch with Heikkinen to learn more about him. "The Rangers and a couple other teams were interested a year ago but I didn't have an NHL option on my contract," he said about how he came to sign with the Rangers. "This year, the Rangers were most interested and really wanted me, so it was an easy choice." We asked Ilkka to describe himself as a player. "I think I'm an all-around D-man and try play physical sometimes," he said. "Let's see how good I can play physical in there [in North America]. But I think my best talent is on offensive play, power play and slap shot.
Heikkinen is obviously coming to New York with the hopes of making it in the NHL but he certainly understands that he may need some seasoning in Hartford first, something the Rangers have already indicated to him. "My expectation is to play NHL next year," he said. "I'll try to be in the best shape I can be and take a spot on the Rangers. Maybe I'll have to start the season in Hartford, but I'm not disappointed in that. I think the Rangers are expecting me to become an NHL player next season."
We hope to hear from Ambuhl about his own expectations. In the meantime, our friend Philipp Muschg, a sportswriter for Zurich's Tages-Anzeiger, one of Switzerland's top newspapers, who has long considered himself a Ranger fan when it comes to NHL hockey, has sent us this report:
It will be interesting to see how AA does. He definitely has NHL speed, hustle and conditioning. Ambuhl never quits on a play, has good hockey sense, offensive instincts, and a defensive conscience. His skating is fantastic. He doesn't have Bure-like thrust but is incredibly shifty. He can turn on a dime and must be among the most elusive players on the planet. Plus, he is as low-maintenance as they come. He can play both center and on the wing, but seems more suited for the latter. On the flip side, Ambuhl clearly lacks size. And no matter how much he hustles and jumps into the fray against much bigger players, he just doesn't have a mean streak. He could get meaner, but size will always be a problem.
On top of that, AA has another serious flaw in terms of NHL standards: it's his shot. It isn't great in the first place, and he doesn't use it nearly enough. Ambuhl reminds me somewhat of a Petr Prucha without the shot. Crowds will love him, teammates will like him, but coaches won't be sure what to do with him. He's too skilled to be a fourth liner, not enough of a scorer for top-two line duty. I'd say he's most suited for a third-line forechecking role, a market that already seems pretty covered. And while more ice time in the AHL could mean solid numbers, they likely won't translate to the big leagues.
Thanks, Philipp! That's 1000% more than we already knew about AA -- though we'll have to call him AA-II since we already have Artem Anisimov as our resident AA. Philipp also tells us that former Ranger Thomas Pock has signed a contract to play in Switzerland next season. An NHL free agent after a season as an Islander, the affable Pock is succeeded by Ambuhl as the Ranger with an umlaut in his name (though we're no longer inserting it as we used to -- with apologies to Tommy and Andy).
For more reading on AA-II, see Ranger Rants, Blue Notes, Slap Shot. Prospect Park has more on another recent Ranger signee, Mike Del Zotto, as does Ranger Rants. Prospect Park also names Evgeny Grachev prospect of the year and has a round-up on other prospects. Ranger Rants looks ahead to the 2010 draft with their eye on Beukeboom. Did the Caps have an unfair and perhaps illegal advantage in the playoffs? So says the Daily News, reporting on a steroids scandal, though that will not change the outcome even if true. Blueshirts Blog talks to Howie Rose about his immortal "Matteau!" goal call. Hockey's Future ranks the Rangers 12th overall in their organizational
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Oh baby! J.D. is headed to the Hall of Fame.
John Davidson - the beloved Rangers goaltender who became a beloved Rangers broadcaster for more than 20 years as the team's color analyst - has been selected to receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster, the Hall of Fame announced Tuesday. He will be honored alongside longtime Penguins beat writer Dave Molinari - who will receive the Elmer Ferguson Award for print journalism - at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Nov. 9.
And he should also be joined by another hockey great who will help give Hall of Fame weekend in November a distinct '94 Rangers flavor. Brian Leetch is eligible for induction for the first time this year and should be a shoo-in. It shouldn't hurt Leetch's chances that Davidson sits on the selection committee.
Davidson - who left MSG Network in 2006 to become president of hockey operations for the St. Louis Blues - said he learned he would receive the honor just as the Blues' season was ending.
