Blueshirt Boggle

Mid-Week Update

Reviving a couple of bits of old news on a pair of defensemen -- Brian Leetch is talking again to the Rangers about a return to New York, but John Dellapina of the Daily News says the talks aren't serious yet. And in a nice article from a few days ago about the early stirrings of the upcoming season, Shawn Roarke at NHL.com has a bit of an update on Darius Kasparaitis: "He had surgery to rectify the problem after the season and is still rehabilitating it. He is not back to 100 percent yet, but he is getting closer. 'I'll be ready to go from the first day of camp,' Kasparaitis promised. 'I have to work hard and be smart.'" Shawn has articles on Bobby Sanguinetti and Mike Sauer in the upcoming issue of Blueshirt Bulletin.

SI.com has a preview of the Atlantic Division -- nothing really new or interesting about the Rangers other than what seems to be a fourth place prediction given the order teams are listed.

From the Saginaw News, a preview of the OHL's Saginaw Spirit as they begin their training camp, which Ranger prospect Tommy Pyatt will have to leave in order to play in the nearby Traverse City Prospects Tournament next week. "This is the most exciting it's been coming to the rink," Pyatt said. "Just looking around the room there is so much talent and thinking about the year we could have is pretty exciting." The Spirit announced last night that they have signed Ranger draftee Thomas Zaborsky, a high-scoring winger from Slovakia.

Heart and Soul Award Update: Blueshirt Bulletin readers have contributed enough to the Heart and Soul Award to fund the trophy, which is now on order, as well as fund a nice donation to Cheering For Children in the amount of $500. The inaugural award will of course go to Jed Ortmeyer, and the Cheering For Children donation will be made in his name. We hope to get the trophy delivered in time to make some sort of presentation during Ranger training camp in mid-September. Thanks again to all who contributed -- and for those who haven't yet done so, there is no reason not to, we can always make a larger donation to the Ranger charity.

Ranger Road Trip

[Please scroll down past this article for a preview of the upcoming issue of Blueshirt Bulletin]

Mike Hudson sends his thanks to all Blueshirt Bulletin readers who provided feedback on his planned Ranger road trips this season. The response was so good that he is going ahead with plans for two trips centered around Ranger road games to warm weather climes. The first trip will be the weekend of October 28th in Phoenix and the second will be the weekend of February 9th in Tampa. Mike expects the price for each trip to be $2,000 including air fare, three nights at a good hotel, two rounds of golf with Ranger alums, local transportation, and of course a ticket to the hockey game. The ratio of Rangers to fans will probably be one player for every six fans. If someone already lives in the area and still wants to be a part of the action, a discount can be provided. If you’re interested, E-mail Mike at [email protected] and he’ll put you on the contact list when he is ready to go forward with this.

Eric Hunter's importance to his junior team is emphasized repeatedly in a Prince George Citizen article on one of his teammates there. "Hunter is eager to sign his first pro contract, while all of Prince George hopes the Rangers and Hunter’s agent can’t agree to terms," says the report. "'It’s about winning, because Hunts will help so much that we will win more games with him in the lineup, we will be a strong team and we will be contenders."

Stan Fischler has five reasons to look forward to the upcoming Ranger season at MSGN.com, and they boil down to the the three trophy finalists from last season and the three big UFA imports -- scroll down to his Islander section for a few good chuckles. That sour cherry juice the Rangers use is now available to the public, with a huge plug from Ranger trainer Jim Ramsay. And check out what Henrik Lundqvist did on his summer vacation (thanks, Andrea!).

How Soon Is Now?

The next issue of Blueshirt Bulletin, the first issue of the upcoming season, is in the works, on track for release in the first or second week of September. You can see an image of the first draft of the cover at left -- no Ranger jerseys there, but all Rangers, new ones, and all with Stanley Cups under their belts. We've got some great things planned:

Our draft coverage includes an article on Bobby Sanguinetti, interviews with fourth rounder David Kveton and head amateur scout Gordie Clark by Jess Rubenstein, and interesting side stories by Anthony Mastantuoni.

Our coverage of Prospect Development Camp includes interviews with Sanguinetti and Trevor Koverko, and a review of the Rangers' fitness program by Andrew Gross of the Journal News.

