A New York Rangers “Twelve Days of Christmas”

I originally published this in December of 2009 for my old blog, Metro-Hockey. I sent it around to a few people and it was actually NHL analyst and 100 Ranger Greats co-author Russ Cohen who enjoyed it so much, he asked for my address so he could send me a “reward”. Turns out, about a week later, an Eric Lindros jersey card showed up in the mail. I could not help but laugh when I saw it, though it did contribute to my rather large memorabilia-card collection. It’s amazing that even though this is from last season, some of these still hold true. I hope you enjoy!

On the first day of Christmas, my season ticket rep gave to me, a coach that made me miss Tom Renney.

On the second day of Christmas, my season ticket rep gave to me, two Voros punching bags, and a coach that made me miss Tom Renney.

On the third day of Christmas, my season ticket rep gave to me, three softies let in by Lundqvist, two Voros punching bags, and a coach that made me miss Tom Renney.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my season ticket rep gave to me, four announcing Rosen’s, three softies let in by Lundqvist, two Voros punching bags, and a coach that made me miss Tom Renney.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my season ticket rep gave to me, FIVE SHOTS GONE WIDE! Four announcing Rosen’s, three softies let in by Lundqvist, two Voros punching bags, and a coach that made me miss Tom Renney.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my season ticket rep gave to me, six Rozsival’s falling, FIVE SHOTS GONE WIDE! Four announcing Rosen’s, three softies let in by Lundqvist, two Voros punching bags, and a coach that made me miss Tom Renney.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my season ticket rep gave to me, seven Gilroy’s pinching, six Rozsival’s falling, FIVE SHOTS GONE WIDE! Four announcing Rosen’s, three softies let in by Lundqvist, two Voros punching bags, and a coach that made me miss Tom Renney.

On the eighth day of Christmas, my season ticket rep gave to me, eight gallons of agita, seven Gilroy’s pinching, six Rozsival’s falling, FIVE SHOTS GONE WIDE! Four announcing Rosen’s, three softies let in by Lundqvist, two Voros punching bags, and a coach that made me miss Tom Renney.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my season ticket rep gave to me, nine Gaborik hat-tricks, eight gallons of agita, seven Gilroy’s pinching, six Rozsival’s falling, FIVE SHOTS GONE WIDE! Four announcing Rosen’s, three softies let in by Lundqvist, two Voros punching bags, and a coach that made me miss Tom Renney.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my season ticket rep gave to me, ten Michelletti exaggerations, nine Gaborik hat-tricks, eight gallons of agita, seven Gilroy’s pinching, six Rozsival’s falling, FIVE SHOTS GONE WIDE! Four announcing Rosen’s, three softies let in by Lundqvist, two Voros punching bags, and a coach that made me miss Tom Renney.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my season ticket rep gave to me, eleven Eklund Kovalchuk predictions, ten Michelletti exaggerations, nine Gaborik hat-tricks, eight gallons of agita, seven Gilroy’s pinching, six Rozsival’s falling, FIVE SHOTS GONE WIDE! Four announcing Rosen’s, three softies let in by Lundqvist, two Voros punching bags, and a coach that made me miss Tom Renney.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my season ticket rep gave to me, twelve Crosby’s crying, eleven Eklund Kovalchuk predictions, ten Michelletti exaggerations, nine Gaborik hat-tricks, eight gallons of agita, seven Gilroy’s pinching, six Rozsival’s falling, FIVE SHOTS GONE WIDE! Four announcing Rosen’s, three softies let in by Lundqvist, two Voros punching bags, and a coach that made me miss Tom Renney.

In case I can’t get on here tomorrow to wish everyone a formal Christmas greeting, I would like to extend to all of my readers and their families the very Merriest of Christmases!

Frolov Discusses Signing with Rangers; Commentary from Russ Cohen

You are entering the Frolov zone.

Quotes from Alex Frolov himself are slowly making their way to Twitter, and we have these from Arthur Staple of Newsday:

“I probably thought free agency would go faster, maybe easier than this. I had a chance to go to Russia. It was a tough decision.”

-Maybe because nobody wanted to shell out big bucks to a player who scored 19 goals last season and was relegated to playing on the third line?

