Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com.
As you’re probably well aware of by now, the year 2020 just keeps getting worse and worse. As we hopefully approach the end of this corona virus pandemic, the once empty and desolate streets of America are now being littered by rioters, looters and protestors. While not all of these protestors have ill-willed intentions, nor are seeking violence, many of these “protestors” are using a tragedy to wreak havoc & commit crimes. Whether it’s attacking innocent policemen/policewomen, breaking store fronts, committing assaults against civilians or creating mass destruction; the riots, a direct result of the murder of George Floyd, have somewhat made everyone forget all about COVID-19. The world today looks like one real life game play session of “Grand Theft Auto”. All that’s missing is the tank, and that might not be too far behind.
And really, with the way things are going, the mask/protective face coverings hysteria have now ended. In its steed, are bullet-proof vests and riot gear. 2020, a year that won’t be forgotten any time soon. Very quickly, here in the American news cycle, the terms “social distancing” and “corona virus”, have now been replaced by the words “riots” and “looting.”
Just a week ago, many people, yours truly included, were excited about the return of the NHL. Like me, many of you readers continue to think the best case scenario, which would be a New York Rangers Stanley Cup win. Again I ask- “WHY NOT THE RANGERS?” Fast-forward to today, here now in June of 2020, while hockey will soon return, the news of the NHL’s return is a minor news item, in regards to what happened in Minneapolis.
During the course of this site’s six year history, while I have commented on political matters in the past and don’t hide my opinions on what I believe, I usually try to avoid topics of the political nature. After all, any time you talk politics, you’re guaranteed to turn-off or lose half of your audience. That rule will always apply. In fact, as I write these words, I’ve seen many people, all over Twitter, no matter how they lean politically, cry & moan about losing a chunk of their followers. (I’m sure this happens on other social media platforms too, Twitter is just the one I use.)
Another case in point here – just look at all the stuff I’ve written about Tony DeAngelo in the last two years. Hell, just check out my last blog, where I talked about him again. Whenever you talk politics, especially if you’re not a liberal on social media, you’ll always have a target on your head. While what’s going on today has nothing to do with Tony DeAngelo, all the hypocrisy still applies. After all, how is anyone getting justice for a murder, by stealing a pair of Nike sneakers & a flat-screen TV from a big box store?
I know this is a hockey blog, a Rangers blog specifically, so I’ll try to limit all the political talk in this blog. That said, there’s stuff going on right now that you can’t ignore. With what’s going on in America right now, the aftermath of the George Floyd murder has now spilled over into the hockey world, as I’ll soon get into.
Before mowing into all the grass that needs to be cut here, let me preface everything that I’m about to say on this blog tonight with these bullet-points:
— I 100% believe that George Floyd was murdered. I don’t think anyone can dispute otherwise. Even Derek Chauvin, the officer involved in this incident, saw his own wife leave him & file divorce papers once this video came to light.
— When I watch all these looters and rioters, I do wonder whatever happened to “innocent until proven guilty”? While I’m not suggesting Officer Derek Chauvin is innocent here, far from it, he will eventually get his day in court and have to stand up to the crime he committed. On a sidebar here, I’m interested to see how that trial goes, from every aspect – the juror selection, how it’s televised/covered, Chauvin’s defense, the police union’s response, if a plea deal is reached, etc.
— While I would never support these looters, rioters or people attacking innocent civilians or police officers; I would at least understand the actions of these people had this been a Rodney King situation. Chauvin hasn’t stood trial yet. If he was acquitted, I could at least understand people going nuts. We haven’t got there yet, which is why I think the majority of these people, who are in the streets right now, are in it for their own self gain & profit.
— There are a ton, and I mean a ton, of video clips out there on social media, showing many streets across the nation. 99% of these videos depict graphic violence and criminal behavior. However, there are other videos out there, with people from different ethnic backgrounds, standing arm-in-arm with police officers. I’ve seen a group of black men defend a white police officer. I’ve seen a black man give out water and support to a group of mixed-race cops. I’ve seen a white woman hug a black police officer. However, these videos, the stuff that someone like a MLK would’ve supported, are somewhat pushed to the bottom, as the latest video of someone robbing a Foot Locker gets more views & talk.
