Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. I’m back after a near ten-week break – but for how long?
Now, and with that question asked – then at least there is a myraid of material to get into tonight.
After all, I will be hitting everything and anything throughout this manifesto – and afterwards who knows – maybe another lengthy sabbatical will follow!
My last blog entry posted on this site took place right after July 4th, but following another summer that flew by as fast as Superman on meth (the Christopher Reeve “Superman” – not the new liberal one of today), we’re now at the end of Labor Day weekend (but it’s still okay to wear white Ranger jerseys following the holiday) – and much like the kids presently returned to school – so will soon be the same for the NHL.
As previously noted on this site following the Rangers’ miserable 2024-25 campaign – my enthusiasm for this franchise isn’t what it once was.
While of course, I still remain as a devout and diehard fan of the club – I just find it harder and harder to root for many players on this team – and of course – where Stinka Zibanedud leads the pack.
(And duh – it’s always about the front of the jersey – and not what names are on the backs of them. But with that said – I still think that you get my point.)
(The biggest reason for my disdain with some of these guys? The fact that many of them admitted that they were checked out and didn’t give it their all last season. If that’s the case, then do I get a refund on all tickets bought – and that new M$GN app too? And what a way to send off Sam Rosen. Ugh.)
Without sounding like too much of a braggart (but the archives of this site don’t lie) – I just feel like the majority of my predictions have ultimately rung true – and for those unaware – all of these predictions were birthed from the realm of negativity.
Whether it was in previous years when discussing Henrik Lundqvist’s contact, or today with Zibanejad’s deal – and I still don’t see how this team wins the Stanley Cup anytime soon.
And heck, who can forget about what I said all-last year, blog-in & blog-out?
Your reminder?
These following words:
“The 2024 Eastern Conference Final loss will go down as the peak of this (current) core. There’s no point of return after that defeat.”
And of course, I also reprinted these 33-words 82-times last season, which was also known as our “daily disclaimer”:
“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!”
When I look back at those words, bold, italicized and in CAPS LOCK, the two biggest words that jump at me are “TRADE DEADLINE.”
As previously written about 867896786798679836784637863478346783684 times before on this site, so much so that it came to a point where I needed ice for my old fingers before replacing them with the digit implants that I now possess today – the Zoom Zoom GM, Cowardly Chris, “The Pizza Man,” the worst captain in franchise history or whatever other negative nickname that you refer to him as – absolutely blew the Rangers’ best chance of snapping what’s now a 31-year Stanley Cup drought.
We don’t have to do a deep dive into this subject matter again (instead, we’ll save it one day for a revised edition of Volume 4) – but yeah – rather than adding real playoff help for a Presidents’ Trophy winning team (the time to return J.T. Miller to Rangerstown, USA took place two-years too late) – instead, and Drury settled for the likes of Jack Roslovic, Chad Ruhwedel and Alex Wennberg.
For how amazing Drury’s 2022 Trade Deadline was (Andrew Copp, Tyler Motte, Frank Vatrano and Justin Braun); conversely, and his moves (and bigger than that – his non-moves too), two-years later were absolutely dreadful.
And of course, there’s also the issue of this core, or today, at least what’s left of it (Mrs. Zibanejad, “Assaultin'” Artemi Panarin, CZAR IGOR and Adam Fox), whom are now on their fourth head coach in a time-span of four years (David Quinn, Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette and today, Mike Sullivan) – and where this isn’t news to you either – it was this core that ran three head coaches out of town – and with not one iota of responsibility or accountability falling on the shoulders of the players themselves.
(And gee – who was the only prophet in these mean streets of Rangerstown, USA that told you from day one that the firing of Gallant/hiring of Laviolette was a pure lateral move? Hmm! LATERALETTE! Heck, I was also telling you at the time that the players needed to be held accountable – and this was after I had previously said that I would not have given Zibanejad a long-term deal! Furthermore, I was also begging Drury to move #93 following the 2023 first-round loss to the Devils – and before it was too late. Today? It’s way too late.)
Another reason for my lack of optimism about this team (or perhaps “severe pessimism” works best) is the fact that Drury is still here.
Again – no news to you here – but team owner, James Dolan, doesn’t care as much about his hockey team as he does when it comes to his basketball team (the Knicks).
After 25-years of failure – aka “The Senile Sather Error” – and it’s like Drury has the same life-time Hall Pass as his former boss once had.
Much like the players – and there’s no accountability to be had for the current Team-Prez/GM either.
As said before, and I’ll say it again once more here – then if I owned this club (imagine that?), then I wouldn’t be thrilled over paying all of these hefty coaching salaries (and at one point – three head coaches at the same time) – including the newly minted 5-year deal worth $32.5M overall ($6.5M annually – richest in the league) for new bench boss Mike Sullivan – and where all of that money is also guaranteed – as per this nepo-hire as orchestrated by Drury.
(I also still find it hilarious that David Quinn, the first coach of this now failed core, is now returned as an assistant. While it does speak to his character and his ability to approach old enemies with a new leaf; but at the same time, isn’t it also kind of embarrassing? I mean, just imagine if you were the boss at your job, and then busted down to a rank-and-file employee.)
Suffice to say, and as I attempt to wrap-up what’s been another depressing introduction – then I really don’t see this team doing much this season – which will also double-up as Year 100 in Rangers’ history.
(At best, I see them as a first-round exit.)
Furthermore, and in what’s a first for me in the now twelve-years that I’ve been running this site – I also feel like I have to be careful of what I say.
Let me be clear.
I’m not worried about being “canceled” or anything like that.
I think my work speaks for itself when it comes to that topic!
However, and with full knowledge that people from this organization read these words – and I don’t want to do anything that will mar my chances of seeing my other ultimate goal take place (a fifth Stanley Cup in franchise history being the top goal) – which of course – is seeing Frank Boucher (and others like him) finally getting their (long and overdue) day – and respect – and as given to them by the franchise that they gave it their all for.
This now brings us to a story that I previously teased on Twitter/X this summer – and as later confirmed by one of my good pals, The Maven, government name Stan Fischler, himself.
Regular readers of this site can skip the next few paragraphs, as the next few words shared are exclusively dedicated for new peepers that have found one of these routine manifestos.
(And for such ilk wondering why these blogs are so long? It’s because I promote this motto: “10,000-words, no ads, one click!” In other words, I don’t break up these pieces into 79867869867986798 mini articles in order to artificially boost site traffic like everyone else – and perhaps to my own detriment at that. Such a practice also explains my long breaks this summer too!)
For new readers, both the young and old alike, then in short (easy for me to say) – when it comes to the 8.2 billion people that currently populate this planet today – and of this eye-popping sum – then no one has been a bigger advocate of Frank Boucher getting his #7 retired by the Rangers more than yours truly.
Rather than rewriting what I’ve written about 8.2 billion times before; instead, and check out the bulk of my work on Boucher here: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/retire-frank-bouchers-7/
Over the years, and I’ve befriended the Boucher family, most notably Frankie Baird, granddaughter of Frank herself, including during one of my trips to Boucher’s hometown (Kemptville, ON):
Not only have I shared requests from both myself and Frankie Baird on this site, where we publicly asked the Rangers to fix their biggest omission (Boucher’s name from the rafters of M$G), but Boucher’s legacy was the genesis of my first book, a timely one at that today, due to the upcoming centennial season (and I’d love to re-release it with updated chapters and new profiles – Chris Kreider anyone?) – and a book that you can find out more about here:
If there was ever a time for the Rangers to fix all of their wrongs, and as the Toronto Maple Leafs did back in 2016 when they retired a slew of numbers/honored players from their past that they had previously omitted, then it’s this 2025-26 season, the hundredth campaign of Blueshirts’ hockey, to do so.
I hate to be one of those people who come off as smug when they say “I can’t tell you everything” – but yeah – I can’t get into everything right now – but I will when I can.
But even with that disclaimer – then I’m sure that you can figure out all of the pieces for yourself!
On August 2nd, I tweeted/x’d the following on Elon Musk’s app:
I’ve got big #NYR 100 year anniversary news but I can’t say anything until they announce it. I’m bursting but must sit on my hands. Bookmark this post for later.
— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) August 2, 2025
Again, I can’t give you all of the particulars right now.
Heck, I wouldn’t even be writing about this (as I don’t want to jinx it, nor get let down by this franchise again) had it not been for Stan Fischler already reporting it.
(For those wondering where I’ve been all summer, then outside of needing a break and working on my upcoming book releases, then I’ve also been contributing daily to Fischler’s pieces that are featured on TheHockeyNews.com website.)
What I can tell you for now is that when it comes to honoring all legends that are presently omitted by the club, then the Rangers have put the wheels in motion – and as led by the official team historian (he gets paid by them), former Fischler intern, Mike Rappaport (not that one!).
