Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. What a night!
And that night was 48-hours ago – but hey – when a blog entry like this one is delayed – then that tells you that I had a fantastic time!
(I may have also had a rough Tuesday morning – and where going to work wasn’t exactly a peach either!)
As you may have heard and/or saw on my social media channels (and as previously teased in this space too), then I attended Monday night’s Rangers v. Wild game at Madison $quare Garden.
Better than that – and I also had free suite tix at the InfoSys level.
Since I don’t want to start off this particular tome at a state of rock-bottom, I’ll begin by talking about my experience at the game – then quickly blow through the mess that I witnessed on the ice.
Going into Monday night, and really this season in general, then as you know (and as I’ve been doing for nearly a decade – including when writing a whole entire book about it – check the PLUGS segment for it) – and I was begging the Blueshirts to finally rectify all of their wrongs – which would be by hanging banners for all of their legendary and Hall of Fame alumni.
Well that’s not what happened – and where after Monday night – then I believe that my dream of seeing banners hung in honor for the likes of Frank Boucher, Bill Cook, Bun Cook, Bryan Hextall, Ching Johnson, Emile Francis, Lester Patrick, etc is now completely dead.
After all, and as proven on October 20th, 2025 – and the Rangers are fully aware of all of their living family members of their elite alumni – and the most they were going to do about it was have them wave at a camera during non-televised stoppages in action.
I hate to sound so down and ungrateful, because that’s not my intent.
Not at all, none whatsoever.
Truth be told and I completely enjoyed myself on Monday night.
But at the same time – then I always give it to you straight here.
And also keep in mind – what I’m saying right now comes from a die-hard fan – and the strongest champion of the alumni too.
While I don’t want to speak for anyone else (so don’t take this as such); then I also don’t think that I’m out of line when I say that my long-time wishes, which is seeing all of these Stanley Cup winning alumni get their rightful glory by having their numbers adorned from the rafters of M$G, is equally shared by the family members of the alumni.
(Holy run-on sentence, Batman!)
Such a sentiment was only amplified when the families of the alumni saw banners at the ceiling in honor for the likes of Phish and Harry Styles.
I guess that winning multiple Stanley Cups for a franchise that was basically an expansion team at the time doesn’t get you the respect that it used to.
Not to make this all Frank Boucher, all the time – but really – what other franchise in sports ignores a guy from their rafters who won 75% of their championships?
Only the “trend-setting” Rangers, that’s who!
It was always my original intent to attend Monday night’s game once this gimmick night was announced.
However, and as talked about plenty of times before in this space – and I just can’t justify paying $200 to sit in the worst seats in the house – nevermind $500+ to sit in the lower bowl.
(There’s a reason why this site is entitled “BLUE COLLAR BLUE SHIRTS” after all!)
Keep in mind (and past blogs and social media postings don’t lie) – and I’ve attended hundreds of Rangers’ games in my life – and where the majority of them were during “The StubHub Trick Era.”
To be brief, and for those unaware of the now deceased “StubHub Trick,” then prior to the pandemic and you could always buy tickets to Ranger games (and other live sporting or entertainment events) for practically pennies on the dollar – but only had you waited until the last second to buy them.
Patience is a virtue!
Usually, yours truly and my buddies would hole up at a local NYC bar, check our phones, and about ten-to-twenty minutes before puck drop — BOOM — then buy a discounted seat from a panicked seller.
And as I’ll get into below – this also worked for the Delta Suite tickets – but mainly because NYC-based secretaries would get free tickets from their bosses, and rather than attending the game – flipped them for whatever they could get on the secondary market instead.
No joke – I’ve sat in amazing seats, including right on the glass, for $100.
But once the pandemic came-and-went, then those days were over – as every major sporting and entertainment entity realized what was going on, and in turn, jacked up the prices for their tickets as a way to compete against (attempt to put them out of business) the secondary market.
Helping first-party ticket outlets after the pandemic was the fact that people, after being holed up in their homes for so long, were desperate to get out again.
