Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com.
“OH JOE! I’M BEING EXTENDED FOR TEN MORE YEARS JOE. PARDON ME JOE, I’M RETIRING JOE! AND THAT’S A POWER-PLAY GOAL FOR CHRIS KREIDER, NO RELATION TO CHRIS DRURY, JOE! OH BABY!”
As you can tell from my (stupid) opening joke – the day has finally come – the legendary and Hall of Fame Sam Rosen is calling it a career.
And I won’t hide from my previous opinions shared in this space from the past few years – it’s time.
Heck, it’s been time for some years now, but for new readers not aware of my words written in the past – then don’t get it twisted either.
I don’t “hate” or “dislike” Rosen at all.
Far from it.
Heck, I was (and still am) a fan of his – which is why I’ve wanted him to pass the torch to Kenny Albert in previous seasons.
To simply put it, when it comes to Rosen, then I only wanted him to retire for one reason – because I fear for his legacy – or in other words – how he’ll be remembered.
While granted, Rosen’s legacy is safe and long procured; what I mean by such a comment is that I fear that when that final game of the 2024-25 Rangers’ season comes-and-goes, that Rosen, and especially in this social media age that he broadcasted through during his twilight years (where every folly and mistake goes viral within nanoseconds), then he will mainly be remembered for his missing goal calls, not being able to determine if a puck has hit the post or not following a loud <DING>, confusing names, telling us who is and who isn’t related to who, verbally praising Blueshirt opponents ad-nauseam, and all of his other regular and daily battles whenever his old eyes tries to keep up with the fastest sport on the planet – a much daunting task for anyone – and regardless of their age.
For example, when it’s all said and done, then I hope that Rosen, for all of his efforts during his amazing career, is more remembered akin to a Vin Scully – and not as a Ralph Kiner.
And while a recency bias suggests the latter (and as older fans who remember the glory years die off too), there’s always something to be said about nostalgia – and where you’d like to see more of Rosen’s peak work shared on social media than the stuff that’s usually shared today.
For fans old enough to remember the highlights of Rosen’s career, then they’ll be more apt to tell you about his work with his former partner, John Davidson – and rather than the times spent with his co-host (and cohort!) of today, “Jumpin'” Joe Micheletti.
(It should also be stated here that Micheletti deserves his kudos too – as during the past few years – Micheletti has done double-duty – by doing his own job and covering for Rosen.)
And then there’s that whole “curse” thing that needs to be eradicated too, in the form of a fifth Stanley Cup, which I’ll get into on the other side of this.
In case you missed it, then here’s what I wrote two-weeks ago about the Rangers’ off-season:
The Summer Of Chris = Running It Back; All About The Trade Deadline Now, Insane Ticket Prices Revealed, What Should CZAR IGOR’s Next Contract Look Like; Lindgren Re-Signs Possible Last Deal, Chris “Milestones” Kreider, Ranking Ranger MVPs, Kreider Takes Rempe Under His Wing, Top Ten Things To Look Forward To During What’s Most Likely To Be A Disappointing 2024-25 Season, DeAngelo Rumors & More
I share my previous blog with you here for one reason – to give you my motto/mantra/slogan/rallying cry/war call for the 2024-25 campaign!
As you may recall, and as some readers can recite word-for-word too, then I prefaced every regular season blog from the 2023-24 season with this 25-word disclaimer:
“WHATEVER THE RANGERS DO IN THE REGULAR SEASON DOESN’T MATTER. THEY CAN ONLY BE JUDGED BY WHATEVER THEY DO IN THE 2024 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS!”
While this same vibe does carry over into the upcoming season as well (just replace 2024 with 2025); here’s the updated version for the 2024-25 campaign:
“WHATEVER THE RANGERS DO FROM NOW UNTIL THE TRADE DEADLINE DOESN’T MATTER. THEY CAN ONLY BE JUDGED BY WHATEVER THEY DO FOLLOWING THE DEADLINE AND BY WHAT THEY DO IN THE 2025 PLAYOFFS!”
And that my friends, is why I’m not really amped for the first sixty or so games of the regular season – as it’s all about what the team looks like following the trade deadline.
My future writings will reflect such a sentiment too.
And of course, all of the stars remaining healthy is also an area of the utmost concern.
But when most of these stars undergo their usual and perennial playoff no-shows come the Spring months, then will it even matter?
At least the final season of Sam Rosen will give us something to look forward to – and where yes – he, like many as profiled in my first book (https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/nyrroh/ ), deserves a banner hanging from the rafters of M$G.