(To be clear – then I can’t confirm if this is a Chris Drury directive or not – but this would be something that the team president would oversee.)
Not only have overtures been made to the Boucher family, but contact has also been made with the Bill and Bun Cook families.
However, I don’t know if the families of Lester Patrick, Ching Johnson, Davey Kerr, Bryan Hextall, Emile Francis and Tex Rickard have been contacted.
I also don’t know if the franchise has contacted Brad Park, Ron Greschner and Sam Rosen either – three other men, all living and healthy today, that also deserve to have their respects paid to them by the club.
The biggest thing that I don’t know yet?
While I know that the Rangers have contacted the Boucher and Cook families; at the same time, then I don’t know if it’s for a future banner treatment – or just a “hey, we’ll bring you to center ice, you’ll wave, and then you can enjoy your time in NYC” type of a deal.
I should add here, while I wouldn’t champion for Phil Watson to get a banner at M$G (or at least not above the other names listed here); but I most certainly would like to see his name at least be brought up and mentioned by the team – ala my “Rink of Honor” idea.
I know that his daughter, Janet Watson-Winston, who has been more than beyond helpful with the book that I’m currently working on about her father, would most definitely love to see her dad get his day in the sun.
(Another name that would be interested in seeing their father honored? Alex Shibicky Jr., son of Shibicky Sr., whose father was a signature member of the second Bread Line in franchise history – and a teammate of 1940 Stanley Cup champion Watson too.)
When it comes to Boucher and the Cook brothers – not only should they have banners in their honor adorned from the rafters of M$G – but they should be the FEATURED banners as well.
Say what you want about the Goal A Game Line (Vic Hadfield/Jean Ratelle/Rod Gilbert) – but it was the Bread Line, Cook/Boucher/Cook, that was the most successful in all of franchise history – and that’s not an opinion – that’s a fact.
After all, Boucher is responsible for 75% of all Stanley Cup wins in franchise history, and it was his line, where he centered the brothers Bill and Bun, that led the Rangers to two championship wins (1928 and 1933). (He was also the head coach of the 1940 squad.)
And while you can read my book for all of it – but suffice to say – and the Rangers, during their early days, had the biggest disadvantage in all of the league – as player rights and league rules favored the Canadian franchises – and not the southernmost locale in the NHL at the time – New York City.
I, along with Boucher’s family, have been waiting for this potential day for so long now.
I always exaggerate whenever I say that I’ve written about 673784837874873873730708347 zillion words about a topic – but when it comes to Frank Boucher – and that number may not even be the half of it!
You can figure me out.
I want the banner – and not just a tip of the cap to Baird’s brood.
While I could probably get the publishing rights to Boucher’s autobiography myself (“When The Rangers Were Young” – and only because the book has now elapsed the time of copyright law); but it would also behoove and benefit the Blueshirts if they sought such rights for themselves – and then reprinted the book as a way to educate fans about the history of this storied (albeit, most of it maligned – but those eras took place long after Boucher retired as a player) franchise.
As a 43-year-old man who has seen only one Rangers’ Stanley Cup win in my lifetime – and where I don’t see a second championship taking place in front of my own eyes anytime soon either – then seeing a banner for Frank Boucher at M$G would keep me happy for all of my remaining years.
For those of you who have already commented about this story on social media – then I don’t even have to be there despite all of my own efforts in order to see this once formerly unlikely event transpire (but you know that I’ll make every effort to be there anyway).
Just put up the banner.
Settle your biggest wrong.
Give the Boucher and Baird families their long overdue respect.
That’s all I need.
And should the Rangers officially announce a Boucher banner night?
Then I’ll stop all of my crying about Mika Zibanejad this season and be a happy little soldier!
More on this story as it develops – and depending on what happens – all of the details too.
For now, I just want to sit back and see what the Rangers announce – and even if they ultimately grant me my wish – then I won’t spoil it either – as it’s their thing to announce – and I wouldn’t want to jeopardize ruining it by reporting it before they do either!
Speaking of Rangers’ past, and for that matter, Boucher’s era too; then at this time, I wanted to share with you an email that I received from George Jones, nephew of the 1928 Stanley Cup champion, Taffy Abel.
If there’s one thing that I learned from the Rangers’ long off-season this year, then it’s that I have a ton of other interests too.
While granted, my real j-o-b ate up all of the hot months this year (I was averaging 60+ hour work weeks – and where yes – I need that no tax on overtime bill to positively impact my 2026 tax return – and where afterwards – then all monies received will go towards my future road-trips); then during my rare free time when I wasn’t working on my book projects, I also found a ton of other stuff to occupy my time – and I’m not just talking about time spent in local watering holes either!
(What did I do? Attend concerts, watch nearly every MMA & WWE show and spend time with my nieces – and where all of these interests were a nice break and distractions from the meandering Rangers of today!)
While I don’t know how much time that I’ll be spending writing about another (what I predict to be) losing Blueshirts’ season this year (I just can’t fake it); but what I do know, and the number one reason why I’ll never stop doing this altogether, is because of my affinity for everything Rangers’ history – and where as a result during these past dozen-years – I’ve cultivated many relationships and friendships with both former players and family members of franchise icons that are no longer with us today.
In other words – it’s history – and not the future – that keeps me going.
And one last self-pat on the back comment here too:
While I’ve pretty much nailed most of my predictions on this site; but despite such a high prognostication rate – then such an eight-ball success rate doesn’t compare to my 100% score whenever talking Rangers’ history!
(And that’s why I’ve never been a prospect or draft expert either. That’s too difficult! It’s much easier to talk about what happened than trying to tell you what will happen – and based on the Rangers’ drafts over the years – then it’s 100000000% easier to talk about history than predicting Blueshirts’ future!)
This is my long way of telling you that I was recently contacted by George Jones, who only knew Taffy Abel as his uncle – and where such a contact wouldn’t have been made had it not been for all of my writings when it comes to Rangers’ history.
(Reading that paragraph back – and what an egomaniac! But this has always been a stream of consciousness blog – so I won’t edit it out either!)
For a quick rundown on Abel, then he was part of the first defensive pair in Rangers’ history, where he teamed-up with fellow blueliner, Ivan “Ching” Johnson.
As a young man, an *American at that too (rare in those days – and the asterisk will be explained in Jones’ letter below), Abel excelled at the amateur level and as a result, played strong during the 1924 Winter Olympics, which as a result, led to a silver medal.
Professional offers soon came Abel’s way and it was his time spent with the Minneapolis Millers during the 1925-26 season that first brought his name to the attention of Conn Smythe – the first man that the first owner in franchise history, Tex Rickard, hired in a dual general manager/head coach role.
An Original Ranger, Abel then went on to win the first Stanley Cup in Rangers’ history – and as he did in 1928.
A year later, during the 1929 Stanley Cup Final, the Blueshirts, still with Abel on their blue line, were unable to defend their championship.
Rather than the Rangers going back-to-back; instead, it were the Boston Bruins that swept the best-of-three series – and in what was the first Stanley Cup Final to feature two American franchises at that.
Following the loss, and Abel was soon dealt to Chicago, which as a result, led to Leo Bourgeault being bumped up to the Rangers’ first-pair with Johnson.
Abel, now in the Windy City, saw the majority of his now former teammates win the Stanley Cup for a second time – and as the Rangers did in 1933.
Abel then became a two-time Cup champion himself a year later – as now representing the Indian Head (no irony there) – he won the silver chalice once again in 1934 – which also wound up being his last season in the NHL.
During his playing days, and let’s not forget – in a much different landscape/word too; and it was always assumed that Abel was an American-born citizen.
While that fact was true; what wasn’t known until many years later was that he was actually a Native American citizen – which as a result – made him the first Native American player in all of NHL history.
At this time, I’ll now let Jones take over from here – as this is his story to tell.
The following was sent to me by George Jones and all of his opinions expressed in his letter are his own:
Please, I need some Hockey Book recommendations of the caliber of “When the Rangers Were Young” for some intensive research being done by researchers and movie producers on NHL Hockey and Players 1917 to 1935.
Beside press stories and oral histories, we are also looking at what Taffy Abel Blackhawk & Rangers teammates have said about him.
My Native American Ojibwe uncle was Clarence “Taffy” Abel (1900-1964). I remember him circa 1954 until his passing in 1964. I am 76, a retired Economist, and am married with my Native American wife for nearly 50 years.
With the 250th Anniversary of our nation coming up along with the 100th Anniversary of the NHL Color Barrier being broken I say:
NATIVE AMERICAN SPORTS HISTORY is a vital part of AMERICAN SPORTS HISTORY
Breaking the NHL Major League Color Barrier is “History!”
Taffy was family from Sault Saint Marie, Michigan and I knew him and remember him as Uncle Taffy. He was born a Native American Warrior and died a Native American Warrior.