(Oh and before the leftist loony liberals get at me for saying the word “black”, as opposed to the phrase “African-American”, it’s always been my opinion that the word black is the correct term, just like how I feel the term “white” describes me better than “Caucasian.” Again, this doesn’t apply to everyone, but for the bulk of black people in America, they’ve never been to Africa, just like how I’ve never been to or lived in Europe either. Even when I fill out census forms or anything of that nature, instead of checking “Caucasian” when I’m asked of my race, I fill out a box and write the word “American” and check it off. Long story short, personally speaking, I consider myself American. While my full name is 100% an Irish name, I’ve never spent one day in my life in Ireland. There’s nothing wrong with being American, and there’s nothing wrong with a name embracing your individual heritage!)
And lastly, before going into the meat and potatoes of this blog, where yes – hockey & the Rangers will be discussed, as usual, here are my most recent blogs, in case you missed them:
BCBS For 5/31: It’s Time For Ron Greschner To Get His Number Retired; Full Greschner Profile, Tony DeAngelo vs The Hypocrites, New Podcast & TDA’s Reputation, JD Speaks Out On DQ & Kakko, CZAR IGOR’s Chance To Make His NHL Playoff Debut, Fan Mask Rant, NHL Announces Return Date, Larry Brooks, Cam Talbot Wins Again & More
BCBS For 5/27: It’s Official: HOCKEY IS BACK! Full Rundown & Recap of Gary Bettman’s 15 Minute Announcement In Perhaps His Finest Moment; Regular Season Complete, Major League Babies & The National Felony League, Rangers vs Cowardly Canes Set in Stone, NYR & Playoffs, 2020 NHL Draft Thoughts, McDonald Award & WHY NOT THE RANGERS?!?!?
BCBS For 5/25: The NHL is Returning! NHL & NHLPA Agree To 24 Team Playoff Format; Rangers Included, The Lundqvist vs CZAR IGOR Debate, NYR vs CAR & NYR Playoff Chances, Carey Price vs Sidney Crosby, TBL, Duguay/Kessel/Women’s Hockey, CK20, Breadman, The Corona & More
BCBS For 5/19: Drop The Puck! RIP Sabrina, Tex Rickard, The NHL Poising For a Major Return, No Asterisk’s Needed, Viva Las Vegas, Women’s Hockey, Canadian Reporters, Ron Duguay’s Best Interviews Yet, Gilbert, Stemmer, Crappy Carpy, NYR Podcast Wrap-Up, Crybabies Who Cry Just to Cry, Ryan Strome a Winner, NYR a Major Cup Threat & More
The Tex Rickard Blog! “The Magnificent Rube – The Life & Gaudy Times of Tex Rickard” Book Review, Rickard’s Extraordinary Life, Gambling, Gold Mining, Boxing, Impact with the New York Rangers & More on Rickard’s Fascinating Life & Career
I’m not going to recap the entire George Floyd situation. After all, you know what happened and you’ve probably seen the video several times over. I’m going to assume everyone reading this blog is aware of what happened and all have their opinions on it. What I am going to talk about here, in regards to the Floyd/Chauvin situation, is the aftermath in regards to the NHL. I have no interest in recapping and showing videos of all the rioting and what’s going on in the world. I want to keep this part of the blog to hockey.
Up first, the NHL released an official statement about what’s going on in the world today. The statement appears on all of the NHL’s social media channels and on their website.
Here is what’s posted on NHL.com, via: https://www.nhl.com/news/national-hockey-league-statement-on-calls-for-racial-justice/c-317076670
Immediately after the NHL’s statement, several teams across the league posted statements, concerning what’s going on in America right now. For the sake of this blog, let’s just look at two of the teams in the area, two of the Rangers biggest rivals, in the the NY Islanders and NJ Devils.