With more of a demand than supply than ever before – and kaput – the StubHub Trick was dead – and as a result – and there was just no way that I could pay insane prices to sit in obstructed view seats after having it so good for so long.
(And that’s why I prefer to save all of my hockey ticket budget money for road games – it’s a much better experience – and just ask any Ranger fan who has endured that “Walking Dead” second rotunda during any given intermission at M$G too!)
As I was debating about taking off from my real j-o-b in order to attend this game, and only because of the fact that Frankie Baird was going to be there (read my past work if you don’t know about her already); then my socks were blown off when Baird asked the Rangers to get me two free tickets to the alumni suite – which in turn – would make yours truly as the only non-family member invite.
Not only was Baird’s request accommodated – but the Blueshirts texted me the tickets in about two nanoseconds after getting off of the horn with her.
One day, I’ll have to let it go, but yeah – while I wanted to see everyone; it did – and still does – bother me that the Rangers would hold a nice little party for the families of their alumni (and for that matter – alumni that represented the best years in Blueshirts’ history too) – but when it came down to presenting the cake (retiring numbers/hanging banners) – and the Rangers, akin to the “Soup Nazi” from Seinfeld, said “NO CAKE FOR YOU!”
Once I received my two InfoSys suite level tickets from the Rangers, I invited my dad to attend – as I knew that he’d have a blast at this.
Plus, and like most people over the age of seventy-years-old would agree with too – and it’s not so easy to go up-and-down anymore – and with the first class treatment – seats like this were perfect.
(For a frame of reference – then when’s the last time you walked down the stairs from M$G? It’s about 20 flights of cattle in Rangers’ jerseys trying to catch a train.)
At this time, I’ll try to recollect everything from Monday for you in a chronological order.
Once arriving at Penn Station, and where I felt like a tourist once there (I haven’t been there in over a year-and-a-half – and with the construction now complete – I was turned upside down – and where all of my shortcuts when navigating around the place are gone), then my dad and I made a quick pit-stop at The Molly Wee – which is tradition for us.
After lamenting about the Rangers’ recent struggles with our dear old pal Larry Goodman, we then jettisoned off to M$G.
As noted before, I’ve sat in the Delta Suite before. I’ve also sat in The Lounges and at the old Madison suites too.
I’ve never sat in these new updated suites.
Being uninitiated with the new InfoSys suites, then I felt like I was in that scene from “Goodfellas” when Ray Liotta takes Lorraine Bracco through the kitchen of The Copacabana.
After showing our tickets at the door, a concierge was immediately assigned to us. This guy, I believe his name was Brandon, then took us through a series of elevators, and a few twists-and-turns too, and then right into our luxury suite.
And while speaking of the M$G staff – and I don’t want this to get lost either – then all of them were beyond friendly. They all made everyone feel comfortable and they did an excellent job when providing an A+ experience.
I don’t know what these tickets go for on the regular (I’d imagine at least four-figures), but the staff did go out of their way when giving you the best night imaginable for such an assumed hefty price.
Once arriving in the suite, then I saw that Craig Patrick, and some of his family too, were already there.
Also there?
Frankie Baird and her son Rod.
Baird, who is extremely sociable, was already chatting up one of the architects from the Miracle on Ice team.
As she introduced my dad and myself to Craig (while also telling him all about my first book), then all of the other family members started to arrive, including people representing the Cook brothers, Tex Rickard and Bryan Hextall.
As an aside, the Rangers also promoted Dave Kerr’s legacy a lot during this night – but they didn’t have anyone there to represent him. That was a shame because I talk to several of his family members (they found my first book) and I’m sure they would have attended had they been invited.
Another person that I thought was overlooked was Jane Watson-Winston, daughter of Phil Watson – and especially when the Rangers shared his graphic several times on their scoreboard throughout the night.
