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NHL on Islanders’ Nassau Coliseum hopes: Keep dreaming

Just in case there needed to be another reminder, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reiterated that there is almost no chance the Islanders will ever return to the renovated Nassau Coliseum. “I don’t view Nassau Coliseum as a viable option,” Bettman said Friday at Citi Field during a press conference for the Winter Classic, this next […]

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Rick Nash sees these young stars as Rangers’ new leaders

This is a big transition year for the Rangers, and few know that more acutely than Rick Nash. The Blueshirts’ alternate captain is going into the final year of a contract that has carried an annual $7.8 million salary-cap hit not always commensurate with his production. Yet with veteran leaders Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi […]

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Mika Zibanejad’s mental game as important as his play for Rangers

As Mika Zibanejad tries to take the reins as the Rangers’ No. 1 center, he has worked on his mindset, on how to be more engaging and open in his competitiveness on a nightly basis. It’s what the Blueshirts need to fill their void down the middle, and it’s exactly what Zibanejad wants to bring […]

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Devils make huge commitment to young defenseman

The Devils signed 23-year-old defenseman Damon Severson to a six-year, $25 million contract Monday, carrying a hefty annual salary-cap hit of $4.167 million. The righty blueliner, who was a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, spent his first complete season in the NHL last season, registering three goals and 28 assists for the Devils. General […]

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Rangers’ young defenseman aims to meet team’s high bar

Click:China Tour Agency The biggest change the Rangers made this offseason was to their backend, and the biggest reason they were able to make such drastic adjustments is because they believe Brady Skjei can carry quite the heavy load. The 23-year-old defenseman played 80 games for the Blueshirts last season, and has 87 total NHL […]

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The moment Jean Ratelle gave his loyalty back to Rangers

Ironically enough, the thing that kept Jean Ratelle from earning his rightful place with his No. 19 sweater up in the rafters of the Garden for such a long time was loyalty. But it was a loyalty to the Bruins, the organization that employed Ratelle for 26 years, starting with that infamous trade from the […]

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Rangers coach drops bombshell Stanley Cup comparison

At the beginning and end of every season, there is that word again — window. Unprompted, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault brought up the window of opportunity to win a championship during his opening press conference Thursday on the eve of on-ice training camp. Now in his fifth year behind the Blueshirts bench — the first […]

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Alex Ovechkin tears into NHL for decision to skip Olympics

WASHINGTON — Capitals star Alex Ovechkin released a statement Thursday night through the NHL team expressing frustration about the league’s decision to skip the Olympics. “I wanted to make this statement so that my words are clear and nobody misunderstands what I am saying,” the Russian forward wrote. “The Olympics are in my blood and […]

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J.T. Miller’s position switch creates a different problem

The transformation from old to new accelerated this summer following the Old Guard’s Last Ride second-round elimination by the Senators. The Rangers sent away 1,791 games of institutional memory in buying out Dan Girardi and trading Derek Stepan while Kevin Klein retired from the NHL. Change was necessary. The core of the deep runs from […]

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Rangers aren’t afraid to keep making changes — but not yet

This was another summer of change for the Rangers, even more so than in the recent past. Yet general manager Jeff Gorton made it clear he is not done revamping, even if he’s preparing to go into training camp to see what happens before making any rash decisions. “I’m never comfortable with anything,” Gorton said […]

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