Here’s what the nomadic Islanders had to say:
#UnitedAsOne pic.twitter.com/XUmXIanRKf
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 1, 2020
Here’s what the Devils, who may not play another game until 2021, had to say:
#WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/hDb7ACQQph
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) June 1, 2020
And let’s get this all out in the open off puck drop here – the NHL & several of their teams aren’t the only ones making statements right now. Many of the sports leagues and their teams are. Companies all over the nation are making statements, such as Playstation, Wendy’s, etc.
Man – I look at that picture above, and having seen the video, how brazen was Chauvin? The hand in his pocket kills any line of defense that he may be currently conjuring up right now. While I know being an officer is a tough job, you can’t say you were trying to protect yourself from a violent criminal with a hand in your pocket.
Going back to the statements.
I found all of these statements just to be along the same lines of “thoughts and prayers”, whenever something tragic happens. A school shooting? Thoughts and prayers. A celebrity suicide? Thoughts and prayers. Your pet dies? Thoughts and prayers. You tried to fart but sharted? Thoughts and prayers.
Thoughts and prayers may be the biggest “white noise” we have in society today. There’s nothing impactful about tweeting out a praying hands emoji. Thoughts and prayers, and the emoji’s this three word phrase now has, are devoid of any real meaning. All of that stuff just falls into an empty vacuum of nothing; at least in my opinion.
None of these statements will do anything. If anything, these statements were self-serving and a nice self pat on the back.
I mean really, do these sport teams need to release statements right now? We get it, everything sucks right now. We went from the tail-end of a crippling pandemic, straight into mass violence in our streets. What can any of these teams tell us that we don’t already know?
Who is going to read the five sentences, followed by a cute and woke hashtag, by the NJ Devils and come to this thinking – “THE DEVILS JUST SOLVED RACISM IN AMERICA. This statement makes them the Abe Lincoln in hockey! Everyone will remember where they were on this day when the Devils made this profound statement!”
Who is going to read the short statement, which was probably forgotten about by the time they posted it, by the Islanders, and come to this conclusion – “The Isles have put their foot down! All riots, protests and racist acts of violence will now cease to exist forever. Thank you NYI!”
Even better, and I shit you not, I saw both Islander and non-Islander fans, gripe and snipe about this Islander statement because, and I quote, “it wasn’t woke and strong enough.”
I’m here to tell you that I find all of these statements to be egotistical, lack of true meaning and devoid of wanting to make a difference. I found all of these statements to be a “Well, Charlie in PR says we gotta say something, so just scribble some shit down and blah blah blah.”
Really, what it all comes down to, no matter what PR statement these teams send out, none of these statements are going to do anything. It’s all self-serving. It’s just something to cover the bases.
While you can’t make light of what happened in Minneapolis, by posting some stern warning, about how you’re against racism, as if you’re battling Robert E. Lee in the Civil War – well it’s all just bullshit to me. After all – who is posting and who is advocating for, worldwide racism across America? When a team says “we’re against racism”, they might as well say “we’re against pedophilia, floods, pandemics, and pineapples on pizza too.”
So yeah – I think these statements carry no weight at all.
However, remember Greg Wyshynski? I talked about him last blog, as he tried to make a news story about Tony DeAngelo, the Rangers & TDA’s upcoming podcast.
Here’s what Greg Wyshynski had to say on his Twitter account today, in regards to NHL teams making statements:
Just filed on NHL reaction to George Floyd’s killing and protests that have followed. For those wondering, as of 3 p.m. ET: – 21 out 32 NHL teams have released social media statements or boosted tweets from players (including Seattle). – 14 of 16 WC teams, 7 of 16 EC teams.
Immediately after Greg Wyshynski showed off his proverbial social justice warrior tattoo, NY Rangers reporter, Vince Mercogliano, followed up with this tweet:
I checked in with #NYR this morning to ask if they were planning to make some kind of statement and was told nothing imminent yet. https://t.co/rLcHlhf94F
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) June 1, 2020
This then led to online debates about statements vs no statements, why the Islanders statement wasn’t woke enough, how we need more statements about a statement and other such Mary soy-boy foo-foo bullshit.