As I’d later mention to Leah Hextall, granddaughter of Bryan – it would’ve been nice to see the Hextall and Watson families reconnect – as it was a Watson to Hextall goal that sealed the deal in Game 6 of the 1940 Stanley Cup Final.
And yes – I know that I’m probably the only geek in the world that would care about such a thing – but after seeing how the Rangers treated all of the alumni family members on this night – then I think they should do the same for Ms. Watson-Winston – who is coming out on her own dime in November to see the Rangers host the Islanders.
I would never report/relay what was told to me in private conversations on a public site like this.
But I can tell you that both Craig Patrick and Leah Hextall, perhaps the two biggest names that most Blueshirt fans would know, were completely awesome.
Both of them, and just like everyone else that was there, including Joe Rickard, grandson of Tex, were extremely down-to-earth.
Duh – Craig loves hockey – and he had no problems talking about his Hall of Fame career – and one that I thought that the Rangers downplayed.
After all, then during each non-televised stoppage in play, then the Rangers would have a family member wave at the crowd while holding a jersey of their namesake/kin.
I just laughed when Craig Patrick was announced as the following: “Please welcome the grandson of Lester Patrick, The Silver Fox, to Madison Square Garden!”
Overlooked in that sentence was Patrick’s work with the Miracle on Ice team, his time as general manager of the Rangers, his two Stanley Cup wins as GM of the Penguins – and oh yeah – his status as a Hockey Hall of Famer (2001) too!
After I said to Craig (I can share this story), “they kind of undersold you there,” he laughed and replied “that was fine enough!”
I don’t know the exact head-count of the people that were also in the suite with me, but I’d reckon about 25-people or so.
I bring this up, because most of them weren’t really Ranger fans – or perhaps for a better term – Blueshirt diehards.
And that’s not a bad thing or a knock either – so don’t take it that way.
They were there to hear stories about their grandfathers, great uncles, or whatever other relations they have with these legendary Rangers – and with the team of today playing like doo-doo – then having a conversation with people like you was much more appealing than watching the dreck on the ice.
However, one person that also had a keen interest in the game was Hextall’s granddaughter.
Again, I can’t share stories that were told to me in confidence, but there is one news item that I’m allowed to share with you here.
That story is in regards to Ryan Callahan, who many Ranger fans were worried about after it was announced that he had departed from ESPN earlier this month. As Hextall told me (and as I later confirmed too), then Callahan’s exit from the world-wide leader is a simple explanation – he has a young family and he wants to spend time with them.
Makes sense to me!
Furthermore – then that’s it.
There’s no conspiracy theory or anything else. He wants to spend time with his family and kudos to him.
Ironically enough, Martin St. Louis, the other side of the 2014 trade when Captain Cally went to Tampa Bay, did the same thing.
If you recall, then once MSL retired after the 2014-15 season, then the Rangers made him plenty of overtures to remain with the organization, and whether it be as a scout, a TV commentator or a coach at the AHL level (Wolf Pack).
However, MSL had a young family at the time and in turn, wanted to spend his free time with them – which also included time spent behind the bench when coaching his boys.
Once his kids got older?
Then you already know – he accepted a job to become the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
MSL is 51-years-old now. Callahan just turned 40-years-old.
My point?
Then I’m sure that it’s only a matter of time (and time flies – don’t we know it?) before Captain Cally returns to the hockey world – and hopefully at the M$GN Studios!
I’ve probably written about a million words about Adam Graves over the years and including during this feature piece too: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/7622/
To this day – and Graves remains as one of my all-time favorite Rangers.
I know that I’ve shared some version of this story before, and about 87879879867986986 times in my writings at that, but what’s once more:
As a teenager, I was an autograph seeker. It’s just a shame that I can’t find my old disposable camera photos from that era, as I had a ton of great pictures from the mid-to-late 1990s!
During this period of time, my buddies from high school and I would look to attain autographs, which we did, both before and after games. This was when the Rangers were really good, and had a “who’s who” of names, including the “Core 4 of ’94,” Wayne Gretzky and others.
