An Open Letter To Those At Camp 2013-14

Hello, and welcome to the New York Rangers,

There are some things you need to know before you get the 2013-2014 NHL season started as a member of the Broadway Blueshirts. I will attempt to lay them out for you to make your transition to New York easier. If you keep these in mind, your stay will be an enjoyable and, hopefully, productive one. Best of luck.

1- First and foremost, being a Ranger requires respect. Respect for your teammates. Respect for the jersey. Respect for the fans. Respect the Rangers. Everything else on this list falls under this dictum. Respect. It sounds simple, but it's not. It's a complete way of being that will require hard work but the payoff is virtually limitless - watch the tape of Eddie Giacomin's return with the Red Wings.

2 - Always, ALWAYS have your teammate's back, on the ice and off. Torts often refused retribution, instead preferring to turn his other obnoxious cheek. AV's Canuck squads didn't shy away from the rough stuff so be ready to use your size and protect your brothers - looking at you Boyle and Pyatt.

3 - Battle from whistle to whistle. No reprieve, no relenting, not for one second. Hockey is your job and we expect you to work while you are at the office. That is what is expected of you. Anything less - let up for just one moment of one shift - and the results will be disastrous. During that lapse a goal may be scored against the Rangers, or it may not. Either way, someone will notice - we Ranger fans pay attention and take this stuff quite seriously. The Blueshirts are the most scrutinized NHL team not in Canada, both by the media and by the fans. You do not want to let up in this town. At the same time, even if things aren't going your way - go without scoring for games at a time, whatever - if you are visibly working hard you will given a pass for quite a while ... just look at Boyle. You may look around at the "fans" down by the ice and see the nice clothes, the iPhones and the models, but don't be fooled: this is a blue collar fanbase that expects and appreciates hard work.

4 - Meet the fans, greet the fans. They are your best asset on the ice, better than any newfangled composite stick or heated skateblade. You may have played in the Garden in the past, you may have not. But you have never felt anything like it when you have 17,200 New Yorkers getting your back, helping you up, pushing you forward. Even the suits get into the action. But they get bored and the rest of us get ... merciless. This goes back to No. 3, if you don't show maximum effort, you will face the ire of the fans and trust me, you won't enjoy it. (I still hate you Poti!)

5 - Maximum effort is an understatement when the Islanders, Devils, Pens or Flyers are in town. Those are the times that you have to go above and beyond. There is no faster way to the hearts of the fans than through the franchise's biggest rivals. In this day and age of free agency (which may have brought you here), rivalries are harder to cling to for players - you may have friends and former teammates on the other side of the ice - but they are grossly important to the fans. Go out to dinner with your buds, go on vacation with them, whatever - from the second that puck drops, you had better be out for blood. Players come and go but that jersey that you pull on has been around for a long time and that means something. That Blueshirt comes with the baggage of hatred for wrongs past. It may sound petty, but it is a part of sporting life. And, if you use that hatred right - through the aforementioned hard work - then it is a very, very good thing.

6 - You know that quiet guy who is hanging around practice? The mild-mannered fellow with his name and number nine in the rafters. Listen to him. If he says something, it's for a reason. If he acts a certain way, it's for a reason. And that reason is always the betterment of the franchise and, frankly, the betterment of yourself as a person. Pay attention to Adam Graves. You will not find a better role model in your search for what it means to be a Ranger. There is a reason why he is beloved in this city, and what he did on the ice is only part of the explanation.

7 - Give not to temptation. New York never closes and there is fun to be had no matter what your vice may be. But if you give in to it, then you are breaking No. 1 on this list. There is a time and place for everything, and while you wear that jersey the time is not right for nefarious activities. Take a second to look up the sad case of Don Murdoch.

