NYRangers New Third Jersey Photo Leaks!!

Found this over at Puck Daddy. The photo was leaked by Sean Avery by himself on his website SeanAvery.com....

Looks exactly like what everyone had reported it would look like but for some reason the image in my head looked much better then this.  I personally hate it and will definitely not be buying one.  To simple and flat out ugly in my opinion.  If this was there plan then they shouldn't have done one to begin with.  Not much else to say about it!!

Some Pics From Around The NHL Training Camps!!

Kari Lehtonen's Chuck Norris Themed Mask!!

Some NHL teams have been releasing pics through Twitter from there Training Camps.  Some of the pics are of players getting headshots and pictures taken.  Others are of them talking to the media and some are of players already on the ice.  I found some of them to be interesting especially this one of Kari Lehtonen's new goalie mask with a Chuck Norris theme.

So join me after this for a look inside NHL Training Camps...

Steve Zipay Tweets That MZA Is Struggling!!

Steve Zipay is with the Rangers at training camp reporting live and has stated that Zuccarello struggled through the first drill.  Now we all know that Torts runs a tough camp but this is definitely not what most Rangers fans wanted to hear.  A lot of us were hoping MZA would impress and have a great camp and maybe secure a spot on the team.  But it is still early so I guess we shouldn't jump the gun to quick.

"Zuccarello among players struggling in first drills"

The NYRangers also tweeted through there official Twitter account that Matt Gilroy was one of the most impressive early on.  Great news as he has obviously come into camp ready to make a splash and make an impact on this team.

"Group One finishes session of 3 sprint laps 6 times; Matt Gilroy was flying through all six, impressive"

NYRangers Training Camp Starts Today!!!!!!!

Today marks the start of Training Camp for NHL teams.  This is a great time of year as NHL fans get to know who came to make the team and what prospects still have a little further to go.  It also means the start of the NHL season is right around the corner.  We all know that Torts has one of the toughest camps out there and all players need to come ready or they will have issues making the team.

The Rangers have a lot of questions that need to be answered and all will be answered in the coming weeks.

Is Redden done? Will prospects MZA, Grachev, Stepan and McDonagh make the opening night roster? Will Exelby, Semenov and/or Fedotenko play well enough to earn a contract? Will new guys Kennedy and White make the team? Who will Frolov click with? There are many questions that need to be answered and hopefully the coaching staff can answer them in the coming weeks.

Look here for updates during the day and also follow @thenyrangers and @stevezipay on Twitter.

NYRangers Media Day Photo Shoot Pics!!

The NYRangers released some photos of some of the Rangers biggest stars. The pictures were released via the Rangers official Twitter account.

NYRangers Lose To The Hurricanes In Traverse City Tourney!!

The Rangers played their second game of the Traverse City Tournament yesterday against the Carolina Hurricanes.  But unlike in the first game, the Rangers could not find any offense and were shutout 1-0.

The Rangers played well, tallying 33 shots but Hurricanes goaltender Mike Murphy was able to stop all 33 of those shots. Rangers goalie Cam Talbot also had a great game but allowed one more goal then Murphy and that's all the Canes would need to win. 

Here is what NYRangers 1st round pick Dylan McIlrath had to say after the game: "Both goalies were great, but their goalie stole the game for them," said Rangers defenseman Dylan McIlrath, the Blueshirts' 2010 first-round draft pick. "We deserved to win, I think, because we outplayed them."

For a full recap of the game head over to The Rangers Website!!!

NYRangers Start Traverse City Tourney Off With A Bang

The Rangers started the Annual Traverse City Tournament off with a win over Columbus.  This Tourney is a great way for the Rangers to see there prospects in action while also giving them some much needed experience and continuity amongst each other. 
Well they didn't disappoint as the Rangers prospects came through with a 5-4 win.  The game went back and forth until Evgeny Grachev netted the game winning goal with only 6.1 seconds left.  He is what he had to say about the play after the game: 

"We had a set play there," said Grachev. "The coaches told Stepan to get the puck to me at the top of the circle. If I had time, I could shoot it, and if I didn't, I could just keep it going to the d-man behind me, and he would take the shot. Bourque was there in the hashmarks to screen the goalie and disrupt the d-men for Columbus. I got the puck right away and felt I had time to shoot it, so I shot it."

For a complete recap of the game head over to The Rangers Website.  They have complete coverage of the tourney and will keep you updated on all news and notes.  It is to bad the games are not on the NHL Network as they have been in previous years.  This is a great way for fans of the participating teams to get to know more about there teams top prospects while enjoying some much needed Hockey right before the season starts.

NYRangers Invite Some Veterans To Camp!!

The New York Rangers have decided to invite some veterans and familiar faces to Training Camp on a tryout basis.  Some of these choices were surprising and others seemed useless.

First news broke that the Rangers invited 2-time Stanley Cup winner Ruslan Fedotenko to camp.  I saw no problem with this at all and in my opinion the more players at camp the better.  But it seems as though a lot of Rangers fans disagree with this move.  Most consider him just another 40 point guy who fits the 3rd-4th line role.  While I am somewhat agree, he can also be much more.  He was a major part of two Cup winning teams and came through in the clutch for Tampa in the 2004 Cup Finals scoring both goals for the Lightning in game 7.  If they had signed him I would be a little upset by the move but it's only a tryout and they can always catch lightning in a bottle.

Join me after this for more....

Which Maple Leafs Hockey Inception Video Do You Like Better??