You see, according to these people who wear pink pussy hats, not only is a statement mandatory – it’s a major issue if a statement isn’t coming.
And listen I get it, Greg Wyshynski comes off like a beta male. Fine, that’s him. He’s entitled to feel and say whatever he wants. When it comes to Mercogliano, I get it too. He tries to cover all the Rangers news and he doesn’t want to be scooped, even if it’s such a dumb and trivial story about “WHERE IS YOUR STATEMENT OF WOKENESS YOU HEARTLESS SONS OF BITCHES!?!?!” And in addition here, Mercogliano is just returning from a furlough, so it’s in his best interest to create some controversy and traffic. Again, I totally get it.
This all leads to the next story here, and that’s how the Rangers DID NOT release a statement. While other area teams lit a virtual candle and told us how great they are because they don’t support racism, the Rangers were tweeting about sheep farming and pizza:
Let’s go on a quick news story tangent here. Speaking of the official Rangers Twitter account, and NYRangers.com for that matter too, not only did neither entity post a George Floyd related statement, they also ignored the Sean Day story.
On Saturday, May 30th, the Twitter account @CapFriendly , which as you’d guess, covers all salary cap related roster transactions throughout the NHL, tweeted out the following:
New York #Rangers have placed defenseman Sean Day on ‘Unconditional Waivers’ for the purpose of contract termination.
Day had 1 year remaining on his Entry Level contract with NY.https://t.co/uDvNTP3Woz https://t.co/TYXOuTjD2Y
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) May 30, 2020
I wrote about this topic several blogs ago – when it comes to NHL drafts and watching teenage kids play hockey, that’s not my forte. I’m more into Rangers history and what’s going on currently, than anything else. After all, I can’t watch a bunch of teenagers play hockey and tell you which one is going to make it in the NHL. Of course, you got exceptions like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and others, but when it comes to guys who aren’t generational players, it’s all a crap-shoot to me. And again, one I don’t have time to watch teenage kids play hockey and two, watching pimply faced Europeans playing a soft brand of hockey isn’t in my wheelhouse either.
When the Rangers drafted Sean Day, like EVERY OTHER DRAFT PICK EVER, the Rangers had high hopes for him. Think about it, when was the last time you heard any team, in any sport, say this after drafting someone: “Well, he’s not what we wanted, and he’ll probably be a piece of shit, but hey, what can you do?”
In the case of Sean Day, he was thought to be a boom or bust type of player, from the people who watch these kids play regularly. He busted. Some are wondering if his career got stone-walled and flamed out a bit, due to what was going on in his personal life. (Check out https://www.mississauga.com/community-story/6257825-day-gets-off-ice-struggles-off-his-chest/ for more.)
Long story short here, Day’s brother was jailed after killing someone in a DWI incident & his mother was diagnosed with lupus. In other words, Sean Day had a lot of stuff going on in his personal/family life, where hockey may have rightfully so taken a backseat.
When it comes to the Rangers ending ties with Sean Day, it’s understandable. As a 22 year old left-handed defenseman, Day was way low on the depth chart and would have to improve & hope for the tumbles of guys ahead of him. Put it this way, and yeah, some of this was contract related, but the Rangers felt Brady Skjei was expendable, another left-handed defenseman, at this past trade deadline. Whether it’s Lindgren, Hajek, Miller, Rykov or someone else, Day had a big hill to climb. The Rangers were done with that journey and are now moving on. As we all know, not every draft pick works out and Sean Day is just the latest name. Good luck to him moving forward.
If there is any career that Day should look at, or be inspired by, it’s Ryan Graves, formerly property of the Rangers & now becoming a stud left-handed defenseman in Colorado. (Even more inspiring, if you’re Day – Graves was drafted 110th overall, by the Rangers, in the 2013 NHL Draft.)