Me?
I’d raise a banner for him during the team’s final home game of the season.
Then again, for a franchise that cares more about money than anything else, and with Rosen really not going anywhere aside from visiting his family, then the Rangers may wait until the 2025-26 centennial season to have a “Sam Rosen Night.”
After all, think about how the organization can jack-up prices for such an event – and most likely prior to a game against a low-drawing opponent too, such as the Ducks, Sharks or Flames!
Since there is no roster news to cover during this go-around, let’s first get into the rest of the Rosen story and then close with the Tony DeAngelo interview that was conducted by “The Morning Cuppa Hockey” podcast on Tuesday, August 14th.
In a story first broken by Dave “Who?” Bezlow of the New York Post (https://nypost.com/2024/08/13/sports/legendary-rangers-voice-sam-rosen-retiring-after-next-season/ ), Rosen, citing both his age and a yearning to spend more time with his family, announced that he will be retiring from the booth following the 2024-25 season.
Previously throughout the past five-years, then whenever Rosen was asked about retiring, the Hall of Famer said, and then reiterated many times afterwards, that he’d only retire once his family told him that he was slipping and losing his fastball.
That day is now.
You can check the archives of this site or social media for many of Rosen’s follies throughout the past few years, which is my way of saying that there is no reason to rehash all of this here.
By now, you’re all aware of it, so what’s the point?
Rosen, who was born in post-Nazi Germany on 8/12/1947, moved to Brooklyn, NY at the age of two-years-old. As the graduate of Stuyvesant High School grew up, he was drawn to sports, and where the New York Yankees and New York Rangers held a special spot in his heart.
Under the mentorship/tutelage of the man that he’d later succeed, broadcaster Jim Gordon, Rosen became the Rangers’ full-time television broadcaster just in time for the 1984-85 season. He hasn’t looked back since.
Following an initial two-year period paired with Phil Esposito; once Espo became the first man in franchise history to play, broadcast, coach and manage the team; come the 1986-87 season and Rosen began his legendary twenty-year tandem alongside fan favorite, former Rangers’ goalie, John Davidson.
Together, JD and Rosen were there for the 1994 Stanley Cup victory, where of course, Rosen, in the most famous and biggest call of his career, screamed with jubilation:
“The waiting is over! The New York Rangers are the Stanley Cup Champions! And this one will last a lifetime!”
At the time, Rosen didn’t mean his final seven-words to be taken so literal. Instead, he was living in the moment – and just like all of us – assuming that you were alive on June 14th, 1994.
Akin to the Rangers and the NHL backstabbing Red Dutton after World War II and the Blueshirts’ 1940 burning of M$G’s paid off mortgage into the Stanley Cup too; over the course of time, and Rosen’s most memorable call has now also become a franchise curse – that is – if you believe in such things!
While I’ve had my fun with “The Curse of Rosen” over the years; I’m more liable to blame the team’s past thirty-years of futility on “The Curse of Sather” instead!
After all, at least the Rangers won a Stanley Cup with Rosen around – and as opposed to the zero championships that they won during the past 24-years now known as “The Sather Error!”
Funny enough, during Rosen’s announcement which took place on Monday, August 13th, he brushed upon the idea of such a thing – a curse – when he said the following:
“For me it was more of a personal call. It would last my lifetime no matter what happened. If they won three more, no more, five more … certainly the hope was that they would win a lot of Stanley Cups.
“I didn’t want to say it would last my lifetime, but that was really the meaning, that it would last a lifetime for me, and it has.”
While obviously, “The Curse of Rosen” is more of a tongue-in-cheek remark than anything else, one rooted in angst and disgust about the team’s fortunes ever since those words first escaped his lips; when reading what Rosen had to say about it – then who could argue otherwise?
Rosen, a life-long Ranger fan, was just as elated as any other Blueshirt backer about the 54-year drought being snapped.
He just didn’t know at the time that no championships would follow, nor how his words would become literal.
And while the Rangers winning another Stanley Cup is as likely as winning Powerball, meaning that only some of us may one day see a fifth championship in franchise history; sadly, for many, 1994 was the last Stanley Cup that they ever saw.
Personally?
At least my grandfather, a long-time season-ticket holder (and who worked in the M$G box office for decades too), and who passed away in 2003, got to see all four of them – which means that he saw four times as many championship victories as I have in all of my years!
UGH!
Following Rosen’s short chat with the media, Chris Drury shared the following words:
I don’t think that I have to really add anything more here – as after all, if you’re reading these words – then you’re already familiar with the ins-and-outs of Rosen’s career.