8 - While you are at it, spend some time reading up on the past. This season marks the 20th anniversary of 1993-94 - most of you guys were quite young so you could be forgiven for not quite grasping the magnitude of that championship. New York City WENT CRAZY. Make it lose its mind again. But do know, that '94 was one of four Cups collected here. Look it up. The more you read about the 87 year history of the franchise, the more you will understand just how important No. 1 on this list is. A lot of people have put their blood, sweat and tears into building the Rangers and the least you can do is know who they were.

9 - Don't be afraid to speak your mind because honesty is indeed the best policy. Silly, right? Not at all. When speaking to the media or to the press, one of the worse things you can do is speak in benign cliches - there is no such thing as 110%. You can only take things one game, or one day, at a time. And you don't always get the bounces. We know that; tell us how, tell us why. You can't be afraid to show your personality, because that is who you are and we want to know you. We want to root for you. We want to see you succeed.

10 - Don't believe the hype. There are a lot of people playing pundit, a lot of people shooting their (our) mouths off. Expectations have increased now that Tortorella's shackles have been taken off and those expectations will be difficult to meet. But that will come if you work hard, listen to the coaches and play your game to the best of your ability it is possible to reach the high bar that has been set.

This list may seem daunting, but you will be pulling on a Blueshirt and these are the things that come with the jersey.

Let's Go Rangers.

-Scotty Hockey

An Open Letter To Those At Camp 2011-12

Hello, and welcome to the New York Rangers,

There are some things you need to know before you get the 2011-2012 NHL season started as a member of the Broadway Blueshirts. I will attempt to lay them out for you to make your transition to New York easier. If you keep these in mind, your stay will be an enjoyable and, hopefully, productive one. Best of luck.

1- First and foremost, being a Ranger requires respect. Respect for your teammates. Respect for the jersey. Respect for the fans. Respect the Rangers. Everything else on this list falls under this dictum. Respect. It sounds simple, but it's not. It's a complete way of being that will require hard work but the payoff is virtually limitless - watch the tape of Eddie Giacomin's return with the Red Wings.

2 - Always, ALWAYS have your teammate's back, on the ice and off. On it the Boogeyman is no longer around to fight your battles for you and team toughness is far more intimidating than having one designated policeman - just ask the Sedin twins as they were bent over the barrel by the Bruins. Now take a look at Erik Christensen. Mr. Softie the Backstabber over there. If you have a problem with the way another Ranger plays or acts, you take it up with him inside the room. You just look like a gigantic, untrustworthy ass when you do it to the media. And an ass that is bound for the waiver wire sooner rather than later.

3 - I mentioned toughness. Toughness is battling from whistle to whistle. No reprieve, no relenting. Hockey is your job and we expect you to work while you are at the office. That is what is expected of you. Anything less - let up for just one moment of one shift - and the results will be disastrous. During that lapse a goal may be scored against the Rangers, or it may not. Either way, someone will notice - we Ranger fans pay attention and take this stuff quite seriously. The Blueshirts are the most scrutinized NHL team not in Canada, both by the media and by the fans. You do not want to let up in this town. At the same time, even if things aren't going your way - go without scoring for games at a time, whatever - if you are visibly working hard you will given a pass for quite a while ... Brian Boyle got one after his goal scoring dried up last season. You may look around at the fans down by the ice and see the nice clothes, the Blackberries and the models, but don't be fooled: this is a blue collar fanbase that expects and appreciates hard work.

4 - Meet the fans, greet the fans. They are your best asset on the ice, better than any newfangled composite stick or heated skateblade. You may have played in the Garden in the past, you may have not. But you have never felt anything like it when you have 18,200 New Yorkers getting your back, helping you up, pushing you forward. At the same time, that 18,200 can be merciless. This goes back to No. 3, if you don't show maximum effort, you will face the ire of the fans and trust me, you won't enjoy it.