Native Americans into old school hockey think of him as the “Ice Warrior”. As a Hockey Defenseman, he was also called the “Michigan Mountain” or just simply “Taffy”.
As is Lacrosse, Hockey is also a Creator’s Game and was played by Indigenous Warriors in North America (aka Turtle Island) long before White Immigrants arrived and started to kill Native Americans and take over and steal Native American lands and resources.
I have a wealth of untold history and unpublished stories about Uncle Taffy including how Art Ross from Boston almost got him for the Bruins in 1926. How Taffy got into the 1924 Winter Olympics after he had earlier turned down an opportunity for the 1920 Winter Olympics because of finances. He was poor and his father passed in 1920 and he had to support the family. How a guy robbed him in New York and Taffy got his money back and beat the shit out of the guy.
How he partied with Al Capone in Chicago at the Lexington Hotel. All the best bars and restaurants in Chicago knew Taffy. How he opened a beer distributorship after he left the Chicago Blackhawks in 1935. I am still going through old hockey family photos and movies and stories. I am trying to have the FBI recover his stolen Olympic Silver Medal. I have the inside details how his Tribe (via casino proceeds) and the Sault Community named a 4000 seat Hockey Arena in his honor. How the Michigan Governor has honored him.
For support, I am working on 33+ USA Governors and 1 million plus Native Americans and Americans to counter Bettman’s 32 NHL Billionaire Governors.
How Uncle Taffy met his wife in Chicago, my Aunt. Tracy Rickena Abel from Peoria, Illinois. How Uncle Taffy taught me to fish, hunt deer, be with nature and drink whiskey. How to fight and win.
Because of rampant discrimination against Native Americans in the early 1900s, Taffy had to pass as a White until 1939 to: escape being sent to an Indian Boarding School in 1905, to get into the 1924 Winter Olympics, to get into the NHL in 1926 when he was recruited to the NY Rangers by the racist Conn Smythe. Racial Passing is a topic I have discussed with friends including Harvard’s Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. We are both into Family History and Genetic Genealogy.
Uncle Taffy broke the NHL Color Barrier on November 16, 1926. Next year is Taffy’s NHL Color Barrier Breaking Centennial and I am formulating proposals and financing for a book and a documentary and a movie of the Chariots of Fire caliber … which was an Academy Award winning movie about 2 heroes in the 1924 Summer Olympics. Taffy’s true and timely Native American (First American) story is better than that one.
Taffy was in the 1924 Winter Olympics where he helped Team USA win Silver (almost Gold), he scored an amazing 15 goals in the series as a defenseman, was the patriotic USA Flag Bearer.
In 1926 with the New York Rangers, he broke the NHL Color Barrier on November 16, 1926 beating the defending Stanley Cup Champion Maroons from Canada (he hated most elitist Canadian Hockey Players).
Uncle Taffy helped win 2 Stanley Cups (Rangers & Blackhawks) and became a charter member of the US Hockey Hall of Fame. He should be in the main HHOF in the Builder Category.
He formed and coached the Soo Indians from 1939 to 1942 (Champions every year) and mentored youth in hockey until the day he died.
He supported and honored his friends and teammates. Taffy told me when he was passing as a white in the Olympics and NHL, his Hockey Tribe substituted in ways for his missed Native American Tribe. It didn’t work well all the time and he would drink.
From firsthand knowledge I have, along with inside NHL sources (as high as a NHL Governor), Gary Bettman appears to have organized a clique of various NHL Governors (Dolan, Wirtz, Leonis, etc.) so as the NHL will not honor in 2026 / or will not significantly honor Native American Taffy Abel for breaking the NHL Color Barrier in 1926.
Can you imagine the MLB with Jackie Robinson or another Major League Sport doing this? I can’t.
>So Sad … I am going to give Bettman and the NHL a fight and defend the Taffy Abel Legacy.
>It’s not about business as it is with Bettman, it’s about family. Gary Bettman is not going to throw a noble and patriotic Native American under the bus in 2026 … Our Country’s 250th Anniversary.
The NHL does not stand for the National History League and Bettman cannot fabricate his version of history willy-nilly. He just needs to tell the real truth about who broke the NHL Color Barrier and help celebrate it.
In lame attempts to get more Black hockey fans and more profits and advertisers, Bettman and the NHL honored Willie O’Ree (Bruins 1958) as the first Black NHL Hockey Player. He played only about 45 NHL games and won No Stanley Cups.
>In addition to making Willie an NHL ambassador, Bettman got Willie into the HHOF in 2018 and then in 2022 Bettman and with wealthy NHL Team Owners got him (bought him via lobbying and campaign contributions) a prestigious US Congressional Gold Medal. Bettman gamed the system. Guess it helps to be connected and wealthy when you are trying to get someone a US Congressional Gold Medal.
They even started a campaign to get Willie called the “Jackie Robinson of Hockey” and falsely saying he broke the NHL Color Barrier … he did not. Bettman and the NHL knew that Taffy Abel broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1926 … I have a video of NHL employees and their lobbying team admitting to such. Having said all that, I do honor Willie as the first African American NHL Hockey Player.
However, when it comes for the NHL to honor Taffy Abel (Rangers 1926) as the first Native American NHL Hockey Player, Bettman is using a stealth form of racism with his silence. I extend a cordial invitation for Gary Bettman to meet with me … any day … any place.
After deceiving the US Congress and others in the Sports World, Bettman will not come out – be honest – and say Native American Taffy Abel broke the NHL Color Barrier. That’s pretty bad. Compare it to Major League Baseball not honoring Jackie Robinson for breaking the MLB Color Barrier in 1947.
Please feel free to pass on your comments, ideas, questions.
Thank You, George Jones
After reading Jones’ email, and while I can’t confirm the validity of everything said (Smythe as a racist, Bettman turning him down, etc); but from what we do know – Abel was the first Native American NHLer – and he should be in the Hall of Fame too.
For those looking to help Jones, you can reply to him in the COMMENTS section of this blog, which you can find below.
While speaking about emails received; then at this time, let me share with you one more.
“The Maven” Stan Fischler – or as I call him “Young Maven” (he calls me “Younger Maven”) – was once again snubbed by the cloak-and-dagger society that compromise the Hall of Fame committee out in Toronto.
Fischler, now 93-years-old, but sharper than ever (no one writes more about hockey than him – and where he’s still penning daily columns for The Hockey News today), and much like Boucher’s bid for a banner at M$G – is long overdue for his rightful spot in the hallowed halls in Ontario.
Even as a nonagenarian, and Fischler, living-and-surviving in war-area Israel today (including in safe houses near his Kibbutz), still makes flights to the United States – and should he be asked – then I’m sure that he’d board a bird to the Hall of Fame in Toronto too.
Alexandar Mogilny, no longer the biggest snub anymore, will be part of the HOF Class of 2025.
As a result, that means that Fischler is the biggest snub today – and where it would be disgusting, tragic and an all-out slap-in-the-face if he were to one day be honored after his passing – ala what the baseball HOF is doing right now with Pete Rose.
Fischler, beloved by everyone that knows him, has many of his friends, former interns and colleagues championing the HOF for his long overdue ceremony in Toronto – and where all of these people are doing this without Fischler asking them to do so.
Not only has the HOF committee been contacted via email – but there’s been a snail mail campaign being run by Fischler supporters too.
As a F.O.F. (Friend of Fischler), then I’ve written about this topic 676378647983674378634883 zillion times before.
Furthermore, I’ve also had many readers contact me about this subject – and where all of these people have echoed this sentiment – Fischler For HOF!
While I’ve always known that Fischler would have to go in as a media member (and as Sam Rosen previously did); Kevin Shea, an employee at the HOF, wanted to set the record straight.
Here’s Kevin:
Hi Sean.
I work at the Hockey Hall of Fame and just want to clarify something. For a player, builder or official to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, they have to be voted in by a Selection Committee.But for media members, they have to be selected by their own committees. For example, Stan — who should definitely be awarded the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award — would need to be selected by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. They only choose one recipient each year, and their 2025 recipient has already been chosen and announced.
While the recipients of the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award and the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award get a plaque in the Hall of Fame and are celebrated at the Hall’s annual Induction Ceremony, they are not considered Honoured Members. They are referred to as Media Honorees.
So the two (Honoured Members and Media Honorees) are mutually exclusive, voted on by different committees.
Funny enough, the resident airhead at the New York Post, Mollie “Who’s Mark Messier?” Walker, was a former Fischler intern – and presently serves as the head of the New York chapter of the PWHA.
But when it comes to her former one-time mentor Fischler?
Then apparently, and like anything else that doesn’t involve Taylor Swift – and Walker doesn’t give a shit.
Not that anyone is surprised by this development anyway.
After all, and despite Larry Brooks trying to teach her this many times over during the past four-years – and Walker still doesn’t know what icing is – or at least when it comes to the sport of hockey.