Plus, once we get to the end of it, sometime most likely in April (but hockey god willing, sometime in June), then we can reflect more about Rosen.
For now, I’m just going to enjoy the final season of Rosen’s career – and I’ll even smile as he makes his usual mistakes. (Heck, I’m kind of looking forward to them!)
I’ve said this before about Rosen and now it’s even more true today:
Despite not being the same as he once was – not many have the passion that he does – and where such emotion truly comes out whenever the Rangers are being screwed by those heinous officials!
And we’ll most certainly miss him when he’s gone too.
And not that it has to be said, but no matter what you think about Rosen and Micheletti’s work as a pair; off of the ice, then you won’t find nicer people around.
End of story.
As far as who succeeds Rosen as he once did for another legendary voice in franchise history, Gordon himself, then I think that the answer is pretty obvious.
Kenny Albert, who has to be considered as the odds-on favorite to succeed Rosen, said the following about his pal on Monday:
“Congratulations to my friend and colleague Sam Rosen on a tremendous career! A Hall of Fame broadcaster and even better person. The voice of the Rangers for generations. Calls that will last a lifetime. Looking forward to another season full of power play goals.”
One more time for the doubters, the fans who always bring up Albert’s busy schedule, as he seemingly calls every sport in the land, including badminton and billiards; when it comes to the Rangers – Albert is at most games, as he remains the #1 voice of M$GN radio.
I can’t profess to know what Albert is thinking right now, but I do know that he’s 56-years-old and a family man.
Perhaps a full-time gig near his home-base is what’s most appealing.
No offense to Rosen, but Albert has been the best play-by-play man in hockey for some time now, and where he’s been the lead announcer for two national networks, NBC and TNT.
And who can forget how this hockey-starved maniac called three games back-to-back-to-back during the 2020 Covid Cup Playoffs?
WARRIOR!
While Albert, usually unbiased, Rangers’ fandom is learnt (he grew up as a Canucks fan); how cool will it be for him to do what his father (Marv) once did – become the lead voice of M$GN?
For Albert, whose non-stop broadcasting work is endless, he doesn’t have to be there every game – he just needs to be there for a majority of them.
Plus, as the lead voice of TNT, he’ll still call every Ranger game on that network, while being absent from whatever games ESPN has the rights to.
As of today, Albert still calls NFL games for FOX – but he’s also not on their first team.
Even so, he “only” calls seventeen regular season NFL games, all on Sundays, and where there isn’t that much intersection between the Rangers and his Fox schedule.
But of course, while travel will always be a major issue, it’s not like Albert is adverse or against airports either – and as he states and explores in his new autobiography, “A Mic For All Seasons.” (I’ve had this book on my shelf for some time now, and one of these days, I plan to review it on this site. I just need the time!)
And since Albert calls most Ranger games on M$GN radio to begin with – then he’s already there.
While I would’ve fired M$GN analyst Sieve Vagistat a long time ago, perhaps starting with the 2025-26 season, and M$GN can revamp the whole broadcast.
Despite looking much younger than he really is, Joe Micheletti, who has had his own health issues during the past few years, will turn 70-years-old on October 24th. Perhaps he can ride off with Rosen into the sunset – and if not, then he wouldn’t be the worst studio analyst either – as the man is a hockey savant.
I think that I can speak for most Ranger fans when I say that when it comes to the M$GN broadcast, then you do want a member of the alumni in the booth calling games. And really, outside of the Rangers, and this is usually the case, including with the other two local teams in the area, the Islanders (Butch Goring) and the Devils (Ken Daneyko).
Granted, while Dave Maloney is also getting up there in age (68-years-old), he hasn’t missed a beat and it would be a natural transition for the team’s radio voices to be promoted to television.
Plus, who wouldn’t want to hear Maloney sing the good praises of “TULLAMORE, TULLAMORE, TULLAMORE DEW” on TV?
I’ve written so much about Maloney’s calls over the years, and I was glad that fans got a taste of him on TV this season during his fill-in work, as the former captain is truly a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to television – and now streaming.
As far as other replacements for Rosen, I can’t think of any.
It has to be Albert – and this day for him has been a long time coming.
Put it this way: Any other market and Albert wouldn’t be buried on radio, which also speaks to how special and what an institution that Rosen is.
Then again, perhaps senile Joe Biden, who will be out of a job next year, would be a perfect replacement for this version of Rosen these days!