I pose this question as some crazy Toronto Maple Leafs fan has decided to challenge the first creator of the Maple Leafs Inception Highlight Video.  I happen to love these videos and think there a great way to get pumped for the new hockey season.  The soundtrack is perfect in my opinion and its just a great way to showcase your team.  So we have a new Toronto Maple Leafs video and I would like to know which one you like better!!

The Original:


The New One:


So which one is better???

Blog Update: I'm Back!!!

I have been spending this weekend(Friday-Sunday) up in Boston with four of my closest friends.  We are having a great time but sadly have to leave today. 

But not before we go to the Bengals-Patriots game which I'm excited to see.  I love going to new stadiums and meeting new fans(even if they're from Boston) and just enjoying the experience and the game.  Hopefully it's a good one as both teams made the playoffs last year but feel like they have something to prove after getting ousted in the first round.

I usually do not get great seats when I go to a football game but my friends got some great seats on the 40-yard line very close to the field.  I will definitely be sporting my OchoCinco jersey and waiting for Chad and T.O to blow up in each others face.

So I just thought I'd let you know what was going on but I will 100% be returning to the blog tomorrow with daily updates and my own write-ups of daily NHL and NYRangers news.  Technically I am returning today since I wrote up this blog and have 2-3 more that I am finishing up but we will just say I am returning tomorrow.  I feel like I got off to a great start with this blog but have had a lot on my plate of late and haven't had as much time to dedicate to it.  But since school is starting up and the summer is over and I have fully moved, I will have a lot more time to dedicate to my site.  So I hope all of my followers and obviously some new ones join me along for the ride of another crazy up and down NHL season.

Reminder: NHL 11 In Stores Today!!

I am not a huge fan of video games but when I do sit down and play, the only game I play is the EA Sports NHL Series.  The game gets better and better every year and is so life like and authentic to hockey.

The newest version of the annual series hit stores today and is available for $59.99 USD.  The game is available for the PS3 and Xbox 360.  A new game titled NHL Slapshot will be released by EA Sports for the Wii. 

I played some of the demo and I definitely recommend this to all Hockey and NHL fans.  Of course that is if you have a video game system around to play the game on.  Whenever I want to sit back and relax this game is always there and presents a real life like hockey feel.  Not only that but there are tons of game modes to play for whatever mood your in.  They have also yet again made over 200+ in game enhancements.  The online game play is great and also has multiple game modes to chose from such as EASHL, EAUHL, Shootout Mode, Online Versus and many more. 

Here is a preview of the game:

A Little Video To Get Us Ready For The 2010-11 Season!!

Since there hasn't been much Rangers news of late, I thought id post a nice video to get us Rangers fans pumped and ready for the 2010-11 season.  The video was made by Loffen1987 on YouTube who has some great NYRangers highlight videos.  Definitely go check out his page and watch some of his videos.  So the video is a highlight reel of Marion Gaborik's goals from last season. I thought it was nice so check it out:

An Apology To My Readers!!!

I would just like to do a quick post apologizing to my readers.  I know over the first month or so here I have developed a small following of readers.  I really didn't expect to get this many people reading what I have to say this early on but I am thankful that you guys even care.

So I just wanted to apologize for my lack of updates to the blog lately but I have been really busy the last two weeks moving and helping others move and countless other business that I had to attend to.

I promise that once Training Camp and the Season starts that I will be updating like I was in the beginning and I will be 100% dedicated to this site.  This blog is important to me as I someday hope to be a sports writer and this is a good starting block.

My NYRangers Season Ticket Picture Gallery!!

All NYRangers Season Ticket Holders were able to go to Madison Square Garden and pick up there Tickets today.  You can also have them mailed but I have had problems with that in the past and choose to go and pick them up.

I usually go with my Dad and pick the Tickets up the first day that they are available.  They have been in my family for 18 years now(including this season) and I plan on keeping them.  My Dad and Uncle first subscribed in the 92-93 season(I was born during March of this season) and when I turn 18 in March, me and my cousin plan on taking over control of the tickets so that we can go to more games together. 

We will probably wait until the start of next season and our parents have agreed to let us have them as long as we have a job and can pay for them on our own.  I took some pictures of our tickets and thought I would share them on here.  So join me after this to see my gallery...

NHL Center Ice Package News!!

I read an interesting article on Yahoo Sports' hockey blog Puck Daddy about the NHL Center Ice package.  A lot of good points in the article so definitely go check it out.

Here are some of the major points from the article. 
The price has gone up $8.00 from $163.80 to $171.80.  Which in the end is really not that big of a deal.

You can watch a free full-preview of Center Ice from October 7th-24th.  This is great because there is still no word on the whole HDtv issue running around the package over the last few years.  I for one will not buy the package without HD because the picture just doesn't add up to the price for me.  It is apparently on the cable providers to provide the HD feed so I guess we can all find out if ours does during the free preview.

Go check the article for the rest of the news.

Reminder For NYRangers Season Ticket Holders!!

Just a quick reminder to all of us New York Rangers season ticket holders out there, you can pick up your tickets starting tomorrow at 9 am.  You can pick them up at the regular ticket windows inside the Garden.

This is always a great day for me as I get to see my tickets for the first time and it also means that the season is about a month away.  When I open the box up and smell my fresh new overpriced Season Tickets, I feel like the crap we when through last season is over and we can focus in on this team that we always believe will lead us to the Cup again.