5 - Maximum effort is an understatement when the Islanders, Devils or Flyers are in town. Those are the times that you have to go above and beyond. There is no faster way to the hearts of the fans than through the franchise's biggest rivals. In this day and age of free agency (which may have brought you here), rivalries are harder to cling to for players - you may have friends and former teammates on the other side of the ice - but they are grossly important to the fans. Go out to dinner with your buds, go on vacation with them, whatever - from the second that puck drops, you had better be out for blood. Players come and go but that jersey that you pull on has been around for a long time and that means something. That Blueshirt comes with the baggage of hatred for wrongs past. It may sound petty, but it is a part of sporting life. And, if you use that hatred right - through the aforementioned hard work - then it is a very, very good thing.

6 - You know that quiet guy who is hanging around practice? The mild-mannered fellow with his name and number nine in the rafters. Listen to him. If he says something, it's for a reason. If he acts a certain way, it's for a reason. And that reason is always the betterment of the franchise and, frankly, the betterment of yourself as a person. Pay attention to Adam Graves. You will not find a better role model in your search for what it means to be a Ranger. There is a reason why he is beloved in this city, and what he did on the ice is only part of the explanation.

7 - Give not to temptation. New York never closes and there is fun to be had no matter what your vice may be. But if you give in to it, then you are breaking No. 1 on this list. There is a time and place for everything, and while you wear that jersey the time is not right for nefarious activities. Take a second to look up the sad case of Don Murdoch.

8 - While you are at it, spend some time reading up on the past. The more you read about the 85 year history of the franchise, the more you will understand just how important No. 1 on this list is. A lot of people have put their blood, sweat and tears into building the Rangers and the least you can do is know who they were.

9 - Don't be afraid to speak your mind because honesty is indeed the best policy. Silly, right? Not at all. When speaking to the media or to the press, one of the worse things you can do is speak in benign cliches - there is no such thing as 110%. You can only take things one game, or one day, at a time. And you don't always get the bounces. We know that; tell us how, tell us why. You can't be afraid to show your personality, because that is who you are and we want to know you. We want to root for you. We want to see you succeed.

10 - Don't believe the hype. There are a lot of people playing pundit, a lot of people shooting their (our) mouths off. Expectations have leapt up with the signing of a certain center and they will be difficult to meet. But that will come if you work hard, listen to the coaches and play your game to the best of your ability it is possible to reach the high bar that has been set.

This list may seem daunting, but you will be pulling on a Blueshirt and these are the things that come with the jersey.

Let's Go Rangers.

-Scotty Hockey

An Open Letter To Those At Camp 2010-11

Hello, and welcome to the New York Rangers,

There are some things you need to know before you get the 2010-2011 NHL season started as a member of the Broadway Blueshirts. I will attempt to lay them out for you to make your transition to New York easier. If you keep these in mind, your stay will be an enjoyable and, hopefully, productive one. Best of luck.

1- First and foremost, being a Ranger requires respect. Respect for your teammates. Respect for the jersey. Respect for the fans. Respect the Rangers. Everything else on this list falls under this dictum. Respect. It sounds simple, but it's not. It's a complete way of being that will require hard work but the payoff is virtually limitless - watch the tape of Eddie Giacomin's return with the Red Wings.

2 - Always, ALWAYS have your teammate's back. There is nothing worse than seeing a player get hit in a vulnerable position without retribution. That especially goes for your goaltender and your superstar. Lookin' at you Dan-o.

3 - I mentioned hard work. That is what is expected of you. Anything less - let up for just one moment of one shift - and the results will be disastrous. During that lapse a goal may be scored against the Rangers, or it may not. Either way, someone will notice - I'm especially good at it and I sure as hell will call you on it. The Rangers are the most scrutinized NHL team not in Canada, both by the media and by the fans. You do not want to let up in this town. At the same time, even if things aren't going your way - go without scoring for games at a time, whatever - if you are visibly working hard you will given a pass for quite a while ... Chris Higgins made it for months. You may look around at the fans down by the ice and see the nice clothes, the Blackberries and the models, but don't be fooled: this is a blue collar fanbase that expects and appreciates hard work.