“I decided to take the 1-year deal, then next year we can talk more long-term. I know what I can bring to the Rangers.”

-Good thing it’s only a one year deal; no harm, no foul. As for what you can bring, I hope it’s a lot more than what I am expecting.

“In my whole career, I’ve been to the playoffs once. I wanted a chance to get there again and win a Stanley Cup.”

-Then why on earth would you come to the Rangers?

These next ones come from Andrew Gross of the Bergen Record:

“…I think New York is probably the best place for me to be right now.”

-Yes, cause us fans love Russian enigmas. Zherdev v2.0 is the label he is already getting, but I’m thinking more along the lines of Alexei Kovalev’s second stint on Broadway.

“I probably could have made more in Russia, sometimes you have to think about something else…”

-You could have made a lot more in Russia, and played in a stress-free environment, at least when compared to New York. And what else were you considering? I know $3 million is pocket change to some people, so maybe the lavish New York lifestyle perhaps?

Lastly, we have some great quotes from Russ Cohen who told me, “Alexander Frolov has a lot of skill but sometimes makes one too many moves on the ice and that tends to frustrate viewers. He’s not a complete player and his numbers have been in decline each of the last three seasons.”

And he basically echoes my mentality of the whole situation when he says, “He’s the type of player a team might bring in to put them over the top rather than taking a potential roster spot away from a young player.”

“100 Ranger Greats Trivia” Winner Announced

I would like to thank all of those who participated in my blog’s first ever trivia contest! In this Ranger themed event, the grand prize was a brand new copy of the book 100 Ranger Greats, by Russ Cohen, Adam Raider, and John Halligan.

The winner of the trivia contest is Chris Hoeler from Fairfield, Connecticut.

He tied with Randy Stewart from Freehold, New Jersey, and the tiebreaker was settled by me placing the two names in a hat, and Chris’ name was pulled. Still it was a very close competition and hopefully we will have another one next year.

Final Leaderboard

1st. Chris Hoeler (Ridgefield, CT)–13

1st. Randy Stewart (Freehold, NJ)–13

2nd. Jim Haggerty (Bronx, NY)– 12

3rd. John Peek (Whitesboro, NY)–7

3rd. Mike McConeghy (Utica, NY)–7

3rd. Steve Weitzner (Irvine, CA)–7

3rd. Adam Bethon (Port Washington, NY)–7

Kovalchuk’s Contract Offer: A Lot Can Happen in Seventeen Years

Joe and I got to thinking about how ridiculous a seventeen year contract is, which is the supposed deal the New Jersey Devils offered Ilya Kovalchuk, according to the New York Post. Just think about how long 17 years is; that would be like the Rangers having a member of the 1994 Stanley Cup winning team still playing for them today. How crazy is that?

Kovalchuk himself would be 44 years old at the expiration of his contract.

So here are two lists, one showing what has happened in the last 17 years, and what could potentially happen in the next 17 years.

What Has Happened

-Super Nintendo was the main game console. Nintendo 64 did not even exist.

-Joe was in kindergarten, I was only two years old.

-Bill Clinton was banging Monica Lewinsky.

-The Rangers were good.

-OJ Simpson didn’t murder his wife.

-Chris Chelios was playing.

-VHS and Cassette tapes were state of the art.

-Hockey games ended in ties.

-Gary Bettman wasn’t ruining hockey…just yet.

-The Phoenix Coyotes did not exist.

-The Dolan’s did not own the Rangers.

-Computers were not mainstream, and not many owned them.

-Cell phones were heavier than a block of concrete.

-Pizza Hut was the cool place to be if you were a little kid.

-People didn’t die from eating Taco Bell.

Don's ask me. I have no idea either.

What Can Happen

-Joe could get married, have kids, and send them through grade school.

-I could finish college and have been a teacher for fourteen years.

-Chris Chelios could still be playing.

-According to the Mayans, the world could end.

-The NHL will have expanded with leagues in Africa and Antarctica.

-HD TV’s will be obsolete.

-The Phoenix Coyotes will no longer exist.

-Beer will cost $25 at Madison Square Garden.

-Jim Balsillie will have almost bought nine teams.

