Rangers Say “NO!” to Peca August 22, 2007

Sather Ignores Ultimatum by Peca’s Agent


Free agent Michael Peca has signed a contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets for one year pending a medical examination. Statements by Peca and Don Meehan over the last two weeks indicated that Peca was close to signing with the New York Rangers. However, when Rangers’ president and general manager Glen Sather did not respond to an ultimatum issued by Meehan on Tuesday, Peca signed with Columbus.

Michael Peca’s interest in playing for the Rangers became a circus because Meehan and Peca negotiated in the media. John Dellapina and The Daily News acted as a pipeline for Peca and Meehan to the Garden Faithful. They tried to make a deal happen that apparently had no value to the Rangers’ management.

It is likely that there was a major deal-breaker somewhere in this whole process. Meehan’s ultimatum certainly didn’t make things pleasant, and ultimatums usually are the act of a bully or the result of desperation. While it is “admirable” that Peca wanted inside the Rangers’ Pearly Gates, trying to blast open the door likely was not the best approach.

Just Say “NO!” to Peca & Meehan August 21, 2007

Meehan Issues an Ultimatum to the Rangers


According to TSN, which quotes John Dellapina of the The Daily News, Michael Peca’s agent has issued an ultimatum to Glen Sather, New York Rangers President and General Manager. “We’re probably going to force the issue by (today),” Don Meehan told the New York Post. “If I can’t reach him (today), we’ll just go our separate way.”

Michael Peca, 32, an NHL journeyman who has played with five different teams and is coming of an injury-shortened season, is at the center of an amazing media blitz by Meehan to stir up interest. Peca has also made himself highly visible in the press as he fights to find a team willing to take a chance on him next season. He remains one of several high-profile free agents who have been unable to find a taker.

So far, nobody is jumping through hoops to sign Peca. At 32 and following a broken leg last season, there is too much speculation that Peca is a high-risk signing at the salary he might command. There is little doubt that Meehan, agent to many NHL players, is probably trying to inflate Peca’s value by creating an artificial bidding war.

How Long Until Hockey Season? August 13, 2007

Summer Boredom Leads to Some Wild Speculation

Most avid New York Ranger fans are genuinely excited about the coming year. The Acquisition of Chris Drury and Scott Gomez, along with the signings of Henrik Lundqvist, Brendan Shanahan, Sean Avery and Marcel Hossa, bode well for the team. Most experts are picking the Rangers to finish second in the Atlantic Divivion behind the young and talented Pittsburgh Penguins.

However, there is still a level of unrest among devoted Ranger fans. Although experts like Rangers radio analyst Dave Maloney have stated that the Rangers roster is set, some fans seem to expect more trades and signings.

One of the saddest yet most understandable moves by the Rangers was the release of Jed Ortmeyer. Ortmeyer was highly respected by the teammates and loved by many of the fans. In his three seasons with the Rangers, he shared the team’s Players’ Player Award (2005-2006) and twice won the Steven MacDonald Extra Effort Award (2003-2004 and 2006-2007). While most Ranger fans hated to see him go, they also understand that the team needed to clear cap space and it was time for another player.

The New York Rangers Are Ready! August 5, 2007

Rangers Sign Avery and Hossa … Time to Rock and Roll!

While I was vacationing in Northern Ontario, Glen Sather, President of the New York Rangers, signed restricted free agents Sean Avery and Marcel Hossa for 2007-2008 following arbitration hearings. The Rangers roster is essentially complete for the upcoming season and represents a substantial improvement over the 2006-2007 team.

There seems to have been some media hype about the rigors of the arbitration process for Avery. The Rangers offered $1.3 million and Avery asked for $2.6 million. The arbiter essentially split the difference and awarded Avery $1.9 million, an $800,000 raise from the previous season. Apparently, it seems that some shrines of sports journalism integrity like The New York Post have tried to stir the pot and present Avery as angry and dismayed at comments made by Rangers management.

Let’s set the record straight for Avery, the fans and the mediocre hockey writers.

A Coup by the New York Rangers July 2, 2007

The Rangers announced yesterday the signing of free agents Chris Drury (formerly of the Buffalo Sabres) and Scott Gomez (formerly of the New Jersey Devils) to long-term contracts. The signings fill a major gap in the Rangers line-up at center and brings two top NHL talents to the team, providing additional power for years to come. Forming a nucleus with youngsters like Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Callahan, Fedor Tyutin, Blair Betts, Petr Prucha and Dan Girardi (along with many talented minor league players), the Ranger’s future seems bright.

There have been very few days that are truly magical as a fan of the New York Rangers since 1994. The last two seasons have been special for many of us who are season ticket holders despite the drought since we won our last Stanley Cup. While we demand perfection from Ranger management, sometimes unrealistically, we have been pleasantly surprised by some great moves in recent months.

Last season, we signed or obtained players like Brendan Shanahan, Matt Cullen, Paul Mara and Sean Avery. The level of devotion to this team is at the highest I’ve seen it in my 39 years as a fan, even superseding that great season of 1993-1994. Much in the same way that Mike Richter, Adam Graves, Mark Messier and Brian Leetch inspired many great seasons of hockey, Ranger fans will be able to feast their hockey appetite on a menu that includes Jaromir Jagr, Marty Straka, Lundqvist, Shanahan (likely), Prucha (likely), Avery (it had better be definite!), Gomez and Drury.