4 - Meet the fans, greet the fans. They are your best asset on the ice, better than any newfangled composite stick or heated skateblade. You may have played in the Garden in the past, you may have not. But you have never felt anything like it when you have 18,200 New Yorkers getting your back, helping you up, pushing you forward. At the same time, that 18,200 can be merciless. This goes back to No. 2, if you don't show maximum effort, you will face the ire of the fans and trust me, you won't enjoy it.

5 - Maximum effort is an understatement when the Islanders, Devils or Flyers are in town. Those are the times that you have to go above and beyond. There is no faster way to the hearts of the fans than through the franchise's biggest rivals. In this day and age of free agency (which may have brought you here), rivalries are harder to cling to for players - you may have friends and former teammates on the other side of the ice - but they are grossly important to the fans. Go out to dinner with your buds, go on vacation with them, whatever - from the second that puck drops, you had better be out for blood. Players come and go but that jersey that you pull on has been around for a long time and that means something. That Blueshirt comes with the baggage of hatred for wrongs past. It may sound petty, but it is a part of life. And, if you use it right - through the aforementioned hard work - then it is a very, very good thing.

6 - You know that quiet guy who is hanging around practice? The mild-mannered fellow with his name and number nine in the rafters. Listen to him. If he says something, it's for a reason. If he acts a certain way, it's for a reason. And that reason is always the betterment of the franchise and, frankly, the betterment of yourself. Pay attention to Adam Graves. You will not find a better role model in your search for what it means to be a Ranger. There is a reason why he is beloved in this city, and what he did on the ice is only part of the explanation. And that big, bald crying guy up in the office? Messier? Yeah, him too.

7 - Give not to temptation. New York never closes and there is fun to be had no matter what your vice may be. But if you give in to it, then you are breaking No. 1 on this list. There is a time and place for everything, and while you wear that jersey the time is not right for nefarious activities.

8 - Spend some time reading up on the past. The more you read about the 84 year history of the franchise, the more you will understand just how important No. 1 on this list is. A lot of people have put their blood, sweat and tears into building the Rangers and the least you can do is know who they were.

9 - Don't be afraid to speak your mind because honesty is indeed the best policy. Silly, right? Not at all. When speaking to the media or to the press, one of the worse things you can do is speak in benign cliches ... no matter what captain Drury does. There is no such thing as 110%. You can only take things one game, or one day, at a time. And you don't always get the bounces. We know that; tell us how, tell us why. You can't be afraid to show your personality, because that is who you are and we want to know you. We want to root for you. We want to see you succeed.

10 - Don't believe the hype. There are a lot of people playing pundit, a lot of people shooting their (our) mouths off. Expectations aren't as high as they have been in the past due to last year's failure but this is still New York and success is always demanded. But that will come if you work hard, listen to the coaches and play your game to the best of your ability.

This list may seem daunting, but you will be pulling on a Blueshirt and these are the things that come with the jersey.

Let's Go Rangers.

-Scotty Hockey

An Open Letter To Those At Camp 2009-10

Hello, and welcome to the New York Rangers,

There are some things you need to know before you get the 2009-2010 NHL season started as a member of the Broadway Blueshirts. I will attempt to lay them out for you to make your transition to New York easier. If you keep these in mind, your stay will be an enjoyable and, hopefully, productive one. Best of luck.

1- First and foremost, being a Ranger requires respect. Respect for your teammates. Respect for the jersey. Respect for the fans. Respect the Rangers. Everything else on this list falls under this dictum. Respect. It sounds simple, but it's not. It's a complete way of being that will require hard work but the payoff is virtually limitless.

2 - Always, ALWAYS have your teammate's back. There is nothing worse than seeing a player get hit in a vulnerable position without retribution. That especially goes for your goaltender.

3 - I mentioned hard work. That is what is expected of you. Anything less - let up for just one moment of one shift - and the results would be disastrous. During that lapse a goal may be scored against the Rangers, or it may not. Either way, someone will notice. The Rangers are the most scrutinized NHL team not in Canada, both by the media and by the fans. You do not want to let up in this town. At the same time, even if things aren't going your way - go without scoring for games at a time, whatever - if you are visibly working hard you will given a pass. You may look around at the fans by the ice and see the nice clothes, the Blackberries and the models, but don't be fooled: this is a blue collar fanbase that expects and appreciates hard work.