-Cell phones will be micro chip implants in our fingernails.

-Babies will come out of the womb while typing on a laptop.

-Shootouts will decide hockey games in the playoffs.

-Russ Cohen and Adam Raider will publish a sequel to their book titled “150 Ranger Greats”.

Rangers Go Off the Board and Draft Bruiser Dylan McIlrath

With top-five ranked defenseman Cam Fowler still on the board, and top-ten Brandon Gormley, the Rangers chose to go past them and take fifteenth ranked physical defenseman Dylan McIlrath.

This move came as a complete shock, especially with two great defenseman available and goaltender Jack Campbell, who analyst Russ Cohen suggested the Rangers draft.

Needless to say, I was disappointed at the pick. Personally, I wanted Tarasenko, but that quickly faded with Fowler still on the board. But now, I am trying to find the light in this pick, and I guess when you consider that the Rangers already had his name stitched on the jersey, that means they really wanted him and targeted him over everyone else.

Fans and management alike swear by Gordie Clark’s brilliance at drafting, so I will trust him on this one. The Rangers have not have a tough-as-nails defenseman since Jeff Beukeboom; Purinton and Erik Reitz not included.

Myself and everyone else has been complaining about an abundance of softness on the Rangers, especially the back-end, and this move will fix that in a year or two.

If this is the direction the Rangers are taking, as in becoming more physical and able to stick up for themselves, then I like it. But as a player who earns his livelihood on fighting, if McIlrath takes one punch to the head in the wrong spot, it’s all over. That is my major concern.

My only beef with this pick is the fact the Rangers could have traded down, probably up to ten spots, and still would have been able to take him.

This is just a little of what he brings. He’ll be a fan favorite in a week.

“100 Ranger Greats” Trivia! Round One

All throughout my time covering hockey I have raved about the book 100 Ranger Greats and interviewed its authors. Right now, you have a chance to own this book if you do not already have it. Today begins FNYTSF’s first ever hockey trivia challenge!

This book is a spectacular mix of statistics, stories, and Ranger folklore and is a must-read for any Ranger fan. It is also selling on Amazon for an upwards of $25. But this 240-page, hardcover book can be yours in just three weeks if you feel like answering some questions.

Rules

All the answers to these questions can be found in the book and most likely somewhere online. There will be three rounds of five questions each, and they will get harder as the rounds move on. The person with the most correct answers will win the book. If there is a tie between participants, it will be settled privately with an email question.

In order to enter, you must email your answers to me at nyr1199@comcast.net. The email subject must also clearly read in caps “RANGERS TRIVIA CHALLENGE”. I get a lot of emails and I don’t want to accidentally delete yours, so please label is as such.

You must also include your full name and the city/state you reside in so you can be given proper recognition on the leader-board when it gets updated.

The questions will be posted every Tuesday, so answers must be in by midnight on Monday.

There is no set time of day that the questions will be posted, so if you are not one who checks the site regularly, I highly suggest becoming a subscriber. Please scroll down on the right side and find where it says “Email Subscriber”. By clicking “Sign Me Up” you will be sent an email each time an article is posted, and that includes the trivia every Tuesday.

Have fun and good luck!

Round One Questions

1. Which forward became famous and loved by the Garden faithful in the 1970′s for throwing pucks into the stands during warm-ups?

2. Which 1940’s tough defenseman had a nose described in the Daily News as, “It looked like an afterthought, like it was stuck on his weather beaten face by a careless sculptor”?

3. Which agitator was known for yapping at his opponents in a mixture of Finnish and English, making it so no one could understand him?

4. Which star player was traded during the 1994 season after he fell out of favor with coach Mike Keenan?

5. Which coach was nicknamed “The Wizard of Lake Placid”?

Russ Cohen Discusses the NHL Draft, Rangers, Free Agency, and More!

Hockey analyst and Sportsology creator Russ Cohen now becomes the person I have interviewed more than any other, with this being our fourth time. Russ has always been kind enough to answer all of my questions and we decided to do another interview exploring the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft that will be upon us June 25.