"I was sitting in my office - we were down 3-0 to Vancouver," Davidson said by telephone Tuesday, referring to his Blues' first playoff berth since 2004 ending in a sweep by the Canucks. "I got a phone call from Chuck Kaiton (Hurricanes play-by-play man and 2004 recipient) and I almost fell out of my chair."
Davidson, dealt from St. Louis to Broadway in 1975, was a Ranger until injuries forced him to retire in 1983 at age 29. MSG immediately brought him upstairs as the third man on a team with Jim Gordon and Phil Esposito.
"I was as green as green could be," Davidson recalled. "My first interview was with Bill Torrey, who was running the Islanders then, and I was so nervous that the microphone I was holding in my right hand was shaking so bad I was worried about knocking his teeth out. God's honest truth - I apologized to him afterward."
After leaving for a two-year stint with the CBC, Davidson worked the 1986 All-Star Game in Hartford for ESPN, his first game with partner Sam Rosen. Once Esposito left the MSG booth to become the Rangers' GM in 1986, Sam and J.D. were put together for a partnership that lasted 20 years.
"You couldn't find a more deserving person for this than J.D.," Rosen said. "He set the standard in hockey broadcasting."
Davidson will join Jiggs McDonald (1990), Sal Messina (2005) and Mike Emrick (2008) as local hockey voices to receive the honor.
Read more: "John Davidson gets nod from Hall of Fame, & Brian Leetch could follow" - http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hocke ... ETIZ5vG8&A
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The greatest player the Rangers have ever produced will take his rightful place among the greats of the game.
In an announcement that has been scheduled ever since Brian Leetch hung up his skates three years ago, the Hockey Hall of Fame officially elected the legendary Ranger defenseman to its formidable Class of 2009. Leetch will join Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille at the induction ceremony on Nov.9 in Toronto.
The 18-member selection committee also tabbed Lou Lamoriello for induction in the builders' category, which the Devils president called "a complete surprise" - the only one of the day, in fact.
"A pretty overwhelming day, to say the least. I'm certainly humbled, excited, proud," Leetch said on a conference call, later adding that he was perhaps relieved above all. "And congratulations to the rest of the guys (elected) today. Just an amazing thing."
Leetch, the Rangers' top pick in the 1986 draft, joined the team in 1988 after stints with Boston College and the U.S. Olympic team, and won the Calder Trophy as the top rookie the following season. He played 17 seasons in a Blueshirt, covering 1,129 games - nine fewer than Harry Howell's team record - scoring 240 goals and 981 points (second on the team list to Rod Gilbert) while establishing himself as one of the best two-way defensemen in history.
Leetch won Norris Trophies in 1992 and '97, and cemented his place in Ranger lore by taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the 1994 playoff MVP when the Blueshirts broke their 54-year Stanley Cup drought.
Leetch, 41, was driving in his car yesterday afternoon when a call came into his cell phone from a number with a Toronto area code - meaning good news was on its way from Hall chairman Bill Hay. "I pulled my car over, took the call from Bill, and then sat there for another 15 minutes or so," Leetch said. "It was a sigh of relief."
That's a stark contrast from the call Leetch received on March 3, 2004, when Glen Sather's number on his caller ID made Leetch's stomach drop. The Rangers president/GM was calling that day to inform his best player that he had been traded to Toronto - a deal that devastated Leetch.
Leetch's next trip to the Garden came in 2006 in a Boston Bruins sweater; he returned again on Jan. 24, 2008, to watch his No.2 ascend to the rafters.
While Yzerman (692 goals), Hull (741) and Robitaille (668) are connected by the Cup they won together in Detroit in 2002, Leetch, Hull and Lamoriello share a bond from their Team USA days, peaking with their victory over Canada in the 1996 World Cup final. Leetch - widely regarded as the best U.S.-born defenseman - also left an impression on Lamoriello during the Rangers' epic defeat of the Devils in the '94 semis.
"I wish I couldn't comment on that, but I will," joked Lamoriello, whose Devil teams have won three Stanley Cups. "He was the catalyst for that Ranger team. His play was just extremely exceptional. We couldn't contain him."
The '09 class stacks up as one of the best to enter the Hall, although it gets a challenge from the 2007 group led by Leetch's pal Mark Messier that included Scott Stevens, Al MacInnis and Ron Francis. None of yesterday's honorees cared to compare classes.