2 NEW!!! Hockey Inception Themed Highlight Videos!!

Well it has been awhile since I updated my blog. I have been moving into a new home but I have found some time on this Wednesday morning to search the Internet.  When I reached YouTube I was pleased to see that 2 NEW!! Inception themed Hockey Highlight/Preview videos had been created.  Both have been made within the last week.  One is for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the other is for the Anaheim Ducks. So I am going to stop rambling and you guys can check them out right here:





Click here for the post with the first 5 Inception themed videos in it!!

Alex Ovechkin Capital One Bank Commercial!!

Alex Ovechkin, one of the best goal scorers in the NHL and star of the Washington Capitals has appeared in a Capital One Bank commercial that apparently is running only in the D.C area. I say that because in the commercial that state that they have the most banks in the D.C area. OK yes I am a genius.  I discovered the video from Puck Daddy himself on Twitter.  I found the commercial to be pretty good so I thought I would post on it here.  The quality isn't great but you can still tell what is going on (It was definitely videotaped by someone watching the TV).  So here it is:

NYRangers Sign Tim Kennedy!!

This is somewhat old news(only a couple of days) but since I haven't updated the blog in a week, I thought I'd post it anyway.

The New York Rangers have signed Ex-Sabre Tim Kennedy.  The deal is for one year at $550k. 

The Sabres went to arbitration with Kennedy and he was given a one year $1M deal.  After the team signed it they decided to waive Kennedy and then subsequently buy out the one year deal.  The Sabres will take on a $166k cap hit each of the next two seasons.  The Sabres reportedly only wanted to pay Kennedy around $800k. 

There are two ways to look at this deal.  One being that it is a win-win situation or that the Rangers are just adding another 3rd-4th line player.  I look at it as a win-win and here is why.  He had a solid(not great but solid) rookie season scoring 10 goals and tallying 26 points in 78 games.  If he doesn't work out then he plays a year in the minors for us and that's that.  But with Tortorella's offensive system anything can happen and the Rangers can catch lightning in a bottle and find a player for there future.  It's not like he is 35(Todd White) as he is only 24 and just came off of a decent rookie season.  We also got him for about half of what the arbitrator awarded him which is a great deal.  Also not that Artem Anisimov only had 28 points last year and you do not see anyone giving up on him granted he is two years younger.

Maybe you could look down on this deal if the Rangers paid $1M plus for this guy but they got him at the league minimum which seems to be a great deal.

NYRangers National TV Schedule!!

Today the NHL announced its National TV schedule.  Versus will carry 78 games which is 13 more then last season.  While NBC will continue its flex scheduling option so most dates do not have a specific game chosen yet.  Here are the 11 games the Rangers will play on Versus and 5 "options" for NBC:

Versus:
Monday October 18th vs. Colorado
Tuesday November 9th vs. Washington
Wednesday November 17th vs. Boston
Wednesday December 15th at Pittsburgh
Monday January 24th at Washington
Tuesday February 1st vs. Pittsburgh
Monday February 7th at Detroit
Tuesday March 1st vs. Buffalo
Wednesday March 30th at Buffalo
Monday April 4th vs. Boston
Thursday April 7th vs. Atlanta

NBC:(All games on Sunday)(Flex Schedule)
February 13th vs. Pittsburgh
February 20th vs. Philadelphia
March 6th vs. Philadelphia
March 20th at Pittsburgh
April 3rd at Philadelphia

Vinny Prospal Discusses His Road To The Rangers!!

Head over to the New York Rangers official website to see a pretty unique interview with Vinny Prospal.  He discusses everything that led him on his road to the Rangers.  They have a pop-up that in his words he talks about many moments and experiences that led him to where he is now.  Each of the 13 voice clips are from 30 seconds to a minute long.  This is episode 6 in the "series" but the last one was from Dubinsky in February.  I would really like to see them do some more of these.  I definitely suggest that all Rangers fans head over to the site and check it out.

Michael Del Zotto Photo Shoot With Coke Zero!! (UPDATED)

The New York Rangers posted a couple of photos on there official Twitter account of Michael Del Zotto doing a Coke Zero Photo Shoot.  This is good to as the Rangers and NHL are marketing there young stars well and the second picture looks amazing.  I am actually really glad to see them doing something like this.

Here are the links to the pics: Pic 1 and Pic 2! I will update if they post anymore. UPDATE: Pic 3!!

Tuesday In Pictures And Videos? Sure Why Not!

Sorry for no posts today but I have been very busy yet again.  There has been no news on the Rangers front today so I thought I'd do something a little different.  Some links to some pictures since a lot of people don't have Twitter and most of these pictures are released through Twitter.  So here you go:

Coach Laviolette at the World Hockey Summit: Pic!

Here are some more pics from The World Hockey Summit: Steve Yzerman, Daniel Alfredsson, Panel at WHS, Yzerman on the stage, Glen Healy among those on stage, Pic 1, Pic 2 Inside WHS, and finally Brendan Shanahan!!

Brian Burke video on the comments made by Kaberle's father.

Rob Schremp sits down with some Islanders fans and has dinner? Video

Devils goalie Mike McKenna dressed up in Care Bear costume? Yes and hear is the pic he posted to prove it!

Penguins tough guy Mike Rupp is down doing some charity work in Haiti with Max Talbot and he posted this pic, and it really makes you think.  Read his caption for it also.  Here is a picture of Max Talbot in Haiti.

Some teams get the ice ready for the season: Blue Jackets, Lightning and Canadiens!!

Remember the picture of Thornton and Florian yesterday, well here is a video of him giving Florian a tour.  And here's a second pic with them on the floor of the TD Garden.

Is this LaKings Parking Lot Shuttle Bus a joke? Pic Really?? I would never go on that thing!!