As far as who else Albert can be teamed-up with, and assuming that Micheletti and Maloney are out of the picture too, then in my opinion, it still has to be a member of the alumni, where perhaps Ryan Callahan, a beloved Blueshirt as JD once was, and who is now finding his groove calling games for ESPN, could be a candidate.
And maybe finding a younger voice isn’t the worst idea either, and with Albert in the seat – he can mentor and bring any aspiring former player turned broadcaster up to speed.
Don’t believe me?
Then just ask Eddie Olczyk!
I know that I probably went too long on this subject, but one, it’s the summer, and two, it just speaks to the diehard fandom that we all have!
Another subject that I’ve dedicated about a billion words to on both this site and in my books?
Tony DeAngelo.
Let me get the following preamble out of the way first:
There’s no way in hell that I’m going to recount “The Life and Times of Tony DeAngelo” all over again.
That said, for newbies, then here are some links that can catch you up on all of it, and where you can check the archives of this site for even more:
— “Tricks of the Trade Volume IV.”
— Tony DeAngelo Rangers’ Profile
— The Saga of Tony DeAngelo (From 8/20/20)
With that out of the way, this now brings us to Tuesday, August 14th, as for the first time ever, Tony DeAngelo, currently an unrestricted free agent, sat down for an one-hour interview with Colby Cohen and Jonny Lazarus of “The Morning Cuppa Hockey” podcast, where the former Blueshirt talked about his departure from the Rangers – and of course – his much publicized fight with then Rangers’ goalie, Alexandar Georgiev, too.
If you haven’t seen it already (and I suggest that you do – just to get the inflection and “tone” of DeAngelo’s voice), then click the play button below:
Before recapping what was said on the podcast, just a few general thoughts about the interview as a whole:
Overall, I thought that this one-hour interview was informative, but at the same time – the lack of follow-up questions really hurt it too.
In addition, a lot of stuff was glossed over or flat-out omitted/ignored too.
For instance, while DeAngelo was asked about the bullshit story about stealing a puck from K’Andre Miller, a race-baiting story put out there by the fan-fiction scribble-writer Adam Hermtrans; DeAngelo’s most recent altercation with Miller, from the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, was never brought up.
Furthermore, for Flyer fans who wanted to hear about their hometown DeAngelo’s turbulent times with their favorite team – then not one question pertaining to the orange-and-black was asked.
While I understand that you can only cover so much in an hour (and where perhaps the hosts didn’t want to cover what DeAngelo has previously said elsewhere); then at the very least, I thought that these two subjects should’ve been discussed.
What will bring down the interview for some (but this wasn’t the case for me, as admittedly, I’m a fan of DeAngelo’s – and his political beliefs too – and I only tell you this as I don’t want to hide my biases from you either), is that Colby Cohen basically played the role as DeAngelo’s PR man.
For me, I have no problem with loyalty – aka a friend sticking up for a friend, and as Cohen did here; but this will be a turnoff for others, listeners that are hoping for an unbiased interview.
No joke, at points, Cohen may as well have waved #77 pom-poms while doing back-flips in DeAngelo’s new clothing line’s underwear.
Conversely, Lazarus, who admitted on the show that he always wants to be liked and fears being hated, was kind of mute throughout the chat and somewhat seemed scared of his own shadow.
While I’m not saying that you need to have a loud and boisterous opinion about everything, ala the talking heads that pollute most morning sports shows (Stephen Smith and Colin Cowherd come to mind); at the same time, by the end of the interview – and you forgot that he was even there.
I have no clue where Lazarus’ political opinions lie (and that’s a good thing), but you could tell that he was hesitant and somewhat timid when having a “controversial” player on his show – and perhaps at the risk of “being canceled” by peers of his age group – a problem that I’d never care about myself – and as you can tell!
And as a Ranger fan, and as Lazarus even confessed to – he was on the anti-TDA side when everything was going down in the moment – but he never pressed DeAngelo on anything during this interview either.
That’s why I felt that Lazarus could’ve done more during this interview; but to be fair, he was busy with his own collegiate career at the height of the DeAngelo’s dismissal.
And maybe that’s why he didn’t provide any follow-up questions worth noting.
Such follow-up questions that I would’ve like to seen asked include the following:
— What did you think about Jeff Gorton tanking your trade value when he proclaimed that you had played your last game as a Ranger? (For instance, Sam Bennett, toiled in his own troubles in Calgary, could’ve been had.)
— Do you think that you were a victim of the social media age?