I’ve written a lot about Steven McDonald and his Extra Effort Award, even as most recent as of 4/2, when I wrote this blog: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/4220/
Why am I bringing up Steven McDonald again? Well to go back to the argument of statements vs no statements, which preceded the Sean Day update, you must know your history between the Rangers, the New York Police Department and Steven McDonald. (And I’m assuming you know who Steve McDonald is and his story. If you’re a non-Rangers fan who doesn’t know, check out the archives of this blog or just google McDonald’s name.)
Oh and how fitting is this point and fact, with the times we’re now in – when a black teenager named Shavod Jones shot Steven McDonald, a white police officer, there were no riots. There was no looting. Despite Jones making McDonald a quadriplegic for life, among other life-threatening conditions, McDonald quickly forgave Jones. McDonald took this horrible incident and formed bonds; rather than creating wedges.
Regular readers here all know about my efforts and thoughts to see the Rangers honor many men in their history. Just read my last blog, my blog on Ron Greschner, for more. That said, if there was ever a non-Ranger who deserved to see a banner in the rafters of MSG, in honor of their efforts, it’s not the serial drunk driver Billy Joel. It’s not that drug band Phish either. It’s Steven McDonald, whose message and dedication to the Rangers spoke volumes.
Going back, even to 1926, the inception year of the NY Rangers, the Rangers have always enjoyed a positive working relationship with NYPD. Fast-forward to 62 years later, in 1988, Jan Erixon became the first ever winner of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort award. While current NY Rangers owner James Dolan wasn’t the first Rangers/MSG owner to have a great relationship with NYPD, he continued the great relationship between the two entities, a great relationship that lasts to this very day.
Whether it’s free tickets for cops, donations to NYPD, NYPD presence at events, NYPD members singing the National Anthem before Ranger games, hosting the NYPD vs FDNY charity game or something else featuring the two parties; James Dolan, the Rangers & MSG have a positive working relationship with NY’s finest. That is why, in my opinion at least, is why you’re not seeing a statement from the Rangers right now, or why you will never a see a statement, from the Rangers, about what’s going on in the world today.
When you look at many of these artificial statements, whether these teams say it directly or imply it, many of these teams are associating every police officer with the actions of one rogue cop. There’s just no way the Rangers are going to put out anything, that would make NYPD look bad. I applaud the Rangers for not caving to the liberals and to popular opinion here. In addition, the Rangers were already “forced” to renounce racism several months ago, during the K’Andre Miller Zoom chat, which I’ll soon get into.
(Again, and I talked about this last blog too, I feel like I have to make another qualifying statement here. The Rangers aren’t racist. They aren’t advocating for racism. However, with what happened to Miller, they had to say something at the time, and they acknowledged that terrible incident. Also of note – what happened to that investigation? As I predicted, nothing ever came of it, as it seems impossible to trace where these bot attacks originate from.)
Just as I was writing these words, an email from James Dolan has surfaced online. Here it is:
I can’t believe I’m saying this – I agree with James Dolan.
The most important and the most truthful sentence in all of this? It’s “…however, we are not any more qualified than anyone else to offer an opinion on social matters.” Nail meet hammer.
I don’t want to go too much into the political realm, even though I’ve probably been swimming in these waters all blog, but NYPD aren’t the bad guys here. Like many of you, I have close friends that are in NYPD. Some of you have family members in NYPD. Some of you are even NYPD. These jobs aren’t enviable. You’re constantly under the microscope. Any time anything bad happens, and a video is shown of an altercation with a NYPD officer, you only see what the officer did, and not what led to it. When you got Mayor Deblasio, who has been anti-NYPD from day one; and his asking for a cop’s badge, FOR DEFENDING HIS SUPERIOR WHO WAS HIT BY A BRICK BY A RIOTER, there’s something truly wrong here.
I will never agree with the anti-NYPD rhetoric. Their jobs are harder than ever before. They are targets, and they have been targets for some time now, way before this George Floyd murder. (Worth mentioning here, time and time again, after an innocent cop was murdered by some cowardly savage, the NY Yankees have always donated & supported the families of the officer slain. They recently did it again, when two NYPD officers were murdered, as they were attacked and killed, while innocently sitting in their car. If they weren’t wearing NYPD uniforms that day, they would be alive right now. RIP NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu.)