"It's just great to be going into the Hall of Fame and joining those guys," Leetch said.
Take our Poll
Hall, Yes!
What do you think is Brian Leetch's great achievement with the Rangers ?
Winning the Conn Smythe in '94
Playing over 1,000 regular-season games
Nine All-Star appearances
981 career points, second all-time
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hocke ... JNVTnWFi&C
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Congrats to Brian! .... Well deserved he put together a very impressive resume!!!
for 1 more season, :?:
the free agent market is just a few weeks ( maybe less ) away ,
i hope with all the retirements and injuries plaguing our Beloved Blueshirts
that we can come away with some $ leftover and a few young guys to revive both our lineup and our city.
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8000th post and it goes to a nervous isles fan on draft day
As always RAG$ SUCK
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
By LARRY BROOKS
June 26, 2009
MONTREAL -- NHL general managers arriving here for this Entry Draft weekend have been met with gridlock created by a surfeit of big-money contracts on the trade market and an absence of teams willing to pay the price to take them.
That's why the Rangers remain in the hunt to acquire Dany Heatley from Ottawa, even though they have no intention of surrendering any of their prized young talent in order to obtain the sniper.
A well-placed source reports Ottawa GM Bryan Murray, under pressure to move Heatley before a $4 million up-front payment on his $8M salary for 2009-10 comes due on Wednesday, acknowledged yesterday he hasn't received an offer of close to equal value for Heatley, who has five years and $35M remaining on a contract that comes with a $7.5M annual cap hit.
Though GM Glen Sather has backed himself into a corner with the cap that will remain within a couple of hundred thousand dollars of last year's $56.7M following the NHLPA's vote to trigger a five-percent bump to counteract a decline in revenue, the Blueshirts could absorb Heatley's contract by moving Michal Rozsival ($5M cap hit) and not qualifying Nik Zherdev ($3.25M). Qualifying offers are due by 5 p.m. Monday.
The long-running reality mystery series "Who's No. 1?" -- produced by Charles Wang and directed by Garth Snow -- will come to a conclusion shortly after 7 tonight when the Islanders finally declare whether they're going to use the first-overall selection in the Entry Draft to select London center John Tavares, the most prolific goal-scorer in OHL history, or instead choose big (but not brawny) Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman, or defy common sense by taking Brampton center Matt Duchene.
The Islanders have enjoyed a fair amount of satisfaction in keeping their decision a state secret, even from the three contenders. As such, their selection in no way will be an anti-climax. If it is not Tavares, however, it likely would spark outrage on Long Island.
Meanwhile, there also is mystery surrounding the Devils, who come into the weekend without a head coach following the defection of Brent (See Ya!) Sutter to Calgary.
Three individuals, one with strong ties to the Devils, told The Post yesterday they believe GM Lou Lamoriello is leaning toward bringing back Jacques Lemaire to New Jersey. Lemaire, who resigned as head coach of the Wild following the season, led the Devils to their first Stanley Cup in 1995.
*
If all things are equal at the time of their first selection at 19th overall, Rangers will target a high-end talent at forward. Red Deer center Landon Ferraro, son of former Blueshirt and Islander pivot Ray Ferraro, is believed in the group being considered. Blueshirts likely would select Windsor defenseman Ryan Ellis, whose offensive ability is elite, if he's available, but chances of that are slim.
The Rangers, who will select 19th, 47th (the compensatory pick for Alexei Cherepanov) and 80th, could trade down in an attempt to add selections in the second and third rounds. They traded their own second-round pick to Toronto for Nik Antropov, who seems destined to leave Broadway via free agency.
The Islanders, meanwhile, own six of the first 62 picks in the draft (1, 26, 31, 37, 56, 62), and are in position to attempt to improve their second-pick position in the first round by offering multiple picks in exchange.
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lol all you want
in the past , the guy has been 99.9 % correct on details like this beforehand.
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Gomez and/or Redden would be bait for either. There's rumors Toronto is interested in Redden, which would be outstanding!
funny,
i rermember redden getting his game together come playofs.
i could be totally wrong here but i thought he bounced back from a horrific season
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And 99.9% is being mildly generous.
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
Enjoy Taveres, good to see the rink packed in LI.
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
He's the idiot that gave Federov (one of the greatest wrist shooters of all time) 5-7 feet of room with no stick in the way