(While this was never asked, I did think that Cohen brought up an excellent point when he said how DeAngelo was made to be a villain for supporting Trump at the time, where today, many athletes and celebrities are publicly expressing their support for the hopeful 47th POTUS (and a potential Grover Cleveland 2.0) – and without the same disdain that DeAngelo once garnered in return.)
— What did you think about John Davidson calling out Adam Hermtrans for his bullshit story and what did JD say to you?
— What happened in Philadelphia and what was your relationship like with John Tortorella?
— Why did you second go-around in Carolina not work out and what’s your relationship with Rod Brind’Amour today?
— What did you think about CZAR IGOR and Artemi Panarin mocking your fight following a Rangers’ win from that same 2021 season?
— Would you consider your fight, and then dismissal from the Rangers, as the negative turning point/downfall of your career – and was your 2019-20 season the peak of it?
— Why didn’t you sue Adam Hermtrans for his made-up story about you? (While DeAngelo later got paid by Philadelphia, he did have to play on a one-year prove-it deal in Carolina first.)
And that’s just some of the stuff that immediately came to mind – and where I’ll bring up other potential follow-up questions in the recap below.
Let’s now get into what was said.
For starters, and in something that has nothing to do with the interview itself, and I thought that the production of “The Morning Cuppa Hockey” was top-notch. I also liked how the hosts didn’t waste time teasing the DeAngelo interview, as rather, they got right into it.
As noted above, and right from puck drop, and Cohen sounded like a paid member of DeAngelo’s PR team, while Lazarus was more than happy to oblige and sit back.
And to give you both sides of it, I guess this was going to be the case anyway, as Cohen and DeAngelo have a friendship, while this was Lazarus’ first interaction with the former #77 of the Rangers.
In news that’s been well-known for some time now, but sadly often ignored too, and Cohen
said that no one does more for young hockey players in his area than Tony DeAngelo – and how his work is never publicized.
I guess that Cohen doesn’t read this site – as I’ve brought up many of DeAngelo’s charitable endeavors over the years!
In a response, DeAngelo told Cohen how how important it is to give back and how there are some kids at his local rink that could be future first-round picks.
Once the charity talk came to an end, we then had a fluff piece about DeAngelo’s new clothing line – and where after seeing it – I thought that his Watch Your Tone podcast merch looked better.
But keep in mind of the following:
I’m a dinosaur 42-year-old man (I got 15+ years on these guys), and who has a wardrobe mainly consisting of Wrangler jeans, Ranger hats and t-shirts – so this stuff may be appeal to others more than it did for me.
It was then brought up that DeAngelo spends most of his summer nights at Jenks – so he’s just like a 2009 cast member of The Jersey Shore! Let’s just hope that he doesn’t fist-pump! (And Tony, please stay away from that Angelina too!)
When it comes to his last season in Carolina, DeAngelo said that his lack of playing time gave him more time for his new clothing line – a welcomed distraction when things weren’t going well. He then added that it was a tough year since he didn’t play much.
Mainly a healthy scratch in what was a 180 season from his first stint with the Canes, DeAngelo said that he was frustrated, but also didn’t want to voice anything public. He said that he would’ve preferred to been traded at the deadline (for more playing time, and especially as a pending free agent), but he also realized that he was just one injury away from returning to Rod Brind’Amour’s line-up – and that’s eventually what happened following the injury sustained by Brett Pesce.
(To be clear, DeAngelo wasn’t rooting for anyone to get injured. As said about 98767866679 millions times before on this site, it’s only natural for players, human instinct, to hope to get back into the line-up by any means possible.)
Lazarus brought up Game 6 of the Rangers/Canes series and how he felt how Carolina was playing really good. DeAngelo brought up the third period of the Canes’ finale, and mentioned how they were dominating and missed two chances early to make the game 3-0 in their favor. He said once that didn’t happen, and after the Rangers tied it, then he felt the all-out deflation panic hit the entire team.
DeAngelo, who turns 29-years old on October 24th, said that once his playing career comes to an end, then he’d like to get into coaching and/or managing. For me, I think he’d be great on TV, ala an NBA on TNT Charles Barkley – that is – assuming that a network wouldn’t be afraid to hire him. But of course, he also has chops for podcasting – and as we saw during the early pandemic months of 2020.
On being hated, DeAngelo said that he gets a lot of private messages from trolls, but he just laughs about it. Another follow-up question ignored here? How about that one idiot on Twitter who wants to fight him, so much so, that it’s become that fan’s only identity.
DeAngelo also added that some trolls come at him hard, but during the times where he does interact with them, that these fans soon change their tune and realize that he’s not that bad of a guy.