We have two articles on Brendan Shanahan, one by Newsday's Steve Zipay, Jess Rubenstein's interview with Glen Sather, Mike Sauer at WJC camp by Shawn Roarke of NHL.com, and updates on everything that happened over the summer.

And more -- Bruce Berlet on the greening of the Wolf Pack, a Rod Gilbert Biofile from Scoop Malinowski, John Halligan's Around the Rink With the Rangers, Mitch Beck's Zoning In, and Boesie's View From the Blues, Maine vacation edition.

Here are a few interesting outtakes:

“I know myself as a hockey player,” said the guy who has scored 598 goals and added 634 assists in his stellar career. “I don't think I'd win any style points -- my goals aren't pretty.”

“They’re all going to have to work awfully hard to please the coaching staff,” Schoenfeld said. “And for some players, that was a shock, an eye-opener, that we work as hard as we do.”

“He's come a heck of a long way,” Sanguinetti's junior coach said. “The potential is unlimited. He's a very, very intelligent player, a very dedicated guy. Man, he's going to be a great player.”

Marc Staal: “It’s pretty simple -- the program is outlined for every five to six days and all the nutrition comes along with it. The circuits are lined up every day.”

Rod Gilbert: “Pete Stemkowski always comes up with the one-liners. I like to wear new suits an awful lot. Every time he sees me with a new suit, ‘Geez, Rock, nice suit. Who shines it for you?’”

John Murray's coach (Murray is an undrafted goaltender invited to Rangers' Prospect Camp): “He's kind of immune to the pressure and obviously you have to handle pressure in that position. There aren't many holes -- he makes you earn goals.”

Gordie Clark, when asked, “if I wanted to become a scout, what kind of advice would you offer me?”: “My advice would be to stick to Blueshirt Bulletin!”

If you want to take Clark's advice and join Blueshirt Bulletin and stick with it, click here for subscription information -- look at the line-up of stories and this sampling of quotes and ask yourself where you could ever get that kind of stuff anywhere else. The answer is, nowhere but here. Please help us continue to bring this kind of coverage to Ranger fans by taking out a subscription -- we are certain that will enjoy it.

Up the Lake With a Paddle?

"With hockey in Jaromir Jagr's hands, you know it's alright," says Czech web site Denik Sport. "But kayaking? Fuggedaboutit! It's as likely as not! For overseas fans however such a scenario may come to pass, if they arrive early enough at the Lake George Forum. 'We'll utilize it,' said Tom Renney. 'We'll see who responds in specific goal-oriented situations, which afterwards will certainly be demonstrated on the ice.' Kayaking will take place excepting (?) Jagr and other aces -- even Straka or Shanahan. Last season the Rangers did it in West Point, now in Lake George they will have to undergo not only leadership training exercises, but in unpredictable dry land terrain. Jagr will have to most probably slink by." They had an interview with Jagr the other day that was too long for us to handle with our poor translating skills. We're not sure why they're selling Jagr short on kayaking -- we've tried both sports and kayaking is far easier to master than ice hockey, especially at the level Jagr has reached.

In prospect news, several junior teams open their training camps soon. A Calgary Sun preview of the Hitmen had this on Ranger draftee Brodie Dupont: "Dupont, 19, will be counted on to lead the charge offensively and he's looking forward to playing more of an up-tempo game. 'I always like to score goals,' said Dupont, who scored a team-high 30 markers last season. 'If we can score five goals a game, it's a lot more fun than winning 1-0. But you still have to play defence to win in this league.'" A preview of Portland Winter Hawk camp by the Columbian had little to say about Mike Sauer other than the possibility of him leaving Portland to attend Ranger training camp. And an article from the Prince George Citizen on a Prince George trade mentions the potential impact on the status of their lone Ranger prospect: "the Cougars now have five 20-year-olds competing for three spots, though Eric Hunter stands a good chance of moving to the pro ranks in the New York Rangers system."

CBS SportsLine has a preview of the Atlantic Division that puts the Rangers back into the wild card position behind the Devils and Flyers, without really providing much insight other than listing the turnover of veterans on the roster and the signing of all RFAs.