But give her credit – she knows what color icing that was on Swift’s engagement cake.
MOVING ON – and where let’s now move on from the past and into today’s hockey world.
Since we’ve been talking about the alumni all-blog (but don’t worry – we will soon get into the 2025-26 Rangers – and everything beyond too, including a mini 2025-26 season preview); then at this time, let’s cover some of the most recent “Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger” members of the alumni.
Up first, K’Andre Miller, who posted this following statement on his social media channels once getting comfortable in Raleigh (and isn’t it amazing Suzyn that he’s now in Carolina where Tony DeAngelo previously had two stints at? Holy Adam Hermtrans Batman!):
In other alumni news, then following the heels of Nick Bonino’s official retirement (where he’s now an assistant head coach for fellow baldie Dan Muse in Pittsburgh) and Chad Ruhwedel, also a former Penguin and quite bald too, announced his retirement from the ice.
Ruhwedel wasn’t much for the Rangers – but it’s not like anyone expected him to be as such either.
Speaking of now former Blueshirt blue-liners, and Calvin de Haan, very opinionated about the way that his Rangers tenure went down, still remains as unrestricted free agent.
(Another former Ranger that’s presently unemployed right now? Alexandar Georgiev – and where that one shocks me. At the very least, I figured that he’d land a back-up job somewhere.)
Cool Cal, who was acquired in the trade that sent both Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to Colorado (Lindgen has signed on with Seattle since), saw another over 30-year-old peer, and a player that was also pissed at Peter Lateralette last season too, Vesey himself, travel overseas to Europe this summer:
𝐉𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐘 𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐘 est 𝔊𝔯𝔢𝔫𝔞𝔱 🦅 🔥
L’attaquant américain vient renforcer l’offensive genevoise pour les 2️⃣ prochaines saisons ! 💪 👏
Toutes les infos ℹ️ https://t.co/QfUYa8izHJ
Welcome Jimmy ! 🏠 👏 pic.twitter.com/XPQztNaaPN
— Genève-Servette HC (@officialGSHC) August 4, 2025
Before de Haan was worried about his future, then the same sentiment took place with Vesey – and where today – he was 100% right when he predicted that he’d be out of the league for the 2025-26 season – and solely because of how Lateralette used him.
I never really cared about de Haan that much.
After all, he’s primarily known as an Islander.
But in the case of Vesey, I do feel bad for him – as I think that he did a tremendous job when successfully converting into a fourth-line mucker/penalty killing grinder.
Hopefully, Vesey can have some success in Europe – then return to the NHL for a few more seasons.
Vesey is also a textbook example of what the league has become.
It’s tough for fringe veterans, especially ones over the age of 30-years-old, to keep their spot.
With the salary cap system being what it is, and one that most certainly favors youth over experience, then it’s imperative for fourth-liners and third-pair d-men to sign long-term contracts – and even if such deals only provide six-figures in income – that is – unless they want to learn a second language abroad.
Speaking of traveling to foreign lands, how about Gerard Gallant – whose contract with the Rangers officially came to an end on July 1st, 2024?
If you’ve been on this site for a while, then you know that I was a huge fan of Gerard Gallant – and just to rile up his haters – I’d post “IN TURK WE TRUST” on a daily basis!
As opined about 86767696769869869 billion times on this site in the past – then I hated the Gallant firing/Laviolette hiring.
I was saying it before Double G. was saying it – coaching wasn’t the Rangers’ issue.
The core always was.
Two-years removed from New York – and where his successor, Lateralette, was immediately removed too – and Gallant, aka THE TURK, is now in China.
Instead of having his choice of soup, soda or egg roll at Wo-Hop – Gallant now has to contend with WuHan.
For whatever reason – and not one media member has ever interviewed Gallant following his Rangers’ departure – but then again – the Blueshirts’ beat of today absolutely sucks – so of course they aren’t going to do their jobs.
After all, that would take them away from their Taylor Swift coverage and food pictures.
As a result, and since I don’t have a pipeline to THE TURK himself, then I’m left to speculate that Gallant, following his Drury dismissal, decided to cash his two-years worth of checks that were left remaining on his contract.
I’m also left to assume that despite a league wide-open coaching carousel this summer – and no one was looking to get into THE TURK business either.
As a result, and like Mike Keenan before him – and Gallant is now in China. (It should be noted that the Dragons, as part of the KHL, also split time in St. Petersburg, Russia.)
(For those who don’t know, the Shanghai Dragons were formerly the Kunlun Red Star – a franchise that “Iron Mike” briefly coached in 2017.)
To me, this is a sad state of affairs – as I believe that Gallant brings a lot to the table as an NHL head coach. (I also believe that Gallant took this job as a way to get back to the NHL too. Heck, it worked out for Tony DeAngelo last year!)
Instead of coaching one of the league’s 32 teams; and today, Gallant is now in Russia – and I don’t think that I have to explain to you the political and wartime climate over there these days to you either.
While Gallant won’t be involved in the Ukrainian/Russian war, as instead, his Dragons will do their battles on the ice; his new job has provided a ton of comical social media postings from the all-red Chinese-Russian franchise, including these gems:
THE MASTER IS HERE pic.twitter.com/0hAK9XYzuU
— Shanghai Dragons (@shadragons) August 13, 2025
🐲 Gerard Gallant Named Head Coach of the Shanghai Dragons
The Shanghai Dragons have named Gerard Gallant as the club’s Head Coach under a two-year contract.
Details ⬇️⬇️⬇️https://t.co/8SQy1iQjwC
— Shanghai Dragons (@shadragons) August 13, 2025
THE MASTER IS HERE pic.twitter.com/2XzxCvuTT1
— Shanghai Dragons (@shadragons) August 21, 2025
Day 1 for Gerard Gallant in Dragon’s Lair ✅ pic.twitter.com/oZzmyqnt7w
— Shanghai Dragons (@shadragons) August 23, 2025
Those “MASTER” tweets are gold Jerry – GOLD!
While on the topic of Russia, let’s talk about one of the biggest busts to ever come out of there – Crybaby Kravtsov.
There is no shot in hell that I’m going to rewrite, nor recap either, everything that I’ve previously written on Vitali “Crybaby” Kravtsov ever again.
But if you want such material, then check the archives of this site – or just Google “Kravtsov + BlueCollarBlueshirts.”
It was announced over the summer that Canucks’ GM, Patrik Allvin, has returned Kravtsov into the Vancouver fold.
Whether Allvin was on drugs or not is unknown.
After being a little bitch throughout his Rangers’ tenure, the soft-and-frail Kravtsov was traded to Vancouver at the 2023 trade deadline – and as a way to accommodate the then N.Y.C. arrival of Patrick Kane.
As a Canuck, Kravtsov only scored two meaningless points in his sixteen games played.
Come the off-season, and Kravtsov, and as he always did in New York, cried for his mommy and immediately fled back home to Russia – and as a result – where he spent his last two seasons.
Now approaching the age of 26-years-old, Kravtsov, who in his own opinion, was too good for the Hartford Wolf Pack, will make an attempt to resume his NHL career.
But like his former teammate with the Rangers – and now current teammate in Vancouver, Fragile Fil Chytil – and one big hit – and that’ll be it for the comrade.
Maybe Jacob Trouba, now in Anaheim, can pay his respects to Kravtsov – as both will play in the Pacific Division this season.
At this time, let’s now talk about the present Rangers.
When Chris Drury’s BFF, Mike Sullivan, was hired as the 38th head coach in franchise history during the off-season – then at the time, I told you to expect that the man who hasn’t been to the playoffs in ages would look to add some of his former players into the mix.
It should be stated that every head coach does this – so this practice is nowhere exclusive to Sully either.
Conor Sheary, a two-time Cup champ in Pittsburgh with Sullivan (2016 and 2017), is the first example of a former Sully charge (outside of the coaching staff, most notably DQ) joining him in New York – as Sheary signed a PTO contract with Zoom Zoom Drury.
While I predicted and knew this would happen (wow I sound like D-Flex – and that’s a long-time callback!) – and I can’t say that I’m a fan of this either.
Sheary, a winger, enters the 2025-26 season at 33-years-old.
For a team, that in my eyes, is rebuilding – then what do you want with another over-the-hill veteran?
Last season, Sheary played in all of five games for the Tampa Bay Lightning, while playing in 59 games for their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.
It would be a terrible thing if Sheary made the Rangers’ roster this season – but with that said – I wouldn’t be opposed if he was just primarily howlin’ with the Pack.
Put it this way:
If Sheary makes the Rangers’ final roster cut at the end of camp, then that means something bad for the likes of Matt Rempe, Adam Edstrom, Brett Berard, Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann and others of that ilk – all young players that should be with the main group this season.
Unless Drury and Sully overdose on stupid pills – then I can’t see Sheary on this team at the start of the regular season – but I could see him being called-up throughout the course of the year when players inevitably become unable to go (injuries).