Of all the big Ranger names from that era (and I certainly appreciate this more now than I did at the time), Adam Graves – and no matter if the Rangers had won by five goals or lost by five goals – would SIGN for everyone. After all, stuff like this is what made him one of the biggest Ranger fan-favorites of all-time.
Graves even signed everything for all of the fifty-year-old creeps – shady adults who were obviously profiting off of his signature, with all of their 78067867896789 different items and requests. He just didn’t say the word “no” to anyone.
Not only did Adam Graves sign for everyone, he let you into his world.
The Toronto native made small talk with you. There was never a case of “let me grab a sharpie and get rid of you” – instead, he tried to learn about the people he was signing for during these days – days which were the peak of his career – and days that I’ll never forget.
While sometimes, players like Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky and Brian Leetch would all try to avoid the throng of adoring fans – Graves was always there.
It’s something that’s forever tattooed on both my brain and memory.
Today, I’m now nearly one of those “fifty-year-old creeps” (I’m 43 – I’m only seven-years away!) that I alluded to above.
While I don’t chase down anyone for autographs anymore – I’m thirty-years behind that – but I’ll ask for a picture!
I’ve probably bumped into Graves about a dozen or so times over the past ten-years or so – and each time – I always thank him for all of the charity work that he does – so much so – that he’s probably sick of hearing it!
But seriously though – that’s just the guy he is – he doesn’t want to be rewarded for it – and where most of the work he does is without promotion too.
In other words – he’s not looking for a camera whenever he’s doing something philanthropic.
He does it because he believes in it – and because he loves making others happy too.
Today, and I can’t think of a better Blueshirts’ ambassador than Graves.
Monday night marked the first time where as an adult, I had a lengthy conversation with Graves -and as always – he couldn’t have been any nicer. (Another private story that I can share? He’s very high on J.T. Miller – and like most of us!)
When he found out that I write for Stan Fischler (and it was just too bad that I only brought five of my books with me – and where all five of them were quickly snatched up before #9 had arrived), then he was extremely interested in how Fischler was doing.
Stan, because I know that you’re reading this (and I’ll email you later – you know about my schedule!) – but for now – and Graves wanted to let you know that he loves you and he shares all his best for you.
Graves, when he found out that Fischler still writes five articles a day from a Kibbutz in Israel, and sometimes from a safe-space bunker too, was impressed, and then added, “that’s what makes Stan Stan – and it keeps him going.”
And nobody keeps going on-and-on like Fischler – and who I know would have loved to have been there with us on Monday.
“The Maven” was missed – but his name was fondly recalled by all – as he was frequently brought up.
Graves also mentioned that a former Fischler intern, and one that uses a lot of “The Maven’s” work in his own research (and as I do too – after all – who better as a source than someone who has witnessed it all?), Mike Rappaport, has written a new centennial book that’s now available at the team store.
I didn’t get a chance to visit the team store, but I’ll check it out next time when I attend a game at M$G.
(I know that I’m going to see the Red Wings when they roll into town in November – which also doubles-up as my nieces’ first time at M$G – and I can’t wait to see their faces – let’s just hope that the Rangers can pull off a miracle and score a few goals on that night!)
Speaking of books (and in a rare occurrence – not one of my own), then I did receive this book the other day:
Okay, so this following segment may get me some “heat” – but again – I give it to you like it is!
As teased earlier, then I’ve sat “BOUGIAS” at M$G before (but just never at this suite level).
In the past, and I’ve even shared pictures and recounted these stories on this site as well, and the Rangers fed you like a king – top of the line sushi, prime rib, lobster – you name it, it was there – and right down to the caviar!
They also gave you top-shelf booze and beer.
(And I should say – all of this took place at the Delta and old Madison levels.)
When it comes to the individual InfoSys suites, then much like the Lounges – you get what you pay for.
If you want to pay extra, then you can get the top of the line stuff.