On Ranger fans, DeAngelo says it’s split, as some like him and some don’t, but either way, he will always cherish his time with the Rangers.
I should also add this here too:
This was pretty much a podcast suited for Blueshirt fans, as not much else from DeAngelo’s career was truly discussed in-detail, hence the reason why I’m recapping it here, if not just for the sake of this blog during the slow summer months, but as reference for future writing, including my books. (Holy run-on sentence Batman!)
To this point, Cohen then said that are more Ranger fans watching this interview than anyone else. Perhaps that’s why DeAngelo’s entire time with Philadelphia was ignored.
On DeAngelo’s perceived reputation, the hosts brought up how Brett Pesce said how great DeAngelo is and what a hell of a teammate that he is. Of course, astute Ranger fans were already aware of this, as previously, players such as Marc Staal, Adam Fox, Ryan Strome, Jesper Fast, Brady Skjei, Vinni Lettieri, Jimmy Vesey, Brendan Smith and others have all echoed the similar sentiment.
And let’s face it – the origination of all DeAngelo disdain began with #77 expressing his political views on what was then a liberal Twitter – and where today, following Elon Musk’s purchase of the app – and Twitter, now known as X, is more balanced – and as is evident with Musk’s recent two-hour interview with Trump from this past Monday night. (Holy dashes and Morse Code Batman!)
If you ever needed proof that Cohen had a bias going into this interview, then it was when the former player called Alexandar Georgiev “a lazy goaltender.”
Again, I’m a DeAngelo fan, and I respect Cohen too, but I thought that this comment was a bad look – and especially since afterwards – everyone on the panel talked about how this kind of stuff happens all the time – and where no other goalie was accused of being “lazy” for it.
Adam Hermtrans, who wasn’t brought up by name, was brought up as the catalyst for the negative reputation that DeAngelo would go on to “earn.”
In what most people will tune into the interview for, and here’s what DeAngelo said about his final days with the Rangers:
“There’s more to it than just Georgiev. I’m coming off a good year, we are playing the Isles, we get a weak call in the third period. Brutal way to start off. I slammed a door in the box. They don’t score. Quinn sat me. We disagreed. He sat me the next two games.
“The season starts off rocky and unfortunately due to my own fault. I didn’t handle it well.”
I have said this many times before, so without explaining my remarks for the 978567679786th time – and I’ll never understand why DQ punished TDA for showing passion – by slamming a penalty box door in a 4-0 game.
After all, give me a player who gives a shit than the lifeless core that we normally see in the playoffs.
DeAngelo said the obvious during this interview – his support of Donald Trump, when it wasn’t popular to do so, hurt him.
Not mentioned during this interview?
How Adam Fox wrote similar things to DeAngelo about Trump – but once TDA got raked through the coals by a liberal social media – Fox, a Harvard graduate, quickly and wisely scrubbed his Twitter account.
Furthermore, and if I was reckon to guess, then I’d imagine that Fox, a Jewish man from Long Island, feels even stronger about Trump now than he did then – and if you need such an explanation, then do your own research – and you can easily do so by examining the violence taking place by anti-Israel protestors in NYC today.
On the build-up to his eventual departure from the Big Apple, DeAngelo said that he was forced to delete his Twitter account because Ranger season ticket holders called up M$G and were pissed about his political beliefs.
So much for tolerant liberals – you know – people who preach tolerance – as long as you agree with them!
And democratic coups when forcing out a sitting president from running for re-election? That’s okay too!
Prior to the last straw (Georgiev incident), DeAngelo said that his tweets, the bad season-opener against the Islanders and clashing heads with a coach looking to prove himself (David Quinn), all went against him.
Not mentioned here?
How DeAngelo’s 53-points from the Covid-shortened 2019-20 season was fourth-best in the league among all d-men.
Also not mentioned?
How DeAngelo produced eight times as much for 1/8th the money as Jacob Trouba earned that season.
On the incident with the back-up goalie itself, DeAngelo said:
“This stuff has happened eight millions times [in hockey]. My fault once again. People don’t realize I’m self-conscious [aware] of my faults and what I do. Me and Georgie struggled in the game. I said make a fucking save. I started it. George was hot after the game and fires a head butt at me with his mask on.”
As you can see, and as first reported on this site at the time, and DeAngelo confirmed that it was Georgiev that initiated physical contact with him – but only after the defenseman “verbally assaulted” (my words, not his) him first.