Some pics from a the Carolina Hurricanes players practicing: Cam Ward, Pic 1, and former Ranger Bobby Sangs.

Monday News All In 1 Post!! (UPDATED Already)

I have had a very busy Monday but have found some time to update the blog.  So here is all of today's "news" in 1 post.  If anything else breaks on the Rangers front or any NHL news happens then I will most likely just update this post.  Unless of course it is really big news then I will find some time to create a new post for you guys.

Steve Zipay confirmed through Twitter earlier today that the Rangers will be unveiling there third jerseys in November.  Hopefully they put some time into these as it is obviously just a grab at more money but if they look good then I won't really care.  But if they look like shit then there is no point in putting them out as no fans will buy them.

Over at Beyond The Blueshirts Laurie Carr translated an Alex Frolov interview in Russian.  Check it out as Frolov discusses KHL vs. NHL and much more.  Definitely a good read for Rangers fans.

Head over to the The NYR Blog for all the latest news on the Rangers.  Some small news broke today and you can read it all over there.  Stall negotiations are going no where and some other news.

Check out a video Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding doing some charity work and helping to build houses.

Here is a picture of UFC Star Kenny Florian in the Bruins locker room with Bruins tough guy Shawn Thornton.

Yesterday a bunch of us Rangers/Prucha fans were able to get #Prucha to the #9 trending topic in NYC.  For people who use twitter, they know this was not an easy task.  Especially since he plays in Phoenix now and it is in the middle of the offseason.  But here is the proof!

The Hartford Wolf Pack have just announced that they have resigned defensemen Jared Nightingale.  He is veteran and could provide some leadership with the team.

NYRangers Pound 4 Pound: Best Of 2009-10!

The New York Rangers had an up and down 2009-10 season.  It ended with a loss in a shootout during the last game of the year.  Missing the playoffs by 1 point on the last day is terrible enough, but the team they lost to actually went on to play in the Stanley Cup Finals.  But that is not the point of this post and we have no idea if the Rangers would have went that far anyway.

After losing Colton Orr in free agency to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Rangers quickly went out and signed Donald Brashear to be there new "enforcer." As we all know this did not work out at all and the Rangers spent the whole season trying to find a new fighter/enforcer.

The Rangers ranked 11th in the league in fighting majors with 52 according to HockeyFights.com!  But the team leader definitely surprised me when I looked it up. Recently traded AARON VOROS lead the Rangers with 13 fights overall.  Second was EPIC fail of an enforcer Donald Brashear who had 1 assist and 9 fights in 36 games.  Sean Avery was up to his usual antics and was in 7 fights and caused trouble although it seemed like he lacked some of the spark he has had in recent seasons. After Brash was sent to the minors the Rangers went out and acquired two of the best fighters in the league, Brandon Prust and Jody Shelley. 

Prust and Shelley came in guns blazing but after they developed an offensive chemistry on a line with Artem Anisimov, Prust didn't fight again and Shelley only had 1 more fight.  Prust was involved in 7 fights in 26 games and Shelley was involved in 3 fights in 21 games.  Needless to say both Shelley and Prust filled the enforcer role much better then Brashear did.  But an aging Jody Shelley was not resigned and the Rangers opted to sign big bad Derek Boogaard for four years.  Prust was resigned during the offseason for 2 years at 800k per year.

HockeyFights.com Awards:
Best MidSeason Tough Guy Pick-Up for Jody Shelley.

Click here for a list of all the Rangers fighters last season and how many fights they were in.

The Rangers should not have the same problem looking for an enforcer next year as they now have Derek Boogaard and Brandon Prust and Up and Comers Dane Byers and Devin DiDiomete if something goes wrong.  But join me after this anyway to see my top 15 NYRangers fights and rough stuff moments from 2009-10 in no particular order....

Crazy And Great Shootout Stats!!

An NHL.com article on the history of the first five years of the shootout inspired this article.  After I read it, I decided to do some research and found out some crazy information.

Adding a shootout to the end of tied games was one of the major rule changes put in place after the 2004-05 Lockout.  Prior to the lockout if a game went through 65 minutes, the game would be a tie and both teams would get only one point.  Now all games have a winner with the shootout in place and one team always gets two points.

The shootout is no secret to Rangers fans as they are tied for the most shootouts played in the last five years.  The Rangers, Oilers and Bruins have all participated in 65 shootouts.  Approximately one out of every six regular season Rangers games have been decided by a shootout since the lockout.

Some fans hate the shootout and some love it.  I am on the side that it is better then ties and until we have a better system in place, I am all for it.

We all have our favorite shootout moments whether it be Marek Malik ending the longest shootout in history or Crosby winning the first Winter Classic in a shootout.

So the NHL.com article inspired me to look up some shootout stats so join me after this for some great/crazy shootout stats and some videos... I definitely encourage you to check out the article...

Reminder: NHL.com 30 in 30 Look At NYRangers Up Today!

Today on NHL.com they continue there look at 30 teams in 30 days with the New York Rangers.  The series has been a great look at all 30 teams in the NHL so I definitely suggest you take a look at it.

They have an article by Dave Lozo on how all the small changes might help in getting us into the playoffs this season.

They also have a look at Chris Kreider!

A brief history of the Rangers by Michael Stainkamp!