In other roster news, then Brendan Brisson, son of NHL super-agent Pat, was retained by the organization for AHL purposes.
You have to wonder if he’s being kept around because of who his father is.
Elsewhere, and the Wolf Pack also have their goalie tandem set up, as both Dylan Garand and Tayln Boyko were retained for the 2025-26 AHL campaign.
It will be interesting to see what becomes of Garand.
While Jonathan Quick may be approaching his last NHL campaign before his eventual Hall of Fame induction; CZAR IGOR’s new eight-year deal, worth $92.5M overall ($11.5M annually – richest in league history), kicks in this season.
In other words, and akin to the recent likes of Cam Talbot, Antti Raanta and Alexandar Georgiev under Henrik Lundqvist (and in the case of AG40 – under CZAR IGOR too) – then at best – Garand’s ceiling (as a Ranger) is as an NHL back-up.
As noted previously on this site, and Louis Domingue, who was with the organization for the past three-years (mainly with the Wolf Pack), is now in the KHL, where the 33-year-old Quebec native will spend the 2025-26 campaign with the Sibir Novosibirsk.
As we scratch the surface of the upcoming centennial season, then three things have become apparent to me:
One, Matt Rempe is logging a ton of face time with Ranger fans.
All over social media, and on any day of the week, and sometimes twice on Sunday, and there is some fan posting a positive face-to-face interaction with REMPESTEIN, as #73 has taken to the Big Apple like a fish to water.
The young and fresh-faced lad simply enjoys making memories with Ranger fans.
The organization has taken notice too – and as is evident by their decision to send Rempe to league events – including a 9/6 appearance to be made at the NHL Store in NYC (steps away from M$G).
Rempe is soaking it all in – while training too – and it will be up to Sullivan to do what Laviolette couldn’t – which would be by making #73 an every-game player.
The second thing that I’ve noticed as I write these words is that the Chris Kreider trade to Anaheim still doesn’t feel real to me – but where I know that I’ll feel it come puck drop.
As said at the time – I DESPISE THIS TRADE.
All the talk about CK20 one day going to the rafters aside – but this is how the Rangers treat a true franchise player of an era that can still go?
(And before you start in with the Henrik Lundqvist talk – he was at the end of his career. Furthermore, the Rangers had his successor ready to go in Igor Shestyorkin. Conversely, Kreider still has a bunch of good years and the Blueshirts did not replace him.)
One bad season, full of injuries and ailments, and that’s it – and all while his BFF, Missing Mika, gets a pass for all of his shit seasons ever since COVID ran wild in 2020?
One of the biggest reasons why I don’t see the Rangers reaching the playoffs this season?
They are now without their best special teams player, a fact since the 2021-22 season – as Kreider was equally a force on the power-play as he was on the penalty kill.
The Rangers didn’t sign anyone to replace him – as instead – they are hoping that the iffy Alexis Lafreniere, who doesn’t play on the man-down teams, to fill the void whenever man-up.
(Will Cuylle will also be tasked to do more, but even if younger players step up, the special teams are still in a weakened state.)
It’s going to be weird to see Kreider in an orange jersey this season – and it’s up to the Ducks, now featuring a bevy of aging former Rangers, not to become a WCW (wrestling) or Bellator (MMA) over-the-hill version of the Blueshirts.
The third-and-final thing that’s on my mind right now is the future of Artemi Panarin – and Connor McDavid too.
“The Breadman,” accused multiple times over of trying to dip his bread stick into sauces that aren’t attached to his wife, enters the 2025-26 season as a pending unrestricted free agent.
McDavid, who is not accused or alleged of assaulting any females, also enters this season as pending unrestricted free agent.
When Fischler, just two-years ago, was trying to sell a McDavid/NYC marriage (and when using both Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky as previous Edmonton-to-New York mega-stars examples), I didn’t think much of it.
Simply put – I just didn’t see a scenario where #97 wasn’t an Oiler.
And who knows – a McDavid act on Broadway may never happen – but at the very least – and the odds have improved from zero – and as it was the case two-years ago.
Back-to-back Stanley Cup Final losses sustained (and it’s not like winning a Cup in New York is a routine event either) may be weighing on McDavid – and even with his BFF, Leon Draisaitl, signing long-term with the Oil.
I don’t know what goes on in McDavid’s head.
This is my way of saying that I don’t know if he truly desires to be a house-hold name or not.
Yeah, McDavid is the son of Canada in 2025 – but due to Edmonton’s location and time zone – it’s not like he’s featured much during the regular season.
Obviously, endorsements, outside endeavors, a higher fame level, etc would be much easier to attain in NYC than in Edmonton.
(Then again, if the communist NYC mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, wins the election – then such an event could be a turn-off for potential Big Apple athletes too.)
While the salary cap will exponentially increase throughout the course of the next few seasons (meaning that Drury could possibly retain Panarin while also signing McDavid); then if #97 in Edmonton remains without a contract as the 2025-26 season progresses – then doesn’t the Rangers’ GM have to make a full-court press on McDavid?
And what’s Panarin’s true worth anyway?
Yes, he’s the greatest free agent signing in franchise history (no doubt about it) – a strong regular season player to boot – but when it matters?
OO-GATZ.
At least McDavid, despite his lack of Stanley Cup hardware, has a Conn Smythe to his name (2024), which in turn – means that he’s not only a regular season performer – but a playoff success too.
And really, who’s going to argue with me when I say that if you had your choice, then 10/10 times, you’re taking McDavid on your team instead of Panarin.
It should also be noted that Panarin turns 34-years-old on October 30th.
McDavid, still in his prime, turned 28-years-old this past January 13th.
Recently, and for his TheHockeyNews.com column, Stan Fischler asked me, “are the Rangers tough enough?”
I’m not going to have the “toughness” debate again – but if you feel that Stanley Cups are won purely through skill and analytics – then you haven’t been watching the playoffs.
It doesn’t matter who wins the Cup during any given year – as all of these champions possess grit, sandpaper, and yes, toughness too.
Here’s how I answered the question as bestowed upon me from “The Maven”:
“Are the Rangers tough enough?”
No.
Then there’s NO, NO, NO and HELL NO!
The fact that everyday business, such as trades, the salary cap, etc, can rattle this team like a baby with a soiled diaper – well that tells it all.
Their affinity for spitting-and-chewing-out head coaches also speaks volumes.
Despite every other team in the league also having to deal with roster transactions on a 24/7/365 basis, then it was only the 2024-25 New York Rangers that pouted, gave up and cried for their mommies after “The Wolf,” aka Big Bad Chris Drury, blew their doors down.
I guess that last year’s Blueshirts, perhaps ripe with amnesia, had forgotten that the Florida Panthers had previously made them out to be scaredy-cats long before the worst captain in franchise history, Drury himself, decided to deal one of his successors, Mr. Kelly T. – aka “The Great Eight,” and now the most recent captain in franchise history, Jacob Trouba.
Today, with the Palestinian supporting Irma Zibanejad now doubling-up as her husband’s own mouthpiece – it now feels like the women behind the players are the only ones with balls.
Then again, that’s one way to drum up business during the team’s annual Pride Night!
After giving my response to Fischler, I also posed this question to him:
“Has there ever been a player in recent memory that’s been more coddled than Mika Zibanejad?”
While I understand that all of these routine hit pieces on Mika are now repetitive; but seriously – and mainly due to his contract – and the man never takes accountability for anything.
The most recent example of Mika receiving the baby/white gloves treatment was when NHL.com reporter, Dan Rosen, shared that Sullivan actually flew to Sweden this summer in order to have a face-to-face and heart-to-heart chat with the Swedish-Iranian – and a Zibanejad who currently possesses the worst contract in the league today.
According to Rosen, not only did Sullivan, and like David Quinn before him (how’d that work out?), fly to Sweden – but HC #38 also allowed Zibanejad to dictate his terms to him too!
Rosen reported that M.I.A. Z., you know, paid handsomely to play as a first line center until 2030, told Sullivan that he’d be much more comfortable playing as a right-winger – and most preferably – as a flank for J.T. Miller.
While Mika has been brutal in recent years, including nothing but slow starts ever since COVID ended – but should Mrs. Irma get what he wants – then that would make the Rangers extremely weak down the middle.
Since Mika can do no wrong in both the eyes of management and the coaching staff, then if we are to assume that #93 is on the wing next season, then here’s what the line-up could look like come Opening Night:
FIRST LINE: Panarin/Trocheck/Lafreniere
SECOND LINE: Cuylle/Miller/Zibanejad
THIRD LINE: Berard/Parssinen/Raddysh
FOURTH LINE: Edstrom/Carrick/Rempe
FIRST PAIR: Fox/Gavrikov
SECOND PAIR: Schneider/Borgen
THIRD PAIR: Soucy/Morrow
STARTING GOALIE: CZAR IGOR
BACK-UP GOALIE: Quick
SPARES: Brodzinski, Perreault (who if you remember, has already burnt the first year of his ELC) and Vaakanainen
Names to consider: Othmann, Sykora and Robertson.