DeAngelo, in a response of a goalie trying to head-butt him with a mask on, said he then whacked Georgiev with his stick.
Everyone on the panel said this kind of stuff happens in practice a lot, but once in the locker room, it all gets put to bed – and that’s what happened here.
Another follow-up ignored?
What would’ve happened had Georgiev, with his mask on, head-butted Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider and/or Mika Zibanejad?
My guess? Georgiev would’ve been booted.
Following the incident, DeAngelo said that he was informed by the team to not show up for practice the next day. He felt that he’d immediately be traded, but that he later found out from Elliotte Friedman, via Twitter, that he was going to be put on waivers.
Not brought up by anyone on the panel was that DeAngelo was just days into his two-year contract, worth $9.6M overall ($4.8M annually), which is why no team would claim him.
And of course, not bringing up what Jeff Gorton said, was a major omission from this podcast too.
If you forgot, then here’s what Gorton said at the time:
“I had spoke to him at that time and said, ‘Listen, if there’s any more issues here, the time is going to come where we’re going to put you on waivers and move on. No more issues. If your name is in anything at all that we have to hear, we’re going to move on.’
“I made that statement to him, something happened and I pretty much have to stay true to my word here and the organization’s word that it was time to move on.
“Tony DeAngelo has played his last game as a Ranger.”
DeAngelo, who accepted all fault and blame for what had happened, reiterated that the whole season started off “rocky” and how the Georgiev incident was “the icing on the cake.”
He also said that the whole story was “blown up.”
“Me and Georgiev were fine,” said DeAngelo. “We were never the best of buddies, but I think if we both came back the next day then everything would’ve been fine. He saw me the next year [when DeAngelo was in Carolina] and he shook my hand, hugged me. We always say hello [to each other].”
What bothered DeAngelo the most about his Rangers’ exodus was Adam Hermtran’s fake news story in regards to him stealing Miller’s first goal puck. Without saying his name, DeAngelo called Hermtrans “an idiot.”
Again, not brought up here is how JD called out Hermtrans for lying (the first time in league history where a team president called out a blogger for lying) and how DeAngelo could’ve sued Hermtrans for slander and libel.
On race-baiter Hermtrans, who used Miller’s skin color in his fictional tale in order to black mark DeAngelo, TDA said:
“Those stories trended so much that people believed it. It’s the way social media is now. People ran with it. I talked to Miller after. I said don’t read this garbage. He wrote me a nice message. I’m not going to say what he told me but it was good between us.”
It was at this time where the panel admitted that the media has too much power – and is reckless – and where Lazarus even admitted that sometimes he writes a story, and then hopes it’s true.
And again, both Lazarus and Cohen also failed to ask DeAngelo about what happened between him and Miller during the 2024 playoffs – perhaps the biggest (and most recent) omission of them all.
In addition, DeAngelo’s war of words with then Rangers’ head coach, Gerard Gallant, from the 2022 playoffs, wasn’t brought up either.
When continuing on Hermtrans (again, never by name), DeAngelo said this con-artist ruined his career, as TDA, who was forced to be silent, couldn’t get ahead of the made-up reports about him.
DeAngelo added that he wished that he had a podcast/forum like “The Morning Cuppa Hockey” to tell his side at the time – as by the time he was able to talk – everyone already believed the fake allegations against him.
On David Quinn, DeAngelo said that he has no bad feelings for DQ and said that he has a lot of passion. He also stated that he hopes that DQ does well in Pittsburgh [a Mike Sullivan assistant] and how tough it was for Quinn to facilitate two different rebuilds [New York and San Jose].
Lazarus then brought up how Fox told him how DeAngelo is one of his friends. Another omission here is how following TDA’s dismissal, how this then opened a spot up for Fox, which then led to his 2021 Norris Trophy season.
Fox told Lazarus to ask DeAngelo about the Rangers’ Halloween parties.
It wasn’t mentioned if Hermtrans reported if DeAngelo stole K’Andre Miller’s Halloween candy or not.
In somewhat a defense about his incident with Georgiev, Lazarus also brought up how Jack Hughes called out his goalies last season – yet never a negative word was uttered against him for doing so.
As far as that 2021 season goes, DeAngelo, from home, watched every game – and then said that he would’ve loved to been there for the Tom Wilson game. (He’s said the same thing in other interviews.)
As the interview started to reach its conclusion, Cohen mentioned how DeAngelo is getting married soon and how he’ll have a huge guest list since he’s so liked. DeAngelo laughed and brought up that’s because he’s played for so many teams now, where Lazarus, in a response, showed that he was a true millennial product of his own generation, as he said that the more teams that you play for, the more social media followers you will get.