Dave Lozo had this to say about Michael Del Zotto: "Michael Del Zotto, of the 879 players eligible, only seven had worse plus-minus ratings than Del Zotto's minus-20. Struggles are to be expected from rookie defensemen, and Del Zotto was no exception. There were many times he was caught out of position by more experienced forwards, and the Rangers paid as Del Zotto learned on the job. But the talent is there, as evidenced by his 9 goals and 28 assists; only Buffalo's Tyler Myers had more points than Del Zotto among rookie defensemen. If Del Zotto can tighten up his defensive game, he could find himself in the Norris Trophy discussion in a few years."

They also have some of the best highlights from the Rangers season including Drury's backhand goal while kneeled on the ice and some more.  I would suggest all Rangers fans take some time and go check it out.

NYRangers Pound 4 Pound Prospect Edition: Dane Byers!

Second on my look at NYRangers Pound 4 Pound Prospect Edition today is Dane Byers.  Dane has a bright future and will be given a strong chance to make the NHL roster this season.

While Dane has a bright future and a chance to make an impact at the NHL level, he is already 24 and will be turning 25 during the season.  Byers has already been called up to the NHL level twice.  Once in 2007-2008 for only 1 game and he played 5 games last season for the Rangers, scoring 1 goal.

In those 5 games Byers found himself in the middle of the Rangers-Canucks line changing brawl.  He received a one game suspension from the NHL for instigating a fight later on in that same game.  He was sent back down to Hartford 2 games later. 

Dane definitely has an edge to his game but also has some offensive ability tallying 151 points in 234 games over the last 4 seasons in the AHL.  He has been very consistent with his play in Hartford which is a good sign that the coaches will look definitely be looking at while Byers tries to make the team.

Here is Byers Talent Analysis from HockeysFuture:

"Byers is an aggressive power forward, who handles the puck extremely well and scores most of his goals from no more than 3-4 feet outside the crease. Strong on the puck, Byers has shown none of the effort issues that seemed to plague him at times in junior. Expected to only be a depth guy, Byers has surprised everyone with his offensive upside. After showing that his 2006-07 production was not a fluke, Byers continued to mature, and was one of the AHL team leaders in points last season. His skill with the puck, ability to finish, and grittiness make Byers an excellent NHL prospect for the Rangers."

Tale Of The Tape:
Height: 6'3
Weight: 200 Pounds
Age: 24
# of NHL Fights: 3 (6 Games/2 P/S Fight)
# of AHL Fights: 40 (4 Seasons)
# of WHL Fights: 42 (4 Seasons)
Total # of Fights: 85 (8 Seasons)


Join me after this for some of Byers best fights...

NYRangers Pound 4 Pound Prospect Edition: Devin DiDiomete!

Today I will be looking at 2 Rangers prospects separately in my NYRangers Pound 4 Pound series and first is fireball Devin DiDiomete.

This kid can definitely throw the punches. Devin was signed by the Rangers in 2008.  This upcoming season will be the last year of his 3 year contract.  It is not likely that this kid will play in the NHL this season and he might never but he definitely could fill the role of the enforcer that the Rangers have spent the last 2 seasons trying to find since Colton Orr signed with Toronto.

He played a combined 49 games between the ECHL and AHL last year.  In those 49 games Devin was involved in 25 fights.

Devin is not rated among the Rangers top 20 prospects by HockeysFuture but he is only 22 and has some time to grow.  In his last season in Juniors he put together 56 points in 56 games.  I could see Devin becoming the same style of player as Brandon Prust.  And Prust didn't break into the NHL until he was 23 and BP will be assuming his first full time role this season(most likely).

Here is Devin's Talent Analysis from HockeysFuture:

The left winger is gritty and tenacious, and plays with an edge to intimidate his opponents. He does have some offensive skill, and his play along the boards is excellent. Occasionally, he does take bad penalties, which will hurt his future progress. However, if he can harness his emotions and play a gritty, smart game, Didomete could be an effective two-way professional player.

Future: A potential third to fourth-line player, DiDiomete has the toughness and agitating ability that could earn him a spot on the Rangers roster in two to three years.

Tale Of The Tape:
Height: 5'11
Weight: 200
Age: 22
# of AHL/ECHL Fights: 50 (2 Seasons)
# of OHL Fights: 86 (4 Seasons)
Total # of Fights: 136 (6 Seasons)

Join me after this for some of DiDiomete's best fights....

Friday News/Links All In 1 Post!! (AGAIN)

Just a bunch of News and Links surrounding the NHL and Rangers today.  Sorry for no posts today, I have been sick all day but will be back on it tomorrow.

NHL Player Agent Allan Walsh posted a picture of Tomas Kundratek from a game today.

Today is NYRangers Captain Chris Drury's birthday.  He is now 34 years old.....

The NYR Blog has an article up about Henrik Lundqvist and his knee problems and an article about and one about Stepan and MZA maybe starting in Hartford.

Check out The Rangers Tribune for a rant on why the Rangers will be better then the 13th seed this season.

Check out Puck Daddy for a post about following Adam Burish during his day with the Cup!

The NHL.com NYRangers 30 in 30 will be up tomorrow so go check it out.  It's been a pretty good look at the teams and should be know different for the Rangers!

Again sorry to my readers for no posts today but I will be back on it tomorrow for you guys!

NYRangers Pound 4 Pound: Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan!!

Today's installment of my NYRangers Pound 4 Pound Series will look at both Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky.  Both young Rangers are fan favorites and among the group of players fans want to see wearing the Blueshirt for along time.  While the debate always rages on between Rangers fans about which one is better or who holds more value, in my opinion they are both important pieces in our future.