A Small Game Report

Yes for those of you who are dying for some actual game reports here we go:

2006 3rd round pick Ryan Hillier scored the tying goal at 13:19 of the 3rd period as his Halifax Mooseheads recovered from blowing a 3-1 lead to win 6-4 over the Prince Edward Island Rocket in QJMHL exhibition action.

Reports out of Prince George in the WHL is that they expect 2006 6th round pick Eric Hunter to sign with the Rangers/Wolfpack and start his pro career rather than return to the  PG Cougars. The Cougars are acting the same as they now have 5 20 yr olds on the roster (including Hunter) competing for 3 overage spot.

Speaking of the 2006 draft picks, has anyone else noticed the one key missing name off the rookie camp/prospect tournament roster? That would be 2nd round pick Artem Anisimov who by being left off the rosters makes one wondering how this Russian/NHL "Cold War" will impact future transfers now that the changes in draft rules limits how long an NHL team holds onto the rights of European players. EVEN more interesting while the Malkin drama is played out remains the lack of a working transfer agreement between the Russian Fed, the IIHFand the NHL.

Dubi I am pretty sure will have more later this AM.

Pöck Re-Signed

Thomas Pöck, the Rangers' lone remaining free agent, has agreed to terms for the upcoming season amid rumors of his return to Europe to play.

Jagr Weighs In Again

Now that he's training for the upcoming season with Team Jagr, Jaromir Jagr is facing daily questions about his shoulder and his weight. "It's better," he told Czech news agency CTK when asked about his shoulder. "But strength is missing and the shoulder is always weak. I don't want to overdo it, so as not to re-injure it. My priority is to fully heal and subsequently begin rigorous team training."

In what proved to be a more difficult translation than usual (we hope we got the gist right), the article starts off saying, "Surgically repaired and rehabilited, Jagr is not allowed a lot of shooting. Weeks of inactivity can be seen in his build. His current weight is being held back, but his weight is said to have had a tendency to decline." Asked about his weight, Jagr seems to have joked about liposuction (we think -- tough translation, like we said). "I hope, but I may arguably not weigh 115 kilo (255 pounds) again. Fat would have to be suctioned off or otherwise I'd have to take some [dieting?] powder," he quipped. There is more that we did not have time to get to, but it seemed to be more of the same. If you can read Czech, see the articles at hokej.cz, iDNES.cz, and Denik Sport.

Jagr played in Team Jagr's exhibition game against the Morava Stars, on a line with David Vyborny and Ales Kotalik [see photo above left]. His team won 8-6. Also on Team Jagr were Ranger defensemen Michal Rozsival and Martin Richter. Marek Malik was one of a handful of NHL players on Morava -- a brief iDNES.cz article speaks of Malik having to defend against his Ranger teammate Jagr.

For those hoping to see the Ranger mini-camp in Lake George, tickets will only be sold on the day of each event, according to the Glens Falls Post-Star -- no advance sales! In the only other Ranger news today, NYR.com has a preview on the upcoming prospect tournament in Michigan, with a complete roster, as previously linked to here at Blueshirt Bulletin.

News From Europe, Uniondale, Boston, and Times Square

Brief note at the Czech web site Denik Sport today on Jaromir Jagr's weight problem: "Jagr Diet: Pancakes Nightly," reads the headline. "'Jarda needs to drop another nine kilos (20 pounds),' claims the winger's personal coach Marian Jelínek. At the assembly of Team Jagr, he was hungry for pancakes in the afternoon and at ten o'clock at night. 'When I saw him, I noticed immediately, so with that, quite good slimming begins,' said Jelinek."

We made a note of this the other day, and it appeared at the end of the Hartford Courant article we linked to yesterday on the Wolf Pack signings, but it seems to have slipped by: "Defenseman Thomas Pöck hasn't signed with the Rangers and could play in Europe, possibly his native Austria," wrote Bruce Berlet. In other news, the Rangers are trying out a new juice made from sour cherries that, according to the company's press release, is "believed to [have] pain-prevention and muscle-damage recovery powers." Also, more on the Ranger mini-camp in Lake George from the Glens Falls Post-Star.