And real quick on the Yankees, did you know this about them – they donate and send flowers to every murdered cop in the COUNTRY. Not just NY. The entire USA. For more, check out: https://sports.yahoo.com/yankees-send-flowers-every-police-officer-killed-line-duty-200033017.html
In any event, before I get into the next topic of this blog, don’t blame the NYPD for the terrible act that one officer committed in Minneapolis. No one in NYPD is defending Mr. Chauvin. While obviously the Floyd family has the right to be the most upset and furious about this, cops across America are also pissed off. This one asshole cop has made the job of a police officer that much harder, here in 2020.
When I covered the K’Andre Miller Zoom attack, I was waiting for Miller to say something about this terrible incident. He never did. I don’t know if was a case of the Rangers telling him that they would handle it or what, but for as hard as it must’ve been, Miller didn’t speak out on this horrendous incident.
On June 1st, Miller finally broke his silence on his attack, when commenting on the George Floyd murder:
Here’s Miller’s tweet, from its original source:
Black Lives Matter. pic.twitter.com/8RFWwSEaaE
— K’Andre Miller (@kandre_miller) June 1, 2020
As I said at the time, I don’t care about Miller’s skin color. The only color I care about is blue, and as long as Miller is wearing a blueshirt jersey, I’ll support him. (Again, I feel like Tony DeAngelo here, where I have to make a qualifying statement here – I will only root for Miller, in the present time, as long as he’s a Ranger. If he becomes a Devil, Flyer, or Islander – all bets are off!)
I was glad to see Miller speak up about what happened to him. It had to be tough to keep everything bottled up and to be a good soldier.
That said, I really don’t have much more to add to Miller’s statement. I thought it was good. Unlike the team or league’s statement – it felt and comes off as real. However, he prefaced his statement with “Black Lives Matter”, which brings me to a couple of points I want to make now.
Let me start off this rant by saying this – imagine if K’Andre Miller was Tony DeAngelo’s first guest on his new “Watch Your Tone” podcast? This would be great for several reasons. TDA, as shown in his MSG Network & NYR social media skits, has a great personality and is a solid interviewer. TDA also has the ire of Rachel Maddow NYR Twitter fans, so just to see them become fake outraged over something else, would be entertaining too. However, more importantly, what better way for Miller to get his message and story out, than on a podcast that’s received a ton of buzz already, without releasing one episode?
I bring up TDA here, in regards to K’Andre Miller, because for the last two years on this blog and on social media, I have defended TDA and his opinion to support the American President. Furthermore, I’ve supported TDA and his right to make public his political beliefs. What do I always say when I talk TDA & these stories? The same thing – “I don’t care who TDA votes for or supports, as long as they aren’t a criminal. Just win.”
Where am I going with all of this? Simple. Personally, I would and will never support the #BlackLivesMatter movement, at least not as a standalone thing. And let’s face it – if there was a #WhiteLivesMatter movement, things would be even worse today.
While you can’t really call the Black Lives Matter movement the true equivalent of the KKK, there are some members in BLM who have KKK values – they judge people on race, promote violence and terrorize innocent people. There are members in the BLM movement, and everyone in the KKK, who have a MS13 mentality, when it comes to their race & people who aren’t their race.
While the above opinion doesn’t apply for everyone in BLM, there are many involved with BLM who subscribe to this notion. And to put everything out in the open here, EVERYONE in the KKK promoted violence & segregation, where not everyone in BLM wants all out anarchy.
This all said, I 100% support K’Andre Miller’s beliefs in supporting BLM. I support his opinion to promote BLM all day long. That’s his agenda, that’s his beliefs, and I’m fine with that.