In an optimal situation, Callahan would be a perfect 3rd line winger.  He always hits hard, forechecks and keeps the puck in the zone.  Cally is great defensively and always wears his heart on his sleeve.  While he does have a scoring touch(19 and 22 last 2 seasons respectively), he doesn't necessarily have the skill of a top line player and would fit perfect on the Rangers future 3rd line with his hard working mentality and hard and relentless hitting.  If Ryan happens to develop some more skill then maybe he could fit into a first or second line role.

Dubinsky has already seen some first line time with Jagr and then last year with Gaborik.  He has the skill and ability to be a top line player but lacks the consistency of a true All-Star caliber player.  Dubinsky had played Center for most of his career but last year saw some time at wing and played very well and Torts has said that Dubinsky will start at wing this year.

Both have shown that they will stick up for there teammates and throw down with anybody if they need to.  Dubinsky has also had a rivalry with the Captain of the Flyers Mike Richards since the day he entered the league.  Dubinsky plays with a sort of mean streak and is willing to rough it up when necessary.  Brandon has a snarl to his game and doesn't take much from anybody.  Callahan plays with heart and is always ready to run through the defense even if it's Tyler Myers or Zdeno Chara.  This is why I decided to do a Pound 4 Pound with these two combined.

Tale Of The Tape:                          Tale Of The Tape:
Brandon Dubinsky:                           Ryan Callahan:
Height: 6'1                                         Height: 5'11
Weight: 210 Pounds                         Weight: 185
Age: 24                                              Age: 25
Nickname: Dubi                                Nickname: Cally
# of NHL Fights: 17 (3 Seasons)      # of NHL Fights: 7 (4 Seasons)
# of AHL Fights:  8 (1 Season)         # of AHL Fights: 3 (2 Seasons)
# of WHL Fights: 22 (4 seasons)     # of OHL Fights: 4 (3 Seasons)
Total # of Fights:  47 (8 seasons)    Total # of Fights: 14 (9 Seasons)

Join me after this for some of there best fights/moments......

MZA Does A Cameo In A Swedish Commercial!

New Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello Aasen did a cameo in a Swedish commercial for his favorite restaurant.  He is not the only NHL star in the video as Naslund, Forsberg and the Sedin Twins are also in the video.  I am sure that MZA is the player at the end doing dishes so check it out:

NYRangers Pound 4 Pound: Sean Avery!!

Most Rangers Fans can agree that when playing his style and while playing at the top of his game, Sean Avery can be one of the most important assets in the league.  He's the kind of guy that you love when he's on your team and you hate when he's not.  The fact that the Rangers have gone out and acquired Sean twice just shows his value.  Not one player in the game today fits the agitator role as good as Avery and on top of that, the guy actually has some skill.  The problem with Avery is that those skills only come out when he plays "his way" and Tortorella is not a fan of his style. 

Sean claimed in an interview with MSG that he would be back next year.  Tortorella also claimed in an interview with Stan Fischler that he has not slapped Avery with any restrictions: "After I benched him against the Thrashers, he played his best hockey but I don't know why it came down to that. Despite what some have said, I put no handcuffs on him. I want Sean to show his personality. Last year I gave him a lot of opportunities and now that I think about it, I may have left him in too long. The bottom line is that if he's not involved, he won't play."  We will have to wait and see how this plays out but this seems like it could be Sean's last shot.  Because after what transpired in Dallas, it seems like the only team that will take him is the Rangers.

Sean has had some great moments in the NHL such as his battles with Brodeur(videos below), jumping Fedotenko, sloppy seconds anyone? and many more.  Most of these videos will be found below.

Tale Of The Tape:
Height: 5'10
Weight: 195 Pounds
Age: 30
Position: C/LW
# of NHL Fights: 67 (8 Seasons)
# of AHL Fights: 2 (1 Season)
# of OHL Fights: 35 (3 seasons)
Total # of Fights: 104 (12 seasons)

So join me after this to see not only some of Sean's best fights but some of his greatest moments.....

Hockey Becoming More Popular Among Younger Stars!!

Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato at a Kings Game!!

Listen we all know that guys like Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Mike Meyers, Kevin Smith and Snoop Dogg are Hockey fans and supporters of NHL teams but to be honest, those guys are old and some aren't that famous anymore. 

But now a new crop of young stars in Hollywood have become Hockey fans. This allows for there younger fans to be come interested in Hockey when the are young.  This gives them the opportunity to play the sport and become die hard Hockey fans(which most hokey fans are) and grow the support of the league.  At times the league is looked down upon or as the 4th best sport so younger people decided not to pat attention because its not "cool".  But with there favorite star or idol being a hockey fan then maybe that will change there mind.

A Tweet by the NHL which showed a comment by Taylor Swift in People Magazine got me thinking so I did some research on it. The Tweet read "I love The Nashville Predators & I love going to hockey games. But I get stressed out when they start fighting...." Now of course I hope the NHL doesn't take her advice but I doubt they will.  So I looked up some other young stars who are Hockey fans and the group definitely surprised me, especially since some of todays biggest stars are in fact Hockey fans/supporters.

Join me after this to see some off today's young stars who are hockey fans....

News On The NYRangers Music Video!!

@TheNYRangers Pic from Music Video Shoot!!

Last Week most Rangers fans were confused when the Rangers tweeted to send in pictures if you wanted to be a part of a NYRangers Fan Music Video.  Well they posted a picture yesterday of the shoot and it seems like a regular rock band music video.  When @DeeGiordano and @Thenyrangers had a little conversation about it, I figured she was one of the fans at the video shoot so I decided to ask her what the video was about and she was nice enough to respond.