Again, and I don’t want this to come off as being arrogant, ungrateful or being a schmuck either – but the Rangers fed their alumni chicken tenders and hotdogs, while dousing the pain on the ice that we saw with Bud Light, Jack Daniels and wine.
I do want to add this – THIS IS ONLY ME SAYING THIS.
NOT ONE SOUL COMPLAINED ABOUT WHAT WAS OFFERED.
Heck, I’m not even complaining – I’m just trying to give you what it was like – while also trying to give you information about this suite in case you’re ever interested in getting one.
Everyone, and myself included, appreciated the free food and drinks – and where admittedly – I may have downed ten or so Bud Lights myself! (What a pig – but hey – when in Rome!)
All that I’m trying to convey to you here is that I’ve seen the Rangers treat others better with my own two eyes – but I guess that also goes hand-in-hand with their refusal in hanging banners for the legendary alumni.
(And for those who haven’t read my first book, then in short – and Toronto already set a precedent in this department. Back in October 2016 and the Leafs hung banners for a dozen or so players and men associated with the blue-and-white – and as a way to rectify previous omissions. The Blueshirts could have done the same on Monday – and very easily at that.)
Many won’t like this comment too, but think about it:
During Henrik Lundqvist’s retirement ceremony, then do you think that they fed his friends and family some wieners and cheap swill?
I didn’t think so!
But as an “honorary Canadian” on this night – and with this site’s name – then I thoroughly enjoyed this BlueCollarBlueShirtsBlueBudLightCans experience!
(Suggestion though? Carry Labatt Blue!)
I don’t want the the following to come off as snobby (I’m saying a lot of this tonight – woe is me!) – but I had blast when sitting BOUGIAS on Monday night.
I also made a few connections too – and mainly because of Frankie (what a godsend) – as she talked up my book to everyone.
As you all know, then I’m currently working on 78678667986879679687969 zillion projects – and where I could really use another pandemic right now – as it would give me all the free time in the world to write!
But since I’ve grown accustomed to having a roof over my head, eating and showering, while also having no interest in finding out what it’s like to sleep in a cardboard box during a rainy night – then I do have to work in order to pay the bills!
(Plus, having health benefits is a nice perk too – after all – livers don’t fix themselves!)
Outside of working on a book about the Rangers’ history at the draft, then I’m also working on a biography on Phil Watson – and where I was hoping to have this done by now.
Real life man.
Another project that I’m probably only 20% through with is a previously mentioned screenplay on Tex Rickard – and for more on one of the most fascinating lives of all-time – then check out: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/tex/
I was happy to see that the Rickard family was invited on Monday night – as really – the Rangers don’t do anything in regards to their founder.
While Rickard only saw hockey as a business, and only lived to see two seasons of Ranger hockey (but in his two-years as owner – he saw his expansion franchise win one more Stanley Cup than James Dolan has ever seen in his thirty-plus years’ of ownership) – it was Tex who gave us this franchise that we all love-and-adore today – and even if they treat us like a proverbial battered Irish house-wife during most seasons!
Even if someone else beats me to the punch, then I hope that one day that the Tex Rickard story comes to life – as it would be a perfect mini-series for a streaming service.
It’s just too bad that the Rangers haven’t backed one just yet.
As I try to wind-down here (easy for me to say), then I thought that the Rangers gave all of their guests an A+ experience.
Again – it’s not the staff that makes the decisions on who gets banners or not – but with the way how they made sure (and completely succeeded at that) that everyone was having a good time – then if it were up to them – then I could see all of these people personally hanging banners for these legendary alumni!
Each family member of the alumni waved to the crowd during TV timeouts – and where I got video of all of them (check my Tweeter feed at https://x.com/NYCTheMiC/ for all of it).
But for now, here’s the Boucher one:
#nyr pic.twitter.com/A8r0cDD1m0
— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) October 21, 2025
All in all, I had a blast.
Thank you Frankie for making this happen.