At the end of the day, like Tony DeAngelo, when it comes to K’Andre Miller, I can give two shits less what he thinks politically. The only thing I care about, in regards to Miller, is seeing the Rangers win the Cup. If Miller can contribute to the Rangers, that’s all I care about. I can care less if he’s at every BLM protest, burying Donald Trump on Twitter or calling for transgender prison abortions. Just help the Rangers win the Cup!
I just hope, that in the same vein, that all of these sniveling TDA haters, can apply the same logic and reasoning here, the next time they talk TDA. No one is going to agree on everything, especially on the topic of politics. As Ranger fans, the only thing that matters is if these guys can win. I can care less what they do in an election booth or put out on social media.
And just as I was writing these words, Tony DeAngelo commented on what’s going on via his Twitter account:
Thoughts on the current situation. pic.twitter.com/3Keth5pqKp
— Tony DeAngelo (@TonyDee07) June 2, 2020
The worst part about this, the qualifying or defending statement, where TDA had to close his tweet out by saying, “Many people will come out and attack me, say this is fake, tell me I’m a racist…”
What happened? Immediately after, like anything TDA does on Twitter, you had these deranged liberals calling him all sorts of shit. You would think TDA killed George Floyd himself. I mean really, TDA could cure cancer, jail every pedophile in the world, win the Conn Smythe & the Cup for the Rangers, and you’d still have people crying about him. SAD!
NEXT!
Switching gears here, this past May 31st marked the 50th anniversary of Terry Sawchuk’s death. I’ve recapped everything Sawchuk in the past on these blogs, including how then Rangers GM/HC, Emile Francis, had to claim his dead body. Even to this day, Francis’ quote of, “seeing the greatest goalie of all time, bagged and heaped up on the floor”, well it still resonates to me.
When Sawchuk passed away, he was considered the greatest goalie of all time. In later years, guys like Ken Dryden, Marty Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek, and others, have all laid stake to the claim. Whatever your opinions are, one thing can’t be denied – Sawchuk, for all his off-the-ice boorish and brutal behavior, was one of the greatest goalies of all-time.
For those looking for my past work on Sawchuck, check out these two blogs:
If there have been two constants during this NHL “pause”, in regards to the Rangers, it’s people attacking Tony DeAngelo for having a political opinion that isn’t theirs and Henrik Lundqvist doing another interview.
Another Rangers fan blog, ForeverBlueshirts.com, had this following story first. You can read the full story here: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/henrik-lundqvist-holds-nothing-back-in-latest-interview-with-johan-rylander/
Of note, both Newsday and the NY Post then covered this story. Newsday plugged ForeverBlueShirts, the NY Post did not. I will never get this. You aren’t selling a product here. I mean, I guess you’re selling ads or whatever, but when it comes to plugging other sites, who gives a Father Fink? It’s the internet. Anyone can click anything they want, and they can click a wide array of different sites. Kudos to Colin Stephenson, of Newsday, who did plug ForeverBlueShirts. Truth be told, I find a lot of what ForeverBlueShirts publishes to be click-baity and not much substance behind most of their articles, but you must give credit where credit is due. They had the story first. They had this translation first.
And speaking of plugging “rival” Ranger fan blogs, check out my buddy Scott Esposito’s work, on BlueLineStation:
https://bluelinestation.com/2020/05/30/what-the-new-york-rangers-playoff-roster-could-look-like/
You can also follow Scott, a great guy, @ScottEspo94
While I know the chart douche and Cult of Lundswiss blogs can’t stand the blog you’re reading now, I can care less. There’s nothing wrong with cross promotion, something I’ve always enjoyed with Derek Felix of the NewYorkPuck.com blog or the guys at BSU Radio. Not everyone is going to agree on everything, but if it’s written well, it’s worth a glance.
And really, the guys at Blue Shirt Underground Radio do a great job, and they remain my favorite hockey podcast/show out there. I feel that if you like this blog, you’ll like their show. They know how to mix comedy into real news stories.
Back to the story.
All season long, with Lundqvist riding the pine for the Rangers, when the American reporters, whether it be Larry Brooks, Brett Cryaglis, Vince Mercogliano, Colin Stephenson or anyone else, asked Lundqvist how he felt, he always gave the equivalent of a PC answer of – “it’s not the time for this, we’ll reassess at the end of the season.”
