Blog Archives
Rangers trim roster as familiar faces get set to debut tonight in Boston
Bobby Bevilacqua
Mats Zuccarello will be back in a Rangers jersey tonight. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Rangers and GM Jeff Gorton have announced that the team has assigned 19 of their training camp invitees.
Twelve of the players will report to the Hartford Wolf Pack’s training camp: Calle Andersson, Kodie Curran, Cedrick Desjardins, Samuel Noreau, Mackenzie Skapski, Michael St. Croix, Nick Tarnasky, and Petr Zamorsky.
Six of the players will report back to their respective Junior hockey teams: Ryan Gropp, Brandon Halverson, Keegan Iverson, Tyan Mantha, Brad Morrison, and Sergey Zborovskiy.
Jacob Smith was released from his tryout agreement. Read the rest of this entry
NHL to implement new concussion spotters for 2015-16 season
Bobby Bevilacqua
In a move to combat the head injuries and concussions that have plagued the sports world recently, the NHL will begin mandating league-designated and trained spotters for every single game this season.
Max Pacioretty lies dazed after a big hit in a game against the Florida Panthers. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
There will be two spotters at every game, one for each team. They will be sponsored and trained by the league. However, each team has the right to designate their own concussion spotter for each game. This may be preferred, because that person would have the team’s best interests in mind, and they would know the players and their tendencies well.
According to Bill Daly, the NHL deputy commissioner, most teams have indicated that they’d prefer to go with a team-sponsored spotter, but having the league-mandated spotters gives teams another possibility. If the team spotter gets sick or can’t make it, there will be backups in a sense. (LINK)
Unlike the NFL, the spotters do not have the same power as they do in football. NFL concussion spotters have the power to stop a game and remove a player if they are showing clear signs of a concussion. This is known as the Julian Edelman Rule, named after the New England Patriots wide receiver. In the Super Bowl, Edelman took a nasty hit and appeared woozy, but stayed in the game to make some key catches, despite a spotter calling down to the sideline and asking for him to be removed. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers open up preseason against Devils, lineup announced
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
It’s finally time. After a very long summer of waiting, the Rangers will begin the preseason at Madison Square Garden on Monday Night against the New Jersey Devils. It is the first of six preseason games, and the first of a back-to-back series.
This year’s preseason contains a lot of interesting storylines, with players fighting for roster spots all over the lineup. The first two games will be key for them to make an impact and prove to the coaching staff why they should be on the roster.
Here is the Rangers lineup for Monday’s game against the Devils. Read the rest of this entry
Alain Vigneault: Media Day and Training Camp recap
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
On the first day that the media were able to talk to the Rangers and their coaching staff, head coach Alain Vigneault had a lot to say about the upcoming season, his players and potentially alluding to how he plans on setting the roster.
Throughout the offseason, many people have said that this season will be of utmost importance for 24 year old forward Chris Kreider. He’s coming off of the best season of his young career, collecting 21 goals and 25 assists in the regular season, and adding seven goals and two assists in 19 playoff games.
Now, Kreider is in a contract year, and both he and the team will be looking for him to have a massive year, and for him to be a key contributor throughout the year. And that’s exactly the stance that Vigneault took.
“I look at Chris Kreider, and I believe he can be an elite player in this league,” Vigneault told Jim Cerny of Blueshirts United. “He’s got everything to become a dominant power forward in this league. He’s got almost two full years under his belt, except for a couple of games in my first year. He’s been improving, he’s been taking strides.” Read the rest of this entry
Which NHL teams improved the most this offseason?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of psdcovers.com
Expect some new playoff challengers for the 2015-16 NHL season.
Every season, there are a few teams that surprise everyone, surge into the playoffs and have an improved season overall. This past year we saw the Winnipeg Jets, the Calgary Flames and the Ottawa Senators all climb their way into the playoffs, bringing new blood into the chase for the Stanley Cup.
This year, it will be no different, and there will be new teams rising in the standings, catching everyone off guard and making a push to get into the playoffs. A few teams have made huge strides in improving their teams, and could be surprise contenders during this upcoming season.
Here are some of the most improved teams heading into the upcoming season. Read the rest of this entry
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