4 - Meet the fans, greet the fans. They are your best asset on the ice, better than any newfangled composite stick or heated skateblade. You may have played in the Garden in the past, you may have not. But you have never felt anything like it when you have 18,200 people getting your back, helping you up, pushing you forward. At the same time, that 18,200 can be merciless. This goes back to No. 2, if you don't show maximum effort, you will face the ire of the fans and trust me, you won't enjoy it.

5 - Do anything but sit back and watch when the Islanders, Devils or Flyers are in town. Those are the times to be proactive. Very proactive. There is no faster way to the hearts of the fans than through the franchise's biggest rivals. In this day and age of free agency (which may have brought you here), rivalries are harder to cling to for players - you may have friends on the other team - but they are grossly important to the fans. Go out to dinner with them, go on vacation with them, whatever - from the second that puck drops, you had better be out for blood. Players come and go but that jersey that you pull on has been around for a long time and that means something. That Blueshirt comes with the baggage of hatred for wrongs past. It may sound petty, but it is a part of life. And, if you use it right - through the aforementioned hard work - then it is a very, very good thing.

6 - You know that quiet guy who is hanging around practice? The mild-mannered fellow with his name and number nine in the rafters. Listen to him. If he says something, it's for a reason. If he acts a certain way, it's for a reason. And that reason is always the betterment of the franchise and, honestly, the betterment of yourself. Pay attention to Adam Graves. You will not find a better role model in your search for what it means to be a Ranger. There is a reason why he is beloved in this city, and what he did on the ice is only part of the explanation. And that new guy in the office? Messier? Yeah, him too.

7 - Give not to temptation. New York never closes and there is fun to be had no matter what your vice may be. But if you give in to it, then you are breaking No. 1 on this list. There is a time and place for everything, and while you wear that jersey the time is not right for nefarious activities.

8 - Spend some time reading up on the past. The more you read about the 83 year history of the franchise, the more you will understand just how important No. 1 on this list is. A lot of people have put their blood, sweat and tears into building the Rangers and the least you can do is know who they were.

9 - Don't be afraid to speak your mind because honesty is indeed the best policy. Silly, right? Not at all. When speaking to the media or to the press, one of the worse things you can do is speak in benign cliches. There is no such thing as 110%. You can only take things one game, or one day, at a time. And you don't always get the bounces. We know that; tell us how, tell us why. You can't be afraid to show your personality, because that is who you are and we want to know you. We want to root for you. We want to see you succeed.

10 - Don't believe the hype. There are a lot of people playing pundit, a lot of people shooting their (our) mouths off. Expectations aren't as high as they have been in the past due to the roster shake up but this is still New York and success is always demanded. But that will come if you work hard, listen to the coaches and play your game to the best of your ability.

This list may seem daunting, but you will be pulling on a Blueshirt and these are the things that come with the jersey.

Let's Go Rangers.

-Scotty Hockey

Traverse City Primer

As has been posted around the web today, the official preliminary Ranger roster for the prospect tournament has been posted. Here is the direct link.

Currently there is no word as to whether the NHL Network will pick up some of the games like they did last year. Hopefully they do so we can get a sneak peak of the flash and speed of Ray Bourque's boy Ryan, Gino (mind if I call you Gino?) Grachev and MDZ. I certainly would love to see how guys like Dale Weise, Ethan Werek and Justin Soryal fare as all three are hard working, tough kids who have a lot to prove.

The official tournament page says:

The prospects tournament breakdown has the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues in the "Western Conference" and the Red Wings, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes in the "Eastern Conference."