I should also add here that the Opening Night roster isn’t really a make-or-break thing either – as call-ups and injuries are commonplace.
Furthermore, what you start with isn’t what you end up with come Game 82 either.
Based on my “PROPOZED LINEZ” listed above – and unless the Rangers’ Top-Six are going to turn into a Montreal dynasty team from any one of their multiple successful eras – then this is a very weak roster – and especially down the middle.
I mean really – Parssinen is still here!?!?!
Defensively, and the three-pairs don’t really shout out at you either.
Hell, and I’m not making this up either, but recently, I was talking to three friends of mine that are also demented Ranger fans like myself.
When I asked them to list the three Blueshirt defensive pairs for me – and none of them could do so!
Granted, the Rangers have been off for a while – but that did tell me something!
And none of them remembered who Parssinen was either – including my road-trip buddy, friend and neighbor, the always mentioned in these pages, “TEN O’CLOCK TOMMY!”
Mika’s own selfishness of wanting to play on the wing rather than playing in the middle (and as he’s PAID to do) also hurts the team.
I have Raddysh listed here as a third-line winger – but I could be wrong about that.
Even so, and knowing that head coaches are more willing than ever to experiment with wingers flipping to their off-side – and Mika taking up a wing position will hurt the playing time and development that could be used for the likes of Othmann, Sykora and Perreault.
(There’s also a case to be made for Edstrom as a third-line winger too.)
And if the Rangers aren’t good this year (does anyone really see them winning the Stanley Cup?), then wouldn’t it behoove the Blueshirts to give these recent top draft picks a shot?
After all – we don’t know what they can do.
We do know that Mika has peaked.
Another sad thing about Mika?
Despite his status as now the longest-tenured Ranger – and there’s no way in hell that you can make him the captain of this club.
The only “C” that he deserves on his chest would be one that’s short for “CONTRACT” – or perhaps the other “c-word” too.
(Cancer, not c**t!)
When Ryan McDonagh was shipped to Tampa in February of 2018, then I must’ve written a million times that no team has won a Stanley Cup without a captain ever since the Bruins’ teams of the early 1970s (1970 and 1972).
But that was a squad that had one of the best forwards of all-time, Phil Esposito, in their line-up.
Then there was that Bobby Orr guy too.
And no offense intended for the likes of Panarin and Fox – but they aren’t Esposito and Orr.
(But Mika is a good comparison for Ken Hodge – but only as the Rangers’ version of Hodge! Damn that Rick Middleton trade!)
Again – while I don’t see the Rangers as Cup contenders in 2026 – but to get there one day – it would make sense to name a captain.
(It would also make sense to strip the alternate captaincy (“A”) away from Mika too – but since he’s a mental midget – the Rangers won’t do it – as such an act would send him and his wife into a dizzying tailspin.)
It’s my belief that the Rangers need a captain – and unlike the few years in recent history when the club didn’t have one (February of 2018 – July of 2022) – then I also think that it’s imperative to have a leader for the centennial season too.
As many of you also believe, then I’m in agreement with the majority when I say that the next Rangers’ captain is most likely a two-horse race contended by the newest BFF’s in town – Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller.
As far as other potential candidates, Panarin will never get it – and especially now with his pending UFA status.
(And his sexual assault allegations – and alleged pay-offs too – don’t help matters either.)
Cuylle is just too young and it will be hard for him to lead with so many veterans (including selfish ones like Mika) around.
Fox may have a chance, but I also think that he needs to solely focus on improving himself (mainly due to all of his recent knee injuries sustained) before taking on any more burden and responsibility.
Plus – the captaincy hasn’t been too kind to Rangers’ defensemen this century either.
Funny enough, do you know who would be a good captain (but he’ll never get it either and for all of the obvious reasons)?
Jonny Brodzinski – who was a strong leader in Hartford – and a player that many of the younger Blueshirts (Rempe, Edstrom, etc) seek for advice.
And since your goalie (and this statement includes Quick too – another fine leader and mentor for the young guns) can’t be a captain – then I’m back to Miller and Trocheck.
When it comes to naming a team captain – it solely comes from within the locker room.
It doesn’t matter what any fan, writer, blogger, podcaster, announcer or anyone else thinks.
The team decides their leader – and that’s it.
Trocheck now has the tenure, and during his stay in New York, has time-in and time-out, displayed his leadership qualities.
His buddy, J.T., is also a natural-born leader – but he may deflect to Trocheck as #16 knows these guys better than #8 does.
Should it be Miller over Trocheck, then it could be a case of worrying about who will be here for the long-term.
After all, Drury, and outside of Mika, has shown that he will trade leaders and tenured-players at a moment’s notice.
Gun to my head (and who would point a pistol at my dome over this?) and I believe that Trocheck will succeed Trouba as the next captain in franchise history.
I just don’t think that Miller has been here long enough, which is to mean that he hasn’t had the time to cultivate relationships with his new teammates.
Furthermore, and Miller is more hot-headed than Trocheck and you kind of need someone who can be even-keeled and referee-friendly.
Trocheck, and his wife too, have quickly grown roots into the community – and that’s a quality that every team looks for in a captain.
But of course, it will be the players – and not me – who will answer this captaincy question.
Before presenting a much abbreviated and super-quick NHL 2025-26 Season Preview, then at this time, I have to hit one of my old talking points – the insane amount of money that it will cost you in order to attend a game at M$G this season.
I’ve talked about this subject in the past, perhaps even more so than all of my content on Frank Boucher – but yeah – you’ll need to take out a mortgage on your house in order to go to the World’s Most Expensive Arena this season.
What I found cruel, funny, disheartening and ironic – and all at the same time – was the fact that the Rangers recently emailed me a few times this summer – where due to my loyalty to this franchise – they presented me the opportunity to be first in line to buy tickets to both preseason and regular season games.
But for such loyalty and devotion – and not a discount was had.
As I perused throughout the schedule, and unless you want to sit in the obstructed nosebleed seats – then you’re not getting into M$G for less than $200 this season (face value).
As I’ve said in the past – the biggest reason why face value tickets are so severely inflated now is because during COVID time, when every live entertainment entity (this would include sports) had nothing to do, they realized the killing that the secondary market was making off of them.
I don’t blame the Rangers.
Nor do I blame any other live entertainment business (wrestling, concerts, other sport leagues, etc) either.
The live event market is a supply-and-demand business.
If people are willing to pay double, triple, whatever amount over face value for tickets on the secondary market – then why not control the market by increasing ticket prices yourself – and especially when no one is batting an eye over it?
(The notion that everyone accepts the fact that you have to pay hefty “convenience fees” irks me to no end.)
Of course, this also means that younger people/fans will never have the experiences, many times over, like me, and others older than me, of seeing the Rangers play at M$G on a regular basis.
Unless your family of four features a parental unit that has hit the Powerball – then for most fans of a younger generation (which also double-up as your future customers) – it’s most likely one or two games a season – and that’s it.
And that’s sad – as there’s no better sports experience than a live NHL game. (Fact, not opinion!)
But as someone who has been attending Ranger games for as long as I can remember – then I just feel bad for a younger generation that won’t have a chance to enjoy these experiences.
Compounding matters is how sickening NYC has become too.
Most games this season feature a $200 get-in price – and if you want to sit in the lower bowl – then you’re looking at $500+ for an unobstructed view seat.
That’s a $2,000 one-game bill for your typical family of four – and that doesn’t include travel, concession and food/beverage costs either.
But as long as people continue to pay these prices – and with the white collar crowd now returning to M$G too after COVID and working from home – then these are the costs that we are stuck with.
And that’s also why I rarely go to M$G anymore either (I used to average 25+ games a season – and for a good ten-years or so there too) – while also opting to spend my hockey budget on road games (it’s just a better experience and I love traveling).
I’ve shared this story before and I’ll do so once more here.
In 2010, following the Yankees’ 2009 World Series win, I was shocked to see that chicken tenders and a beer would run you $55!
When I joked with the vendor about the insane prices, he had the perfect answer:
“You have to pay championship prices for a championship team!”
In that case, then perhaps the Rangers should revert to their 1994 prices!
Let’s now get into our quick season preview – and should I get time between now and Game 1 of the regular season – then I’ll expand on this.
Before looking at 2025-26, let’s first quickly recap how the 2024-25 season concluded.
