Rangers Notes

It's still technically summer, so don't chill - grill and relax it's only preseason.

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But the Rodent liked what he saw in Ottawa, minus a certain 6'5" goalie.

We're still weeks away from Opening Night. Yet the skating, passing and hitting is November form... unless your name is Stephen Valiquette, who allowed two shots to blow past him unmolested by anything but his shadow...

It was a crisply played "penalty party" for preseason. Steve Zipay also saw some promising signs. Dubinsky certainly looked good and Dawes is showing some good form. Even the Dark One felt some good vibes.

Greg Caggiano at the Bleacher Report believes Aaron Voros could very well find himself on the Rangers' top line. Really?

Additionally, Chris Drury was the one wearing the New York Rangers "C."

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Some beautiful photos from the Wade Redden, Danica Topolnisky wedding on August 2, 2008 - via Puck Daddy. Wade Redden has a lot to prove this season.

Wade and Danica Redden
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Puck Daddy is previewing the Rangers and also having some fun with Henrik, who is of course the consummate European gentleman.

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The Texans are trying to warm up to Sean Avery.

Sean Avery might not be popular, but he could help the Dallas Stars:

The decision to sign Sean Avery this off-season was risky, mainly because nobody likes him.

OK, that is an exaggeration. Only 96.5 percent of the NHL can’t stand him. The other 3.5 are those N.Y. Rangers teammates who liked him, fellow shift disturbers and guys who have yet to play against him...

An early training camp report from Tracey Meyers says that Avery is working on "a fine line" with Mike Modano and Brad Richards (center).

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A thank you and fare ye well to John Dellapina, the NY Daily News Rangers beat writer. He's moving over to the NHL's communications department to become the NHL's Director of Media Relations.

Does this mean that Dell gets to work in the plush new NHL headquarters? Holy cow!

A beat writer's fond farewell:

The Rangers will win the Cup this season.

I know this because I won’t be there. At least, not to chronicle it.

I’m leaving the Daily News after 15 ½ years. The last 14 of them have been spent as the Rangers beat writer. And since I took over the beat in July 1994 - a few weeks after the Rangers last won the Cup - I figure my daily presence is as good a reason as any why a fifth championship banner hasn’t been hung from the Garden’s spoked ceiling since...

Dellapina has had some missteps, as have we all. He's also climbed up on the Springsteen soapbox. Sam Weinman, Steve Zipay, and all of Rangerland wishes him well.

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update:

Also noticed that long time NHL blogger Jes Gőlbez is also calling it quits. He writes:

Hockey blogs have come a long way since I started. Back when I first posted here [May of 2004], there were maybe 10-12 hockey blogs TOTAL...

I know I'm one of the true veterans out there, and am rather proud of some of the baby bloglings that grown up to be strong young sites...

Take care Jes. The Ranger Pundit launched a month before you did. Just remember that old bloggers never die, they just get archived.

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