Russ is also allowing me to run a hockey trivia challenge, that starts tomorrow, using his book 100 Ranger Greats as the medium. For the next three weeks, every Tuesday I will post trivia questions that can all be answered by reading the book. Participants must email me their responses before the next round is posted and the leader after three weeks will win a brand new copy! It is sure to be a lot of fun.

Below is our conversation:

GC: Who do you think the Rangers will take in this year’s draft, and why?

RC: I think the New York Rangers will select goaltender Jack Campbell. Henrik Lundqvist continues to break his own career mark for games played with the Blueshirts and five year’s into his career he has some knee problems. If you consider that most of the Rangers great goaltenders lasted right around 10 years then this year’s draft has to yield a potential franchise goaltender for the team. Goalies take a long time to develop so the time is now. This is a piece I wrote on Campbell.

GC: There is so much talk about who will go first overall in this year’s draft. Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall seem to be the leading candidates, but who do you think the Oilers will take with the first overall pick?

RC: I think the Oilers will take Taylor Hall. He has exceptional speed, he’s a clutch scorer, he can play in every situation and he makes players around him better. He can play in the NHL next season.

GC: What Rangers prospects have a chance of making the team this season?

RC: Derek Stepan has that kind of talent. If he decides to turn pro and not return to the University of Wisconsin then he will certainly get a long look in camp. What’s important to note is the fact that if he could make the team without playing in the AHL then he will be learning on the job and you shouldn’t expect a huge offensive season out of him. I think Bobby Sanguinetti has the talent and he seems to be playing with more of an edge. He had a rocky road with the coach last season so he has to impress him in camp or he won’t make it even though he has the talent to do so. If Evgeny Grachev has a great start in Hartford he could get a late season promotion.

GC: Do you expect there to be many trades at this year’s draft, and do you see the Rangers making any?

RC: Toronto will be trying to move defenseman Tomas Kaberle for sure. I think one of the Montreal goaltenders; most likely Carey Price will be available as well. I think the Rangers might have interest in Kaberle. There will be some lesser talented players moved as well, there always are.

GC: The very private Glen Sather gave a very in-depth interview with Larry Brooks of the New York Post last week. What is your response to this and what do you think he has in store this off-season?

RC: I think he’s trying to add another scorer to play alongside Marian Gaborik. I think they will search for toughness on the blueline as well. They don’t have a lot of cap space so far, but that could change, so that’s why he was essentially saying don’t look for a big free-agent signing. With all of that said it’s nice to say that you want to keep going with the youth but the past few years the Rangers traded some of that youth, and it didn’t get the team anywhere, so it’s hard to put much stock in that statement as well.

GC: Rangers fans seem to be clamoring for Ilya Kovalchuk (obviously) and now more recently Anton Volchenkov. Tomas Plekanec has had his name thrown in the rumor mill as well, even though I do not want him. Which of these free agents do the Rangers have the best shot at signing? And would you personally make a move to acquire any of them?

RC: Tomas Plekanec was almost invisible in the series against Philadelphia so stay away from him; he’s just too soft, even though he has solid scoring ability. Anton Volchenkov could help this team at the right price. He’s the only one of the three that I would have interest in. If Kovalchuk was going to become a Ranger he would ask for $100 million that they don’t have. I’m not sure where he will sign but I’m sensing he might take less money to stay in New Jersey when it’s all said and done.

I would like to thank Russ for taking the time to conduct this interview!

Become a FNYTSF Subscriber!

With some great pieces coming up in the next week, now is the best time to become an email subscriber to From New York to San Francisco.

Later today, I am featuring a piece on Kyleigh’s Law, which is a driving law unique to New Jersey that has caused outrage since it was instilled in early May. Then later this week, we will have a piece from Blueshirt Banter Radio co-host Eddie Geick, who will tell us of the horrors we independent journalists face with New York Rangers PR and the general media.

Then when the weekend arrives, I have two movie reviews being put up of Wolfen (1981) and The Hanoi Hilton (1987). Then beginning next week, we will be running our first ever hockey trivia challenge, featuring a grand prize of a brand new copy of 100 Ranger Greats, co-authored by Russ Cohen, Adam Raider, and the late John Halligan.

Also next week will be a piece from Jeff Huber, telling us of the horrors the homeless army veterans face in this country.