I also wanted to add that my dad and I were the only ones in the suite without family relations to the alumni – and for us – everyone treated us so nicely – and it was also a joy for us to watch all of these people interact.
I guess the best way to sum up what that suite felt like was as if it were a “Perfect Strangers Family Reunion.”
Another way to sum it up?
“A Toronto Blue Jays Watch Party!”
If you’re aware, then all of the alumni honored were of Canadian heritage.
Outside of Craig Patrick, who was born in America because that’s where his father (Lynn) worked and the family of Tex Rickard too (most of his family now live in the Westchester area) – and everyone else was Canadian.
As the Rangers once again defined the word feckless when attempting to score goals on Monday night; then elsewhere, as in north of the border in Toronto – and the Blue Jays were trying to win their ALCS Game 7 against the Seattle Mariners.
Go figure: Despite several television screens in the suite – and no one thought to turn on the Blue Jays game.
Following a first period where the Rangers got out-shot something like 18-5, it was now 8PM – and since Canadians are much more kinder than their American counterparts – then no one was going to dare ask an M$G staffer to turn on the baseball game.
Plus, you also had the alumni family members being shuffled up-and-down in order to wave at the crowd – so no one wanted to miss that on the jumbo screen in the suite.
In turn, I put on the baseball game on my phone – and with the Blueshirts doing absolutely nothing on the ice – a huddle soon surrounded this eight-inch screen!
When the Rangers’ game ended, and where my dad and I needed to haul ass or else be stuck at Penn Station for an hour – the score was Mariners 3, Blue Jays 1.
As we got out of the tunnel, and once cell phone service was restored – the score was now Toronto 4, Seattle 3 – as Yankee Killer George Springer hit a three-run shot to left-center.
As we arrived home on Long Island – and the Blue Jays had won.
The 2025-26 Rangers didn’t give their alumni anything positive to talk about – so I was happy to see that their baseball team gave all of these nice people a thrill.
Me?
I was also pulling for the Jays – and for one reason only:
Don Mattingly, the current bench manager.
WIN IT FOR DONNIE BASEBALL!
And now, and we’ll make it quick – the 3-1 loss to the Wild from Monday.
Of all the people in the suite on Monday night, then it was perhaps myself, my dad, and the Hextall family that had the most interest on what was actually going on in front of us.
(Craig Patrick, a scout in Pittsburgh, also had an eye-out, but he was also pulled aside a lot for conversations – and especially when Graves, Greschner and Mullen showed up to the suite.)
As I told Frankie before the game, and as all of you know too – then the Rangers hadn’t scored on home ice during their past three tries.
They were also 7:19 away from setting the all-time futility record in this department.
That said, and I felt like the Blueshirts would finally end their goal scoring drought.
And that’s what happened, as NDArtemi assaulted Wild goalie, Filip Gustavsson, for a 1-0, GOOD GUYS, goal, at just the 57-second mark.
In other words, my gut-feeling was proven true – the Rangers had finally scored their first goal on home ice this season!
However, I also felt like the Rangers would go on a scoring tear and have an Oprah Winfrey “You Get a Goal, And You Get a Goal, And You Get a Goal” night.
I couldn’t have been more wrong about that!
It took about four-minutes or so for Jonas Brodin to tie the game – and where of course – this was the first goal of his season too.
Danila Yurov then later put the Wild ahead, 2-1 – and where of course – this was the first goal of his career.
A $17M Kirill Kaprizov empty-netter sealed the deal.
3-1, bad guys, your final.
For the first time since the home opener – and while the Rangers have had issues when trying to score goals – but this was the first time where I thought that they just looked BAD.
They were grossly out-played.
I even saw a clip of Dave Maloney saying, “the zamboni driver only needs to clean half of the ice” – as that’s how ineffective the Rangers were when trying to attack.
I didn’t take any notes since I was enjoying my time and conversations – but I think the first period SOG total was 18-5, road team.