I’m not going to recap all of the Lundqvist stuff, because if you read these blogs, you know how I feel and I’ve covered all of the past Lundqvist interviews already.
In the latest sob interview from Lundqvist, Lundqvist said the following, courtesy of Johan Rylander, who conducted the interview:
— On being a third string goalie: “What am I supposed to say about that? I had a picture of how the season would develop, what I had in mind. When things turned out the way they did, I was surprised. But at the same time, part of me understands the situation. I’m not blind. They’re thinking ahead. There are many pieces that go into building a team right now, but also for the future. You’re going to have to widen the view a little. But it wasn’t like I projected my own plan for sure.”
Let me say here, IF HE UNDERSTOOD THE SITUATION, he would’ve accepted to be traded, during the two times that the Rangers publicly asked him to waive his no-move clause. He’s seen everyone else, besides Marc Staal & Chris Kreider go, so what was he expecting?
Lundqvist added:
“Obviously it is disappointing to not play as much as you want. That’s where the disappointment is. It’s more … not on them (the Rangers), but more that it became as it became. And if I not had been disappointed, then I sell myself short. I want to play, to deliver at a high level. If I don’t, I will be disappointed.”
If you want to play more, accept a trade. Furthermore, it’s a rebuild – you’re setting yourself up to be disappointed, especially with a new regime in town.
On a potential buy-out, Lundqvist commented:
“It’s not in my mind right now. The focus is training and this summer. Now we go for it right here. I can sense that I have it in me – to go another few years over there in the NHL. I’m sure about it! I must be set that change eventually comes by time.”
Another few years? Maybe if he’s playing for Ottawa or for Detroit! And really, his best bet is going back to the SHL and playing for Frolunda. He may shine in a third string and inferior league.
Lastly, on his NHL future, Lundqvist said:
“Now we are ready to run this summer and this season. I also know that in November and December last year, when I was at my best, I played as well as I did several years before. It was incredibly fun. If I can I find a situation where I play and deliver like that – why not continue?”
Lundqvist needs to realize that this is an 82 game season, not a 20 game season. And I haven’t even brought up his salary cap hit, as I know that’s old hat on these blogs. I truly think he’s delusional. While I understand the will of an athlete and how they will always strive to be at their best, what team is going to be in the market for a struggling goalie that’s near 40 years old? Father time is undefeated, and in every language possible.
And real quick, while talking about random things from my NYR collection, can you guess the third puck, the puck on the bottom:
Marcel Dionne & Guy LaFleur signed #nyr pucks. A pat on the back if you can guess the third signed Rangers puck. pic.twitter.com/U2hTfmzJ5S
— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) June 1, 2020
Spoiler: I’ve mentioned this player’s name, many times on this blog in the past!
Real quick, as we approach the end of this manifesto. Stay with me here.
If there was ever a time for Christopher Lloyd & Michael J. Fox to get the band back together, it’s right now. I don’t care if they have to CGI their ages, like the movie “The Irishman” did with their legendary actors, but a “Back to the Future IV” needs to happen!
Think about this opening scene, set in 2015, which was the last year portrayed in the BTTF franchise. Marty McFly, now a grown man, is reading the newspaper at home. All of sudden, Doc Brown busts into his house, as if he was Kramer from “Seinfeld”.
Brown: “GREAT SCOTT MARTY, BIFF TANNEN THE FOURTH CHALLENGED YOUR FUTURE GRANDSON TO EAT A BAT AT A WET MARKET IN CHINA!’
McFly: “Did Biff call him a chicken?”
Brown: “How did you know?”
McFly: “The McFly family will never be called a chicken!”
Brown: “BUT MARTY, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS, THIS LED TO A PANDEMIC, WHICH THEN LED TO RIOTS ALL ACROSS AMERICA!”
McFly: “Heavy.”
You get the point. Make it happen. I’ll write the whole script for free, if needed!
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