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

September 18, 2008



Another Rousing Scrimmage at Training Camp
The second day of training camp was even more intense than the first day, with the players skating harder, hitting harder, and going all out. One veteran observer noted that they were playing like it was mid-November. Some of the action can be seen in the photos are right -- we'll have some video at Blueshirt Bulletin+ later today.

The lines remained similar to yesterday, a notable change from training camps past when Tom Renney would switch things up after the first day. The line of Gomez, Naslund, and Zherdev struggled to connect with each other, despite Gomez scoring one of three Blue team goals in a 3-1 win. All three appeared frustrated, Zherdev losing the puck badly on several occasions in vulnerable position and Gomez arguing penalty calls with the refs. The line of Dubinsky, Callahan, and Fritsche had another great day, with Fristche a stand-out with a power move down the wing and to the net past Michal Rozsival for another Blue goal. Dale Weise, coming in from Traverse City, looked very good, and not only because he roofed a shot for Blue's first goal. His linemates, Andreas Jamtin and Brodie Dupont, did not look as good. Betts, Orr, and Korpikoski, the other Blue line, also looked good, especially Korpikoski.

White's top line of Drury, Prucha, and Dawes was just a bit less dominant than yesterday, but still good, generating the only goal their team scored (Dawes). Ditto the line of Nedved, Voros, and Rissmiller -- not quite at yesterday's level, but still good. Artem Anisimov stepped into the middle of the third line and was one of the best players on the ice, even with left winger Fred Sjostrom pretty much playing himself to Hartford for the second straight day (P.A. Parenteau was on the right). The fourth line was led by center Greg Moore, playing well, with Dane Byers not as aggressive as yesterday and Hugh Jessiman remaining invisible.

On defense, Wade Redden sure knows how to take hits to move the puck, while partner Dan Girardi sure knows how to dish the hits out -- he took out two players on one play, knocking Jessiman into Byers. Dmitri Kalinin was invisible, which was a good thing compared to the prior day (his partner was Brian Fahey again). Mike Del Zotto played with Thomas Pock and acquitted himself well. For white, Roszival was not up to his level of play from Day 1, but Paul Mara had another good day, perhaps feeling more comfortable as a Ranger this season. Their respective partners, Marc Staal and Corey Potter, remain steady. Max Kondratiev and Bobby Sanguinetti were unimpressive on the third pair. Matt Zaba joined Henrik Lundqvist in net for Blue, with Steve Valiquette and Miika Wiikman reprising their stint in net for White.

We'll be back later this afternoon or early this evening with our Blueshirt Bulletin+ report after we speak

so theyre saying sanmguinetti has been disappointing thus far,...


BB

In other training camp news, the taxi squad -- the Red team made up of players coming back from Traverse City -- took to the ice today for the first time. Six returnees skated in the scrimmage -- the aforementioned trio Del Zotto, Anisimov, and Weise, along with goalie Matt Zaba, winger Brodie Dupont, and the thus far disappointing Bobby Sanguinetti. The remainder were on Team Red, including Ranger draftees and signees Tommy Pyatt, Justin Soryal, Evgeny Grachev, Tomas Zaborsky, David Skokan, Sergei Demagin, Antoine Lafleur, Vladimir Denisov, and David Urquhart, and try-outs Lyon Messier, Tyson Dowzak, and David Stich.

Five players who did not go to Traverse City -- Ryan Hillier, Jordan Owens, Mike Busto, Chris Murray, and Mike Ouellette -- also skated with Team Red. Tomas Kundratek and Mike Taylor sat out injured. Also on the ice was 25-year-old goalie Jeff Jakaitis, a Lake Superior State graduate who played in the ECHL last season (no sign in either TC of Hartford signee Mike Brodeur). Four playera from the Traverse City roster are not here (at least, not yet) -- Chris Doyle, Joe Barnes, Matt Meropoulos, and Nick Pageau. Team Red players who stood out today during the portion of practice we saw were Demagin, Zaborsky, Pyatt, and Denisov. Grachev stood out because of his sheer size, but clearly his skating is in need of more work.

Catching up on some links from today: training camp reports from the Journal News, Newsday, Post, Rangers Report, Ranger Rants here and here, Blue Notes, and Blue Seats here and here. NHL.com's Traverse City wrap-up has some quotes on Del Zotto and Anisimov, Prospect Park has its own Traverse City post-mortem, Beyond the Blueshirts has a translation of an interview in Russian with Alexei Cherepanov in which he discusses his injury, and SI.com has an item on Brendan Shanahan, still sitting by the phone waiting for Glen Sather to call.

even so, lots and lots of youngins ' coming up the system !

Averys Replacement




Life in Blue Voros' Dream Come True New winger couldn't be happier to say 'I am a Ranger' newyorkrangers.com Sep 15, 2008, 12:40 AM EDT RANGERS ON DEMAND

Voros at Rangers Golf Classic Watch




By Jim Cerny, newyorkrangers.com

Aaron Voros proved his loyalty to the New York Rangers long before inking a multi-year free-agent contract with the Blueshirts this past summer.


Aaron Voros' love for the Rangers dates back to his boyhood in British Columbia, when he taunted Vancouver fans after the Blueshirts defeated his hometown Canucks in the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals.
As a boy growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Voros was a die-hard Rangers fan, eschewing the local love affair with the hometown Canucks, even during the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals between the two teams.

“I was about 10 or 11 when I first started liking the Rangers; and I was 12 when the Rangers made their great run in ’94,” recalls Voros. “I was probably the most obnoxious 12-year-old in British Columbia that spring when the Rangers won the Cup! Everyone just hated me!”