When it comes to other rearguards in the league, DeAngelo cited the obvious – Cale Makar is in a class of his own, while Fox, again, a Harvard alum, has one of the best IQ’s in the league.
As far as his future goes, DeAngelo said that no matter what, he’s playing – and whether it’s in the NHL or elsewhere.
On the KHL rumors as talked about last time on this site, DeAngelo said that he has no deal with a KHL team [the fake news rumors circled around SKA, CZAR IGOR’s former team].
DeAngelo said that obviously, he wants to be back in the NHL – but how he also isn’t opposed to playing elsewhere if that’s what he has to do.
Another thing omitted from this podcast is how DeAngelo has said numerous times over how he wants to play close to home, as he’s a big family man, hence his most recent stays in New York, Carolina and Philadelphia – all east coast teams.
Also not brought up?
A possible hook-up in Anaheim with his buddy Ryan Strome – as at the very least – you’d think that the lowly Ducks could use an offensive-d-man.
To close, DeAngelo hinted that if he doesn’t have a deal come the start of the season, then he’ll just continue to stay in shape and hope for an NHL team to contact him. If not, then that’s when he’ll truly consider playing for an international team.
Again, I thought this was a good interview for what it was – but it could’ve been a lot better.
Then again, I guess there’s plenty of stuff to cover for a Part II – but as I speak out both sides of my mouth here – I think this was all that needed to be said – as there’s no need to revisit this once more.
I know that I went on way too long when recapping this interview, but as an official Rangers’ historian – then I think it’s important to put this in print.
Plus, anything concerning the alumni is my forte – and to repeat a word that’s appeared throughout this manifesto too – my “passion.”
Now, if I could only get my next book on the career of Phil Watson done, which brings us to…
PLUGS TIME! (Buy a book and support my Rangers’ induced therapy bills. After all, I don’t run ads on this site!)
My fourth title and tenth book is now available!
“The Top 100 Villains of New York Rangers History,” is now available for sale!
For complete information, please visit: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/rangerkillers/
My second plug of tonight’s blog – the mandatory plug for my book, “The New York Rangers Rink of Honor and the Rafters of Madison Square Garden.”
As mentioned previously, the book is now available in hardcover, in paperback and in Kindle formats. To purchase a copy of the book, visit this link:
https://www.amazon.com/Rangers-Rafters-Madison-Square-Garden-ebook/dp/B09CM5N2WD
For those still looking for signed paperback versions of the book, I have re-ordered more copies. I now have a few signed copies for sale at $25 a pop (includes shipping price) through me directly. Here is all the information on that:
Order “The New York Rangers Rink of Honor and the Rafters of Madison Square Garden” Book Today
My four-volume set of books, “One Game at a Time – A Season to Remember,” is a game-by-game recount of the Rangers 2021-22 campaign.
My second title as an author, “One Game at a Time – A Season to Remember,” is now available in eBook, paperback and hardcover formats.
To obtain signed copies, visit: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/onegamebook/
To purchase all four volumes on Amazon, visit: Amazon.com – “One Game at a Time.”
The greatest volume-set of books on Rangers’ history today!
“Tricks of the Trade – A Century-Long Journey Through Every Trade Made In New York Rangers’ History,” a four-volume set of books that meticulously covers every trade made in franchise history, is now on sale.
All four volumes of the title can be purchased on Amazon.com and are presented in three different formats – eBook, paperback and hardcover.
To purchase Volume I: Conn Smythe (1926) – Craig Patrick (1986), visit Amazon.com
To purchase Volume II: Phil Esposito (1986) – Neil Smith (2000), visit Amazon.com
To purchase Volume III: Glen Sather (2000-2015), visit Amazon.com
To purchase Volume IV: Jeff Gorton (2015) – Chris Drury (2022), visit Amazon.com
To purchase signed copies of all four volumes, visit https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/tricksofthetrade/
If you haven’t already, subscribe to this blog for the next update:
Don’t forget to order my four-volume set of books, “Tricks of the Trade!”
If you don’t order through me, all four volumes are now available on Amazon.com
For more details, check out: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/tricksofthetrade/
Thanks for reading.
LET’S GO RANGERS!
Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on the Tweeter machine
Great job on this posting Sean!
Yes it is time to pass the mantle on. I didn’t realize that SM is 77 and Joe is 70!
Their hair has aged well!
Dave
Rosen’s toupee would be able to survive a nuclear war lol