- Toronto Maple Leafs: 108 points (52 W, 26 L, 4 OTL) – Lost in Round 2
- Tampa Bay Lightning: 102 points (47 W, 27 L, 8 OTL) – Lost in Round 1
- Florida Panthers: 98 points (47 W, 31 L, 4 OTL) – Won Championship
- Ottawa Senators: 97 points (45 W, 30 L, 7 OTL) – Lost in Round 1
- Montreal Canadiens: 91 points (40 W, 31 L, 11 OTL) – Lost in Round 1
- Detroit Red Wings: 86 points (39 W, 35 L, 8 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- Buffalo Sabres: 79 points (36 W, 39 L, 7 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- Boston Bruins: 76 points (33 W, 39 L, 10 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- Washington Capitals: 111 points (51 W, 22 L, 9 OTL) – Lost in Round 2
- Carolina Hurricanes: 99 points (47 W, 30 L, 5 OTL) – Lost in Round 3
- New Jersey Devils: 91 points (42 W, 33 L, 7 OTL) – Lost in Round 1
- Columbus Blue Jackets: 89 points (40 W, 33 L, 9 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- New York Rangers: 85 points (39 W, 36 L, 7 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- New York Islanders: 82 points (35 W, 35 L, 12 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- Pittsburgh Penguins: 80 points (34 W, 36 L, 12 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- Philadelphia Flyers: 76 points (33 W, 39 L, 10 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
-
- Winnipeg Jets: 116 points (56 W, 22 L, 4 OTL) – Lost in Round 2
- Dallas Stars: 106 points (50 W, 26 L, 6 OTL) – Lost in Round 3
- Colorado Avalanche: 102 points (49 W, 29 L, 4 OTL) – Lost in Round 1
- Minnesota Wild: 97 points (45 W, 30 L, 7 OTL) – Lost in Round 1
- St. Louis Blues: 96 points (44 W, 30 L, 8 OTL) – Lost in Round 1
- Utah Hockey Club: 89 points (38 W, 31 L, 13 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- Nashville Predators: 68 points (30 W, 44 L, 8 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- Chicago Blackhawks: 61 points (25 W, 46 L, 11 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
Pacific Division
- Vegas Golden Knights: 110 points (50 W, 22 L, 10 OTL) – Lost in Round 2
- Los Angeles Kings: 105 points (48 W, 25 L, 9 OTL) – Lost in Round 1
- Edmonton Oilers: 101 points (48 W, 29 L, 5 OTL) – Lost in Finals
- Calgary Flames: 96 points (41 W, 27 L, 14 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- Vancouver Canucks: 90 points (38 W, 30 L, 14 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- Anaheim Ducks: 80 points (35 W, 37 L, 10 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- Seattle Kraken: 76 points (35 W, 41 L, 6 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
- San Jose Sharks: 52 points (20 W, 50 L, 12 OTL) – Out of Playoffs
When it comes to predicting the Atlantic Division, and being a historian too (which means that I’ll always use history as my guide), then I feel this is another season where the Leafs, Lightning and the Panthers finish atop of the division.
Yes, Toronto finally broke away from their “Core 4” when Mitch Marner went to Vegas this summer, but even so and this is still a playoff team.
However, of these three teams, then if there’s one of them that could slip to a wild card spot, then it are these Leafs.
Say what you want about Marner (regular season sensation, not so much in the playoffs), but he was a big reason why the Leafs coasted to playoff berths.
The Lightning, the biggest victim of the salary cap era (forced to move many of their stars), are not the same team that they once were – but they still have plenty of talent (Kucherov, Guentzel, McDonagh, Point, Vasilevskiy, etc) that will allow them to cruise control themselves into the playoffs.
As we’ve seen with the Panthers, the current reigning-and-defending three-time Eastern Conference champions (and more importantly than that – back-to-back winners of the Stanley Cup too), then where they finish in the division doesn’t matter.
All they have to do is get in to win.
While the Panthers may not necessarily win this division (Matt Tkachuk starts the season on LTIR), it doesn’t matter.
And heck – I have them becoming the first three-peat champions since the 1980s – and where no – I won’t remind you of what team did that either!
Like Tampa before them, and Sunrise, FL has now become a destination city.
Between the no state income taxes and winning – and I expect Florida to once again reload come the trade deadline.
Many of their champions and veterans took team-friendly deals this off-season (Sam Bennett and Marchand specifically) in order to keep the good vibes going.
They’ve built a winning culture and as a result – and just like “The Rat” at the 2025 deadline – expect other quality players to accept lesser roles in order to win come the ’26 trading deadline.
Elsewhere and #63’s former team, the Bruins, are in a rebuilding year. They’ll have to fend off the up-and-coming Senators and Canadiens, two teams that finally ended their playoff droughts in 2025.
Of the these two teams north of the border, it are the Habs that are the “sexiest,” as they feature an explosive lot of youthful players such as Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky and Dach. They also added help at their blue line this summer with former Islander, Noah Dobson.
However, it’s in Ottawa where one of the most fiercest players, a prototypical playoff player if there ever was one, Brady Tkachuk, resides.
The Yzerplan hasn’t exactly worked out in Detroit – and if that remains the case this year – then perhaps one of the greatest Wings of all-time will be removed from his position.
In the Motor City, it’s been seven-years of no playoffs under Stevie Y. – and nearly ten in total.
Detroit has talent, but despite the likes of Larkin, Raymond, Kane, Copp and Seider – and it’s been nary a postseason.
To help his team, Yzerman added John Gibson to his barrel (Cam Talbot will now serve as their back-up for the time being) – but it’s not like goaltending has ever been the Spoked Wheel’s biggest problem either.
The Buffalo Sabres are now approaching a 15-year playoff drought, as the last time they reached the tournament was in 2011 – which was also the official year when Blockbuster Video went out of business.
I’ve tried to make bold predictions in the past, as I had the Sabres finally ending their postseason drought in previous years – but fool me fourteen times – and that’s enough.
Until the Swordsmen reach the playoffs – then I’ll never predict them to make it – and no matter who is on their roster.
This is still a three-team division in my eyes – but I also expect two of the Original Six teams, Montreal and Detroit, to reach the playoffs this season – while Ottawa returns to outside-looking-in.
The Washington Capitals, as led by Alexander Ovechkin, shocked everyone when they cruised to first-place – and almost to another Presidents’ Trophy too.
Similar to the Penguins, and everyone thought that the Caps had aged out – and that all they would play for is Ovi’s chase of Gretzky.
Now as the NHL’s all-time goal scoring leader (897 goals), Ovi will hit 900 goals in 2025-26 – and perhaps look for goal 1,000 within the next 2-3 seasons – that is – should he put his potential KHL debut on hold. (He’s previously said that he’d like to play at least one season in his home country before retiring.)
But a second Stanley Cup?
That’s perhaps highly unlikely – as 2018 has become the anomaly – and not the norm in the nation’s capital. (But hey, at least Ovechkin will go to the HOF with a Stanley Cup ring on his finger.)
I believe that the Metro will be decided between the Hurricanes and Devils – who ironically met in the first-round during last year’s playoffs (Carolina won the series 4-1).
The Devils were a sexy pick to do damage in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs – but that was long before major injuries sustained by Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton.
Should both prove healthy (and of course, health and injuries impacts every team), then it’s very easy to see the Newark team winning this division.
The Hurricanes seem like the only team that could prevent the Devils from winning the Metro this year – but at the same time – it’s also very easy to see the Canes losing before the championship round commences.
Either way, I see the Devils and Hurricanes as 1-2 in the division.
The rest of this division are a bunch of question marks.
The Blue Jackets were the feel-good/Cinderella story of the league last season.
After suffering one of the biggest tragedies in NHL history, if not the biggest (the murder/death of Johnny Gaudreau), everyone pegged CBJ to finish at the bottom of the division.
And had that been the case – everyone would have understood.
After all, they were at the bottom of the league even with Gaudreau.
Instead, and as led by Zach Werenski, who arguably should’ve been league MVP (and maybe he would have had the Jackets made the playoffs) – and Columbus just missed the final cut.
It’s up to CBJ to build on what they did last year – and I think that they will – via by finishing third-place – and with a playoff spot too.
The two Pennsylvania teams, the Flyers and the Penguins, are both in a state of rebuild – and with the orange-and-black having a leg-up over their black-and-yellow rivals – and only because they started their rebuild first.
Both teams also have new coaches at the helm, as Rick Tocchet replaced a John Tortorella who wasn’t interested in rebuilding anymore, while former Rangers’ assistant, Dan Muse, takes over for Mike Sullivan.
Pittsburgh still has Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin – but as Sullivan has showed us over the last seven-years – that doesn’t matter anymore.
The only light at the end of the tunnel is that the disgusting Erik Karlsson contract will soon leave their books.
Over in New York, the Rangers and the Islanders are also in a state of flux – but it’s baby brother that has more to be excited about.
As the old Blueshirts try to recover from one of the worst seasons in franchise history, over at Belmont, and the Isles have a lot of young fresh faces to be excited about, including their first-overall pick, Matthew Schaefer.