Voros certainly did not increase his popularity when he carried a homemade Stanley Cup made out of tin foil into school the day after the Rangers thrilling Game Seven victory over the Canucks.

“I didn’t care what anyone else thought,” says Voros. “I even used a marker and put all the players’ names on my Cup. That was such a great team, and such a great memory for me as a kid.”

Now, the 27-year-old Voros has the opportunity to help the team he rooted for as a youngster in Vancouver attempt to ascend the championship ladder again this season.

“As a kid growing up, I always wanted to be a Ranger,” says Voros. “And now signing for three years here, it’s a dream come true. You wouldn’t know how many text messages and e-mails I got when I signed because this is such a crazy dream for me. As a kid, I was just nuts for the Rangers!”

Originally selected in the 10th round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils, the rugged forward elected to first hone his game at the collegiate level, playing three seasons at Alaska-Fairbanks. After collecting 16 goals and 132 penalty minutes in 2003-04, Voros turned pro with the Devils organization in the spring of 2004 and played in nine games (posting 2-1-3 scoring totals) with Albany in the American Hockey League.

Combining a gritty, edgy style along with a knack for putting the puck in the net, Voros spent the next two-and-a-half seasons playing in the minor leagues for the Devils before New Jersey traded him to the Minnesota Wild for a future draft pick on March 1, 2007.

Though he remained in the minors for the remainder of the 2006-07 campaign, the trade to Minnesota proved to be beneficial for Voros, who finally broke into the National Hockey League last season.

Voros appeared in 55 games with the Wild in 2007-08, recording seven goals and 14 points, while racking up 141 penalty minutes. He also added a goal and 16 penalty minutes in a first-round playoff series loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

“I am grateful to say that a great coach like Jacques Lemaire gave me my start in the league,” says Voros. “He taught me so much, and gave me the opportunity to play on a line alongside great players like Marian Gaborik and Pavol Demitra. Now I have to take all of that learning and bring it here to New York and be a better player for it.”

Lemaire often played Voros on the top line with Gaborik and Demitra, including time spent on the power play. Voros’ job was to crash the crease and create room for his two speedy linemates. The 6-foot-3, 178 pound forward also played on the third and fourth lines, filling whatever role was asked of him.

“I obviously play a tough, solid game,” says Voros. “But I can skate and score goals, too.”

Combining an energetic playing style with an engaging, outgoing personality, Voros quickly became a fan favorite in Minnesota, and he hopes that The Garden faithful will take to him, as well.

“I play a style of game that I’d like to think the working man really enjoys watching,” says Voros. “I might have an entertaining, attractive style of game, but I don’t necessarily do it for that, it’s just the way I play my game, and if the fans enjoy watching it and it helps the team, then that’s perfect.”

When it came time this summer to decide where he was going to take his exciting style of play, Voros’ heart screamed out for the Rangers, but his head told him to make the best decision for his future. After meeting with Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather and head coach Tom Renney, Voros knew that his head and his heart were in agreement that Broadway would be his next destination.

“I did definitely want to come to New York, but I also wanted to make the best step for me and my career,” says Voros. “Everything Coach Renney and Mr. Sather said made sense to me. They said they didn’t want me to change a thing about my game, just continue to do what I do to help make this team tick.”

To further prove his commitment to his new team, Voros arrived in New York in early August to get himself situated in his new locale. He became a regular at the Rangers’ practice facility, working out with his new teammates prior to the start of training camp, clearly excited to get the 2008-09 season underway as soon as possible.

“I wanted to make it as easy a transition as possible heading into the season since I am coming into a new organization,” explained Voros. “I wanted to make sure I would not be the fish out of water, so to speak, and now I can’t wait for our first game!”

When Aaron Voros pulls that Rangers sweater over his head for the first time before an NHL game, it will turn the dream of young boy into the reality of a grown man.

todays Post ( Brooks ) kinda gave the impression that Sanguinetti is a disappointment thusfar and that Petr Nedved hasnt 100 % cracked the lineup yet- with all the youngsters making it harder amd harder for the likes of the elder Nedved ( & Shanny ? )

Dan Fritsche, P.A. Parenteau , & First-rounder Michael Del Zotto all are/were standouts.



Nice to have a vibrant and active farm system to work with .

Shanny getting Shafted by Sather ?

NY Post


Bernie Williams tratement ?
:shock:



In 2007, the YankeesNew York Yankees invited free agent Bernie Williams to spring training as a non-roster player. Hoping for a guaranteed contract, the centerfielder who only wanted to continue his career in Pinstripes, refused the offer. He never played again.

Now, the RangersNew York Rangers have invited free agent Brendan ShanahanBrendan Shanahan to training camp on a tryout basis, The Post has learned. Hoping for a guaranteed contract, the winger who only wants to continue his NHL career wearing the Blueshirt, has thus far refused the offer.

But if Shanahan has any realistic chance of returning for a third season on Broadway, he's almost certainly going to have to embrace the opportunity, for every day that No. 14 waits at home in Manhattan is a day he falls behind the athletes who have been competing on the ice since last Wednesday.

"Brendan is welcome; I've told him that before and I'm going to call him again to make sure he knows that," GM Glen Sather said yesterday. "I'm not in a position to offer a contract at this time, but that does not mean it can't happen or won't happen after we evaluate what we have here."

Shanahan, who is being pursued by the Blues, did not respond yesterday to a message left by The Post.