There was also a point, somewhere near the half-way mark of the second period/game, where Hextall said to me, “your boys are being out-shot 3:1” – as the scoreboard SOG counter read as Minnesota 24, New York 8.
I’m not going to relive the events on the ice for you – because after all – it’s all dated, I’m pressed for time, and none of you want to go through all of it again either.
But I will say – I never thought that the Rangers were going to be any good this season – and where it’s starting to look that way.
After watching the end of the Jays/Mariners game, I then watched the M$GN postgame show on my phone.
Leave it to Sieve Vagistat, and of all people, to echo and repeat what I first said a week ago – the Rangers are already wasting a bunch of CZAR IGOR starts – and where they also wasted an amazing showing out of Jonathan Quick too.
However, the most newsworthy thing to come out of the post-game was crybaby Zibanejad’s interview – and where if you haven’t seen it already – then here it is:
You have to watch Mika’s interview to really get the tone, but a defiant, aggravated and pissy Zibanejad said, “What else should I do more? I have to score. I understand that, but I’m getting chances. I’d be more worried if I didn’t get any chances. It’s frustrating. How many looks did we have? Not just this game, but overall. I honestly don’t know what else to do.”
As Mika was daring the media to give him suggestions – then it was too bad that I didn’t leave my suite after the game for the locker room – because I had the answer for him!
Here it is:
WAIVE YOUR NO MOVE CLAUSE AND HOP ON A ONE-WAY FLIGHT TO ANAHEIM!
Furthermore, and while I’ve already explained in-detail that I believe that J.T. Miller is playing hurt and pulling a Kevin Shattenkirk in his first year; but eight games in – and his excuses and rah-rah stuff is already growing old.
I don’t think that Miller, nor Mike Sullivan for that matter either, ever signed up for a rebuild in New York – but you’re just fooling yourself if you can’t see that this is where it’s all going.
You can read my prediction blog from over the summer for all of it – but with nearly 10% of the season complete – and everything that I saw in my Blueshirts’ crystal ball is becoming more clear by the day – and right down to an Alexis Lafreniere that hasn’t improved at all.
Prove me wrong.
That said – and I still feel that Panarin, who is now becoming the biggest pending UFA come the deadline, will be outta here soon enough – and most likely in Florida.
And should that thought become reality – then yeah – that “r-word” will 100% return to Rangerstown, USA – “REBUILD.”
Up Next For The Rangers: A home game against the winless (0-4-2) San Jose Sharks.
You have to be a complete idiot if you’re risking any money on the Blueshirts to win this game – much less think that they are going to win it!
This game has DEJA VU written all over it.
If you recall, then on 10/20/2022, David Quinn, now in his first season as bench boss of the Sharks, took his winless 0-5 team, one that he repeatedly called “fragile,” back to M$G.
The end result?
The Rangers lost, 3-2.
For more, then check out: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/102022/
This coming Thursday night’s game also has several other connections from the one played three-years ago – as the Sharks are reeling after a loss to the Islanders – and where the Blueshirts are also promoting new jerseys (they were promoting the reverse retros/Liberty Heads at the time).
While not a true “money on the board game,” but you have a pair of former Blueshirt bruisers, Ryan Reaves and Barclay Goodrow, who would love nothing better than to beat their former club.
And you could say that the Rangers may want to show up for DQ, now back in New York too – but they don’t even show up for themselves these days.
Furthermore, and this Sharks’ team, despite all of their losing, is much better now than what they were when compared to three-years go – and just ask Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini all about that!
And with two goalies both seeking their first win, the new face of the teal Yaroslav Askarov and journeyman Alex Nedeljkovic – then who better to oblige one of these men than the Blueshirts on Thursday?
Again – prove me wrong.
This blog was already delayed, I’m already running late for work, so I must bid you adieu now.
I should be back Thursday night – and back to our normal GAME REVIEW programming too.
Until then, your favorite segment for now, 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
Sean, I envy you for Monday. But you work hard on your fandom and deserved it.