@NYRangers365 it was a canadian band that made a special song for the team!

less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhoneDana Giordano
DeeGiordano

So it seems like a Canadian Band(presumably rock band) made a NYRangers song.  We can't really tell anything else at the moment so I guess we will just have to wait until the song/video premieres.

NHL Twitter Update!!

I will run an NHL Twitter Update about twice a month for now on.  Once at the beginning of the month and once sometime in the middle.  I recommend you join Twitter if you haven't already as it is a great source for information and news and a place to talk to some of your favorite NHL players.  You do not have to Tweet yourself if you do not want to but follow others for news and information. I will give you a list of all the new NHL players (only ones that have been confirmed/verified and no fakes) who have joined Twitter and some of what they have to offer.  Also I will give some of the best Tweets from Players/Writers/Reporters from the past half month during each write-up.  Since August 4th we have had 8 NHL players/prospects join Twitter.

Bobby Ryan(Anaheim Ducks) (U.S Olympian) twitter.com/b_ryan9

You know it's jersey when a door opens and a wave of humidity almost knocks you over.less than a minute ago via EchofonBobby Ryan
b_ryan9

Join me after this for rest of the NHL Players/Prospects who have joined twitter...

NYRangers Pound 4 Pound: Brandon Prust!

In the second installment of my NYRangers Pound 4 Pound series, I will be looking at Brandon Prust.  Prust was acquired from the Flames right before the Olympic break last year along with Olli Jokinen for Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik.  Needless to say most Rangers fans were glad to get rid of Higgins and Kotalik but to get a young energetic player in Prust who can also fight pretty well was definitely a bonus.

Prust was an RFA this summer and resigned with the Rangers for two years at 800k per.  Prust is still young at 26 and late in the season when paired with Anisimov and Shelley he put together some good offensive games.  He tallied 3 goals and 3 assists in 9 games with this line.  2 of those goals were game winners.  He was not involved in any fights over this 9 game stretch. 

Prust becomes a fan favorite where ever he plays because of his willingness to fight anyone of any size even though he is only 5'11.  He showed this in only his 3rd game with the Rangers when he took on New Jersey Devils 6'4 240 pound monster Andrew Peters not once but twice in the same game.  There  is no doubt in Rangers fans minds that Prust will come out the same way this season playing with his heart on his sleeve and leaving it all on the ice.

Tale Of The Tape:
Age: 26
Height: 5'11
Weight: 195 Pounds
Position: LW/RW
# of NHL Fights: 50 (3 seasons)
# of AHL Fights: 74 (3 seasons)
# of OHL Fights: 73 (3 seasons)
Total # of Fights: 197 (9 Seasons)

HockeyFights.com Awards: (5 Nominations, 0 Wins)

Click here for the 1st installment with Derek Boogaard!!

Join me after this for some of my favorite Brandon Prust fights....

Blog Update: My NYRangers P4P Schedule!

Since a lot of people commented, emailed and @ me on Twitter about my Derek Boogaard piece the other day, I have decided to do some more.  A lot of people asked for Brandon Prust and Sean Avery among other suggestions.  If you have any suggestions of your favorite players past or present but only Rangers email me or leave a comment or find a way to let me know.  I didn't really go to deep into the first one and will definitely do a little more research and build a deeper piece about each one since people seemed to like it a lot. 

Here is the Schedule I built for this week:

Tuesday: Brandon Prust
Wednesday: Sean Avery
Thursday: Callahan and Dubinsky
Saturday: Prospect Devin Didiomete
Saturday: Prospect Dane Byers
Sunday: NYR Best of 2009-2010
Sunday: Matthew Barnaby

So this Schedule is the plan for this week. I will do some more next week so send in your suggestions and on Sunday I will build a Schedule for next week!

Reminder: NHL 11 Demo Available Tomorrow!!

The NHL 11 Demo will be available tomorrow Tuesday August 17th in North America for both PS3 and Xbox360.  The team at EA Sports has yet again made vast improvements to the game like the new physics engine and a new game mode called Hockey Ultimate Team.  But unlike in Madden and Fifa, the game mode will come free with the game. 

The demo will feature short demo version of Ultimate Team that if you happen to complete, you will receive a bonus Starter Pack for the game mode when the full version hits stores.  You will also get to play the final 5 minutes of the 3rd period of a Battle For The Cup Mode Game 7 between the Flyers and Blakchawks.  The demo is free so go ahead and download it to get a taste of the game.  The full version of the game comes out on September 7th for $59.99.

Here is a preview of Hockey Ultimate Team:

WE HAVE A NEW YORK RANGERS INCEPTION HIGHLIGHT VIDEO!!

We have a New York Rangers Inception Highlight Video. I asked @Major_Hutch on Twitter who is definitely a good follow, to make one and he came through and helped represent Rangers Fans.  So I'm going to stop talking and you can check out the video for yourself.  Go and follow him and check out some of his other videos on YouTube!

NYRangers Pound 4 Pound: Derek Boogaard!

I went through the hockeyfights.com archives and found some of Derek Boogaard's best fights.  Since it seems that is all the 6'8 monster can do anyway.  With him scoring no goals the last four seasons.  But I guess that's why he only received a 4 year deal worth over $1.6M a season.  He is only 28 so maybe he will learn how to skate while with the Rangers but that discussion is for another time.  As long as he fights like he does in some of the videos I will post then I think most Rangers fans won't be thinking about his contract...