It is going to be a busy few days, and if you don’t want to miss any of it, please scroll down on the right side, and click “Become a Subscriber” and you will be notified when each article is published. We have also added an RSS Feed to the site, so don’t forget to include us!

Sincerely,

Greg Caggiano

Interview with Hockey Analyst and Author Russ Cohen

When it comes to hockey analysts, Russ Cohen is a jack of all trades. He hosts a hockey radio show on XM satellite radio, runs Sportsology, and even co-authored the ultimate book for New York Rangers fans titled, “100 Ranger Greats”, along with Adam Raider and the late John Halligan.

In this, our second interview, I asked Russ about the NHL playoffs, the upcoming draft and off-season, and of course, the New York Rangers. Russ also recounted his memories with John Halligan, fellow hockey historian who he worked closely with, who passed away just a few short months ago.

GC: As of right now, who are your favorites to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, and who will be the eventual winner?

RC: Greg, I originally picked the Capitals and Canucks in the preseason, and I will continue to pick these teams. I think the Capitals’ overtime win woke them up, and their goalie change to Varlamov was a big factor as well. Vancouver’s blue-line is beat up, but I think they can weather the storm.

GC: San Jose once again finds themselves having a phenomenal regular season only to struggle in the playoffs. Why do you think this is so? And if they fail to get out of the first round, whose jobs do you think will be in danger?

RC: I think they will get out of the first round. I don’t think anybody in management is in danger but I think there could be some personnel changes. If I were the GM, I might try to move Patrick Marleau or Joe Thornton.

GC: With the NHL draft coming in the end of June, which player do you think will be the first overall pick? And who do you see the Rangers taking with the 10th pick?

RC: Greg, I think the first overall pick will be Taylor Hall. You can’t teach speed and that sets him apart from anybody else in this draft. The Rangers need a goalie in their system in the worst way. Now I would pick Jack Campbell, but the question is who do I see them taking? Hmmmm. Ryan Johansen.

GC: The Rangers played their best hockey of the season down the stretch and still missed the playoffs by a point. What do you think was the main reason for this? And do you see Sather or Tortorella getting fired?

RC: Greg, It doesn’t appear that there will be any changes going into next season. I thought the choice of not using Marian Gaborik in the shootout was indefensible, considering Danny Briere was 0-2 or 0-3 in his career against Henrik Lundqvist and he scored. [Tortorella] didn’t give an answer to the media about that decision after that game which was weak. I think the fact that they didn’t carry seven defenseman for most of this season was a mistake as well.

GC: We all know what it would take salary-wise, but what are the chances of the Rangers landing a free-agent like Ilya Kovalchuk? And although I do not want him, will the Rangers make a push for Patrick Marleau?

RC: Well I think Marleau might be available and he is a top-line center. Kovalchuk will want $8-10 million so the Rangers can’t afford him. Marleau will want around $6 million and the Rangers could swing that with some moves.

GC: The question that every Rangers fan wants answered, is whether or not Wade Redden will be demoted to Hartford before next season. Is there any chance this can happen?

RC: Greg, I think the pressure to do that will be there this season. It’s my understanding that he has to attend camp before they can do that without taking a big cap hit. I think there’s a better than 50% chance that this will happen.

Russ, Adam, and John at a book signing

GC: Finally, this is our first interview since long-time Rangers PR man, author, and enthusiast John Halligan passed away. Can you tell us what it was like co-authoring a book with him?

RC: Greg, it was a life changing experience. He and I instantly formed a friendship, something he and Adam had already shared. He treated me like an equal, and I certainly wasn’t. He took my opinions into consideration no matter how wacky they were. And at times during these conference calls when we were determining the final list in “100 Ranger Greats”, the conversation did get silly at times, no thanks to me. The three of us were a team and I enjoyed every minute of it and it didn’t end there. John would join me on my XM Business of Hockey Show, he taped some Authors Roundtable Podcasts on our site http://www.rangergreats.com, and they are still there for anybody to listen to. There will never be another John Halligan and I will do everything I can to keep his legacy alive. Thanks for asking about him and thanks for the interview.

I want to thank Russ for taking the time to do the interview, and to also ask that everyone check out his websites and if you have XM radio, give his show a listen!