While the Rangers were mainly healthy last season (which means no excuses), conversely and the Isles dealt with a bevy of injuries in 2024-25, including to Ilya Sorokin, Mat Barzal and their top defenders, Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock.
Again, while health and injuries impacts everyone, and knowing that there’s always 2-3 teams that surprise the league every season – then as much as it pains me to say it – then why not a healthy Islander team that has plenty of talent to spread around – and a bunch of cheap-and-young players too.
But the Isles are solely my darkhorse surprise team – and not who I have finishing with a playoff berth either.
I have the Devils, Hurricanes and Blue Jackets taking the top three spots of this division – and where furthermore – I also have them as the only playoff teams from this division.
Just like last year and I believe that the two wild card spots from this conference will come out of the Atlantic (Detroit and Montreal).
I can see a carbon-copy/replica repeat of this division from last season, which is to say that I believe that the Jets, Stars and the Avalanche will finish 1-2-3 again – and even if it’s not in that order.
But outside of Colorado, another team that was forced to strip their roster down a bit after winning due to the salary cap (but they did add Brent Burns this summer – and even despite his age – he’s still a force) – then I really don’t see Winnipeg or Dallas reaching the Stanley Cup Final – which is always the case despite their multiple 100-point finishes – or in the case of Manitoba team – a 2024-25 Presidents’ Trophy win.
The “wild” card to watch (har-har-har), is Minnesota, who was without their best player, Karill Kaprizov, for long stretches last season.
Prior to Kaprizov’s injury (and others sustained too, including Joel Ekrisson Ek) and the team from The Land of 10,000 Lakes was actually on top of this division last season.
But even if and when healthy – and the first-round of the NHL playoffs has always been the Wild’s kryptonite – and they won’t have Marc-Andre Fleury (retired) around anymore either.
Similar to the Sabres not reaching the playoffs – and I won’t predict the Wild to win a first-round series until I see that they are able to do so.
Nashville, despite all of their big spending last summer, was one of the worst teams in the league last year – and crazier than that – they didn’t battle the injury bug like their foes did.
In other words, I could see the Predators rebounding, as after all – there is nowhere to go but up.
I don’t see the same taking place in Chicago, as the Conor Bedard rebuild is taking some time – and their roster around him is more mish-mash than structured.
I could see the newly minted Mammoth making a run this year, as their top line of Keller/Cooley/Guenther can put up the points. They also have J.J. Peterka, now formerly of the Sabres, in their ranks.
As noted with the Islanders, then there’s always 2-3 teams that surprise everyone during any given season. I could see Utah being one of those teams.
But to play it safe, and because I need to see it happen, then I think that it are your three perennial playoff stalwarts from this division – Dallas, Winnipeg and Colorado – that return to the playoffs.
I also see the St. Louis Blues, who almost upset the Jets in the playoffs last season, returning to the tournament as a wild card team.
The Blues, who like any other champion, lost pieces after their Stanley Cup win (2019), have a very aggressive general manager in Doug Armstong – and an executive who has more hits than misses too.
Goaltender Jordan Binnington has also found his peak form as well.
Plus, who can question the resolve of this franchise – as just when you think that they are out – they then go on a ten-plus game winning streak whenever required.
I think the wild card from this division is a toss-up between St. Louis and Minnesota – and where both of these teams won these spots last year.
But unlike last season – I see a wild card team coming out of the Pacific this year – and where as a result – I’ll give the fourth playoff spot from this division to the Blue Note.
Not much has changed in this divison – or at least when it comes to who I see finishing as 1-2-3.
As noted earlier, the top talk in the Pacific will be Connor McDavid – as until he signs a new deal – then everyone will be wondering what will become of him.
After all, if he does go, then there’s no chance Edmonton can let him walk in the summer for nothing – ala the Islanders and John Tavares.
But should he stay – then the Oil should finish first or second.
And should that be the case – then what’s transpired in every McDavid playoff run this decade will also continue – no Stanley Cup – as for whatever reason – and the Oilers still can’t find a true number one goalie.
(The last true starting goalie they had was during the 2016-17 season when Cam Talbot won 42 games.)
Heck, they are even returning their tipsy-turvy backstop duo of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard to their nets this season.
Insanity.
Everyone knows the deal in Nevada – the Vegas Golden Knights plan on winning the Cup every season.
Their recent acquisition of Mitch Marner proves that – and a now former Leaf that joins a savvy club that has no problems with exposing the LTIR loophole every season either – and a loophole that may as well be named after Mark Stone too.
Like any other Cup contender – and you can also expect the Knights to beef up at the trade deadline too.
I have the Knights and Oilers, and in that order, going 1-2 in this division.
Coming in at the third spot in my eyes are the L.A. Kings – and I also have them losing to the Oilers in the first-round for the fifth consecutive year.
If I were the Kings, then if another potential first-round series against the Oilers was pending, then I’d throw games in order to get at wild-card spot – so that way, they’d at least have a chance – as the Albertan team has reigned supreme over the City of Angels whenever it’s mattered.
Yes, call it ex-Ranger bias, but I feel that the Anaheim Ducks, now led by the returning Joel Quenneville, will finally return to the playoff tournament as a wild-card.
I won’t give you my spiel on Coach Q. again, but for your consideration – look at the Florida Panthers of today.
Who was there before his unceremonious exit and the Panthers’ eventual success?
Yep, Coach Q.
The Ducks have a slew of former Rangers with a ton of playoff experience (Strome, Kreider, Trouba and Vatrano) while also having a mix of young talent too (Gauthier, McTavish, Terry, Carlsson, etc).
Lukas Dostal takes over for Gibson as the starter, while Peter Mrazek serves as their back-up.
While I do believe that GM Pat Verbeek has been Drury’s patsy in recent years; I also think that the Pig Farmer executive has one of the nastiest blue-lines too – as both Trouba and Radko Gudas can bruise with the best of them.
The Kraken, who hope for Kaapo Kakko to take another leap, will be a playoff pick of many.
However, I just question what’s going on there, as during their short existence, they are now on head coach number three, as Lane Lambert, who didn’t do much with the Islanders, succeeds both Dave Hakstol and the recently fired Dan Blysma, who lasted all of one season despite his success with their AHL affiliate.
Of the remaining teams, the Canucks are a mess – and adding two injury prone players (Chytil and Kravtsov) doesn’t help.
It also says alot when their now former head coach, Tocchet, declined to stay despite big monies offered.
Calgary, and like Columbus and Winnipeg before them, is now the biggest non-destination city in the league.
They draft well and have a nose for talent too (Tkachuk, Gaudreau, etc), but when push comes to shove – then all of their top talent quickly bolts.
The only way that they can get name-brand players to stay at the rodeo is when they overpay them – and both Huberdeau and Kadri have never been the same since wearing the red-flame C on their chests.
The only way for the Flames to keep the talent that they cultivate is by winning – but this is a tough division.
The Sharks, the worst team in the league last year, a fact which is now becoming commonplace, are far off from competing once again this season.
They did add Ryan Reaves (which reunites him with former Ranger teammate, Barclay Goodrow) to protect the likes of their two pet projects, Celebrini and Smith, but this is still a team that’s going nowhere fast.
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
Eastern Wild Card Teams: Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens.
Western Wild Card Teams: Anaheim Ducks and the St. Louis Blues.
Eastern Conference Final – Florida Panthers vs New Jersey Devils.
Western Conference Final – Vegas Golden Knights vs Colorado Avalanche.
Stanley Cup Final – Florida Panthers over the Vegas Golden Knights.
This was a doozy!
And if you’re still here some 20,000 words later – then thank you – and I hope it was worth your time investment!
I’m not sure when I’ll be back next, so click the subscribe button below.
And I do apologize for sounding so down on the Rangers’ centennial season – but hey – at least this way, I can’t be disappointed.
Also not disappointing?
Your favorite segment, 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
Great insight Sean!
I always look forward to reading.
It is a damn shame what the Management Group has not done over the years to honor our historic players! Crying shame!
Hey! Glad to see you’re back after the break—ten weeks felt like forever! Your honesty about the Rangers’ recent struggles is refreshing, though it’s tough hearing how disconnected some players seemed last season. I mean, admitting they didn’t give it their all? That’s just outright disappointing for fans like us who pour so much into supporting the club. Your predictions about Lundqvist and Zibanejad have definitely hit the mark, but it’s disheartening to think the team might not be Stanley Cup-ready anytime soon. Do you think there’s any hope for a turnaround, or are we just stuck in this cycle of frustration? Also, what’s your take on the front office’s role in all this—could they be doing more to fix the mess? Oh, and by the way, we’ve integrated libersave into our local coupon system—it’s amazing how smoothly it brings together different providers on one platform! Whith regards, UNSTD