Tale Of The Tape:
Age: 28
Height: 6'8
Weight: 257 pounds
Position: LW
Nickname: The Boogey Man!
# of NHL Fights: 59 (5 seasons)
# of AHL fights: 48 (2 seasons)
# of WHL Fights: 66 (3 seasons)
Total # of Fights: 173 (10 seasons)

Hockeyfights.com Awards: (21 nominations, 8 wins)
2006-07 Fight Of The Year
2005-06 KO Of The Year (KO of Gillies)
2006-07 Fighter Of The Year
2006-07 People's Choice Award
2006-07 Kimble Award-Most Exciting Fighter
2005-06 and 2006-07 Best Punching Power/Most Destructive Fighter
2006-07 Best Player Feud

Join me after this for my favorite Boogey Man throw downs...

Video Of The Day: Inception Inspired Hockey Videos!!! (UPDATED)

A couple of Hockey Fans who are good with computers and such have made some Inception inspired videos with clips and highlights mainly from last season.  This could end up becoming a new trend just like the fan made History Will Be Made Videos and I would love to see a Rangers video and since I am not particularly good with that kind of stuff, I would like to challenge Rangers fans who are good at video making to create one.  Now you have to put your heart into it to show fans of other teams that we are the best.  I will embed the videos into the post to check them out and you can see what your competition is!  I have seen a Canucks and Bruins video and one group of different teams/highlights but if there are more out there then let me know and I will post them also....

UPDATE 8/11/10: @AGallantcapsfan on Twitter created an Ovechkin Inception video.. I posted it to go with the other 3.. Now a total of 4 so far and all 4 are great!!

UPDATE 8/13/10: New Montreal Canadiens Video from Youtube.. added it 2 the group after jump...

Join me after this to see all 5 Inception videos so far....

Friday News All In 1 Post!!

Sorry to all my news and loyal fans/followers for no posts today but I have been spending the whole day down at the Jersey Shore with my friends.  But I have found some time to basically do a roundup/grouping of all the days news and events.

Dan David did an article on newyorkrangers.com today on Rangers Blueliner Dan Girardi.  Here is some of what Dan had to say:

"No matter what you do during the summer and how hard you train, nothing is like Torts' camp, really," he said. "I was prepared for it last year, but no matter what you do it's just so different when you get out there with the guys. It's probably one of the hardest things I've ever done, for sure. You try to do some hard skates on the ice during the summer, but it's not the same as when he's out there and the coaches are out there and everyone else is out there. The summer skates around here are not the caliber of what I will experience in camp, so I try to push myself as much as I can, and I've found that I try to do a little extra when my workout's done. Just to kind of get ready for that skating and the running."

He also continues to be on the side of almost all players and coaches in saying he likes the fact they have brought a core back and how it will signifacantly impact the team.  "There are a couple of new faces, but I'm also glad the main group is still together," said Girardi. "We can try to jell and improve every season going forward."

Stan Fischler did Part 2 of his sit down with John Tortorella today on msg.com!  They spoke about Del Zotto, Gilroy, Redden, Drury, White, McDonagh and Stepan.  It's a very good read so definitely go ahead and check it out.  Here is some of what Torts said about Drury:

In a frank admission that only a Tortorella can divulge, the coach noted, "Chris and I have grown and I can say that I now understand him a lot better.  He's not a rah-rah guy, but he is a great guy; a thinker and he cares so much. He's still growing as a captain and I know that he wants to score more in the new season. He got bounced around last year, but he'll get his chance to redeem himself offensively."

Click here for Part 2 of the interview!

HockeyBuzz.com's Juile Robenhymer(I hate HockeyBuzz but Julie is actually one of them that I respect and she does some interesting pieces) did a piece on Chris Krieder today! I found it interesting so I think you guys should check it out also.

Patrick Kane continued his bad luck in his hometown of Buffalo.  Last offseason he beat up a assaulted a cab driver over 20 cents and today he got stuck on a fire truck ladder while on his one day with the Stanley Cup. The truck apparently got stuck while going up but after about 20 minutes they were able to get him down.

Newyorkrangers.com Interview With Ryan Callahan!!

Another post about Ryan Callahan today. Dan David had an article on newyorkrangers.com where he had an interview with Callahan.  Callahan is one of the Rangers key young core players and could play a huge role on this team when we become contenders, hopefully in the next few years with all the young talent we have coming up.  Callahan will be an RFA after this season and look for the Rangers to lock him up as he will be a very useful player in the future.  He has shown a scoring touch with 22 goals and 19 goals the last two season respectively.  Here is some of what Callahan had to say:

“I'm gearing up for a hard training camp,” said Callahan, who has spent the off-season in his native Rochester, N.Y. “But from previous summers, not too much has changed for me workout-wise or in terms of conditioning. I think in previous summers I pushed myself hard and got myself ready for camp. It's just status quo with the way I lift and the conditioning that I do."

"I think one of the biggest things about last year is that even though we didn't make the playoffs, we have all of these core guys coming back and we'll use that as motivation," said Callahan. "Everybody knows what we went through last year and what a disappointment it was at the end of the year. So it's pretty important that we're all still together and we all can look back on previous years and what we've been through together. I think we're all definitely a lot more hungry. It was tough and I know, personally, it has been a long summer. I think the biggest thing is coming back and not looking at not making the playoffs as a negative, but to turn it around and take it as a positive and as a learning experience."

It seems like everyone is behind the fact that the Rangers are going to be bringing back a core group of players which they have not done in recent season.

"I think a big part of why we started off the year so well last year was that everybody came in early and was prepared and ready to go right from day one of camp," said Callahan. "Hopefully, we'll have the same result going into this year."

 For the full article you can click here!!