Kevin Greenstein wonders in the New York Sun who is going to be this year's Carolina Hurricanes? Although he grants the Rangers surprise status for last season along with Carolina, the Rangers are not among his three possibilities for this season. Boston is one, based in large part on their willingness to throw money around this off-season. The latest money toss is a five-year deal worth nearly $25 million to a 21 year old, Patrice Bergeron, even though the Bruins had CBA leverage over the 31-goal scorer for four more years and save only one UFA season at a price that is not likely to be considered a bargain.

As the Boston Globe points out, Bergeron is getting more on average and in total than Eric Staal, also 21, who scored 45 goals and 100 points in his second year and helped lead his team to the Stanley Cup, and more than Ales Hemsky, 22, who also outscored Bergeron by a few points and added 17 more points in 24 playoff games as he went with his team to the Cup Final. So thanks again to Boston owner Jeremy Jacobs for shutting the league down for a year so that he could have the privilege of overpaying for his players, raising the bar for everyone else's players, and still have his guaranteed profit.

And since we're already slinging vitriol, how about the puff piece on Garth Snow "settling in" as Islander GM, with no mention of his former goaltending partner Rick DiPietro remaining unsigned and the new GM banned from negotiating with him until wacky owner Charles Wang returns from his extended summer vacation. And how about the New York Times's sports editor answering reader questions, first on what makes for good sports coverage, and then why the Times, the "paper of record", has chosen to largely ignore the NHL in general and the Rangers in specific. "We have to make some tough choices," he says -- more like bad choices. "Look for more of the same in the coming season," he concludes. Thanks!

Pack Sign Four

Jakub Petruzalek got the contract he hoped for from the Ranger organization -- a Wolf Pack deal. So did one of the four collegians who became free agents last week -- Corey Potter. Alex Westlund, 30, a one-time Yale goalie who played for Charlotte a couple of years ago, and Mike Ouellette, 24, a teammate of Hugh Jessiman's at Dartmouth, also signed, according to Bruce Berlet of the Hartford Courant. The Post reports that former Islander analyst Joe Micheletti is just about a lock to replace JD on Ranger MSGN broadcasts. Brodie Dupont is Ricky Henne's latest subject at NYR.com.

Jagr Wins Golden Stick But Still Has Sore Arm

Disconcerting confessions by Jaromir Jagr about the state of his surgically repaired shoulder in a Denik Sport interview translated by Hockey Rodent (Rodent also has a funny bit from Jagr on Bobby Granger). This comes as Jagr was honored with the Golden Stick as Czech hockey player of the year -- more on the award in Czech from hokej.cz and iDNES.cz, including the final top ten voting, with Martin Straka finishing tenth. There is another Jagr interview on iDNES.cz and another article on him at hokej.cz -- we'll work on translations for tomorrow (help, anyone?).

RedWingsCentral.com has the Ranger roster for the prospects tournament to be held in the Detroit area in September. Looks like every Ranger prospect is on the list, including our friend Philippe Furrer coming over from Switzerland and Jakub Petruzalek making the trip from Czech. Corey Potter, one of four collegians who became free agents on August 15th when they went unsigned by the Rangers, is on the roster as a free agent invitee. Other free agent invitees are undrafted OHL defenseman Josh Godfrey (18 years old) and USHL goalie John Murray (19). Marvin Degon is incorrectly listed as a free agent -- he was signed by Hartford. Degon's college and Wolf Pack teammate Thomas Pöck remains unsigned -- Hartford insiders believe he may be heading back to Europe if he can't get a good deal from the Rangers, which no doubt includes a chance to make the NHL.

Larry Brooks, in his last Sunday column in the Post until training camp, has a couple of interesting tidbits that have previously gone unreported -- Jed Ortmeyer suffered an embolism previously, while in college; and the Rangers let Nate Guenin go because they don't think he's a "New NHL" player. Brooks also has more material on two of the NHL's most dysfunctional franchises, the Islanders, currently leading the league in dysfunction, and the Bruins.

Eric Lindros has completed his fleecing of the Rangers by winning a cash award for a games-played bonus even though he didn't play the games covered by the bonus. He was able to convince someone that he missed those games with a shoulder injury rather than a head injury. So ends the final chapter of Lindros's shameful years as a Ranger.

Nice article at NHL.com on Harry Howell, the lifelong Ranger rearguard.