Interesting that Detroit put themselves back in the East seeing as they have been trying to get there ever since 1993 when the NHL (wrongly) got rid of the Wales/Campbell Conferences, reorganized and dumbed things down to the current geographical incarnation.

The Rangers are scheduled to play three 'pool' games before a final placement match:

Sunday, Sept. 6
3 p.m. N.Y. Rangers vs. Carolina
Carolina will feature former first rounders Zach Boychuk and Brandon Sutter as well as Ryan McDonagh's former Wisconsin teammate Jamie McBain. McDonagh won't be playing for the Rangers as he is headed back to school; McBain turned pro.

Monday, Sept. 7
3 p.m. N.Y. Rangers vs. Atlanta
Atlanta will have their top pick from this year, Evander Kane, trying to prove he deserves an immediate spot back in the NHL. Jeremy Morin, their second rounder, played alongside the Rangers' Ryan Bourque with the U.S. under-18s. They also have Paul Postma, who posted 84 points in 70 games last season for the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. Would be unremarkable if it wasn't for the fact that Postma is a defenseman...

Wednesday, Sept. 9
7 p.m. Detroit vs. N.Y. Rangers
Detroit will be tough with 2008 top pick Thomas McCollum in net. Other names that stand out to me are Landon Ferraro (Chicken Parm's son) and Tomas Tatar, who turned a lot of heads at the World Juniors.

I am sure that more storylines and more info will come out when the tournament gets closer but I had to get this out - it feels good to be writing about actual games again. As always, keep an eye on Prospect Park for info as Jess will cover this closely I'm sure. Just a few more weeks to go!

One ... More ... Day ...

Just one day until the Rangers open their season at home against the Florida Panthers. I, for one, can't freakin' wait!!!!!!!!

Sorry about no updates yesterday, I was quite busy at work.

So now that I am done with the excuses, some notes:

*Steve Downie was banned by the AHL for a month, who are being all tough upholding the NHL's suspension (but shorter). Funnily enough, he can come back to play in the AHL three days before Mark Bell, who was cleared by doctors to play. So a drunk driving substance abuser can come back to the NHL months faster than a kid who made a helluva hit that incidentally/accidentally injured someone ...

*A slew of new captains have been named this season. The Philadelphia Flyers listened to me and named Jason Smith captain. Ethan Moreau took will be Edmonton's new captain, which is great because he is a heart guy who battles every shift and will do anything for the team. The Thrashers, who so nicely rolled over for the Rangers in the playoffs last season, gave the C to Bobby Holik, which may not be a bad move, but only if he returns to form as a top shutdown center. That idiot goon Chris Pronger will lead the Ducks since Scotty Niedermayer hasn't decided about retiring, still. The Blackhawks, Blues, Bolts and Devils still have yet to name one.

*The Boston Bruins signed Glen Metropolit, who had 14 goals and 19 assists in 77 games with two teams last season. He probably won't do much for the B's but I care because he is the lone Long Island Jawz player to make the NHL.

*Tonight there are four season openers. Two games will be on Versus, if you actually have it (the first two I mention):

Anaheim vs Detroit - Todd Bertuzzi returns to Detroit! Who cares, he only guested there last season. Matt Schneider is hurt. The Ducks already played two games so they should be in better form earlier, if a bit jetlagged.

Dallas vs Colorado - Best defensive corps in the league vs. a reloaded Colorado offense. Joe Sakic looked awesome last year and now he has Ryan Smyth and some great young talent around him. Should be the best game of the night ...

Montreal vs Carolina - I think Montreal will surprise some teams this year. We know about their top notch goaltending (Huet and Price) but their offense isn't that horrid, even without Sheldon Souray. It will come down to Roman Hamrlik to replace him somehow. Carolina is overrated but they do believe in a system and we all know from the Devils, that is a scary thing.

Ottawa vs Toronto - Ah, the first loss of the season for the Leafs. Martin Gerber is expected to start for the Sens, who barely changed from last season's Stanley Cup Final visit. Even with a new coach, they should smack around the limp Leafs.