Hard Copy Hardships

Putting out a hard-copy periodical is a lot harder than posting articles on web sites, as we've learned over the past few months. Our third issue of Blueshirt Bulletin just went out in the mail yesterday, weeks later than it should have. Although we thought we had the editorial process well in hand, unexpected events conspired to keep us from putting the issue to bed.

First, our online source of photographs changed websites, which caused us to lose about a week trying to access the new site. We then lost another week finding other sources when it turned out that some of our choices, archival and prospect photos mostly, didn't make it onto the new site (we had to wait for approvals before we could access alternate sources). Then we waited a week for the printer to slot our press run in -- seems like we're always going to press during holiday weeks when schedules are tight. Newsstand sales will be delayed another few days until early next week because the USPS insisted on a January issue date but the distributor insisted on a February date (and we're not altogether certain what the USPS will do with a January issue coming out late in February -- so far, we're considering no news as good news).

Then too, we lost some time making sure our cover story wasn't made irrelevant by events before it even hit the streets. John Dellapina interviewed Bobby Holik for that story, much of if naturally focused on the lockout. He talked at length about how he feels, what he is doing, etc. But with the events of last week bringing us close to resolution on two separate occasions, we felt we had to ride things out before distributing the story. Unfortunately, things went badly. Dellapina has an update today in his regular venue, the News, on Holik's feelings after the cancelation of the season.

Bottom line, we apologize for the delay and will work toward a quick turnaround for the next issue -- the NHL may not be returning to action as we all hoped it would, but the Rangers' future is still hard at work and we intend to keep you informed on what to expect when the Blueshirts eventually return to action.

One thing we'd love to see in the Ranger future is Sidney on Broadway. Sidney Crosby, that is. We have vowed not to let a major story about the young phenom pass by without exhorting our favorite team's management to get Crosby into a Ranger jersey by whatever means necessary. The rest of the league already hates us for all those useless UFA signings, let's not become goody two-shoes at the exact moment when it matters most. The Garden is losing fishnagels by the bucketful in order to pursue the small-market agenda -- here's a chance to show those small market militants where the real power base lies. Get Sidney!

Meanwhile, some news on the players currently in the system: The Wolf Pack rebounded from its lackluster loss in their last game with a solid 3-1 win. A pair of goals by Jamie Lundmark and key pirmary assists by Josef Balej and Garth Murray (Balej had two helpers overall) come as good news for Ranger fans watching three of the top NHL prospects now playing in Hartford. [Murray is pictured at right during last night's game, checking one-time Ranger first round bust Jeff Brown, now with San Antonio of the ECHL -- photo courtesy of Chris Rutsch/Hartford Wolf Pack.]

The daily Ranger prospect update and the latest weekly update contains good news in threes: three goals for Nigel Dawes, three assists for Jonathan Paiement, three-game scoring streaks for Czech prospects Jan Marek (whom we hope to profile next issue), Jakub Petruzalek, and Zdenek Bahensky, as well as Darin Olver in Northern Michigan. Shawn Roarke has an interview with Greg Moore, the University of Maine's leading goal scorer who came to the Rangers as part of the Chris Simon deal with Calgary -- we hope to have more on Moore, and possibly teammate and fellow Ranger prospect Billy Ryan, in the next issue of Blueshirt Bulletin.

On the 25th anniversary of Team USA's landmark gold medal win at the 1980 winter games in Lake Placid, head coach Herb Brooks, who went on to the Rangers, has been honored by having the rink there named after him. The Herb Brooks Arena is still used regularly -- my team played a tournament there a few years ago, this photo having been snapped by our goalie. Mike Richter and Tony Granato called the arena home during their high school days at Lake Placid's Northwood Prep in the early-80s.

The CBA war continues to simmer in the background. Everyone is meeting next week -- the PA with players and player agents (in two separate meetings), the Board of Governors on March 1st. Spector has a good recap of what seemed to have happened last weekend, if you need to read more about it. He also looks at the subsequent war of words and asks the leaders of the two sides to give the rhetoric a much-needed rest.

Meanwhile, another owner continues to experience legal problems. The newest owner, Francesco Aquilini, who bought half of the Vancouver Canucks, filed a response to the suit brought against him and the Canucks for bad faith negotiations in completing that transaction. His filing says, ''Upon learning of that failure [of the plaintiffs to acquire the 50% share of the team], Aquilini entered into discussions for the acquisition of an interest in the Canucks." The key to this one will be whether this occurred at arm's length, as Aquilini claims, or whether he was in contact with the plaintiffs during their failed bid and used that information to make his own bid successful.

One-time Ranger Marc Savard is using his time off (after returning from a stint in Switzerland which ended, reportedly, because he was out of shape) to try to make the Canadian PGA Tour. Quips Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun: the talented but enigmatic playmaker is out on the links "putting in the sort of extra work coach Greg Gilbert only dreamed of seeing when Savard played in Calgary."

Comments

[Andrea]

Welcome to the glamorous world of publishing, Dubi! We in print feel your pain, but at least with a fan-based paper, you KNOW you're giving the readers what they want. Keep up the good work!

[Chado']

Yea Dubi you have done a great job :)

[Jess]

Ah Dubi is doing an OK job, it is his writers who are doing all the good stuff ;-P

Seriously while people are drooling all over the Crosby kid, I for one have my own doubts about how much hype he has gotten is making this kid an almost sure bet to become a bust if the hype doesn't meet expectations.

As for me I would rather see the Rangers let others sign Crosby and instead focus on the player who I believe will become a better PRO than Crosby in Gilbert Broule of the WHL Van Giants.

We don't see stories about Crosby having an all around game but Brule (AKA The Bruiser) does have one and unlike Crosby makes his teammates that much better.