North Carolina woman admits leading 30 parishioners in beating of gay church member to expel his ‘demons’ via /r/atheism

Submitted June 03, 2017 at 05:39PM by Glensather (Via reddit http://ift.tt/2spVnmn) North Carolina woman admits leading 30 parishioners in beating of gay church member to expel his ‘demons’ http://ift.tt/2spITuL

#GlenSather might still be the #NyRANGERS President but not the #GeneralManager 🎉🎈🍻🇺🇸 #AMomentLikeThis 🎤 (at Kyle & Amy's)

Littlefork City Council | minnesota.allembru.com

CANTLON: ROCHESTER COMES TO HARTFORD AND LEAVES WITH TWO POINTS

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The Rochester Americans' Tage Thompson return back home ended perfectly for him and his teammates, but not so good for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Thompson’s goal, the only one scored in the shootout session, gave the visiting Americans a 3-2 win after overcoming a 2-0 deficit at the start of the third period. The loss ended the Wolf Pack’s modest opening season success of a three-game winning streak. “There are going to be some growing pains. Everything will not be easy. The lesson tonight was that we have to keep pressing even though we have the lead. We have to play smart, and keep putting the pressure on," said Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch. Thompson scored the winning goal against his former UCONN teammate, Pack netminder, Adam Huska. “It was pretty special to play my old teammate,“ a smiling Huska said. “The shootout is 50/50. Hopefully, I’ll make the save next time.” For Thompson, it meant a lot more than just a win. His father Brent, the current Bridgeport Sound Tiger head coach and ex-Wolf Pack player, and his mother, Kim, were both in attendance. He was receiving post-game medical attention and was unavailable for comment. For the Wolf Pack, it was another third period where they let an opponent hang around and were unable to put the game away. Early in the third period, Huska was under pressure as Rochester pushed and finally broke through. Thompson was on the left-wing side, put a deftly-delivered soft-pass to rookie Remi Elie, who put on a burst of speed and slipped behind Pack defenseman, Mason Geertsen, and deposited his first pro goal at 4:42. The Americans cut the lead to one as they took advantage of their high-end, offensive firepower with some serious quality chances on Huska. Long-time Pack-killer, Jean-Sebastien Dea, was stopped on a right-wing bid and then at the end of his shift at 9:59. Dalton Smith was stopped with 5:51 remaining. Andrew Ogilvie was denied with 5:51 left in regulation. Danny O’Regan had a solid quality chance, but fired wide on his opportunity to make it a two-goal cushion. With 1:48 remaining, Rochester used their timeout. They elected to pull Andrew Hammond from the net, and with the extra attacker, they kept the puck in the Wolf Pack end of the ice. Dea and Thompson both had shots rejected by Huska before Thompson, on the left-wing, put a superb pass across to Roman Elie. Huska responded by turning it away. The Wolf Pack were unable to clear the puck, which found it's way over to the last guy the Pack wanted to have it, Zack Redmond. He entered the contest as last season's league leader in game-winning goals. He was on the left-wing and the righthanded shot went down to one knee and fired it past Huska with 12.6 seconds remaining. “We defended it well, but we just could never get the clear we needed there,” said Knoblauch. Early in Overtime, Rochester tried to end the three-on-three quickly. Porter and Thompson sought to end it, but Huska was equal to the task. In a critical defensive zone draw that was won by Boo Nieves, he saw his stick blade snap off and that left him in a very vulnerable position trying to defend a ton of space. “That was so tough because you're out there on an island with all that open ice. Boo couldn’t put a stick down in the lane for a block, or handle the puck to receive or clear out an outlet pass,” said Knoblauch. Chytil, who has gotten better each game, summed it up best. “We played a good game, unfortunately, we just couldn’t score in overtime.” In the second period, the Wolf Pack scored twice. Huska was strong in goal and the team seemed in control. It felt like a fourth straight win to start the season seemed assured. The Wolf Pack gained the 1-0 lead because of a missed shot. Danny O’Regan was in the slot and went to take his shot, but fanned on it. The puck was bouncing around and he swiped at it, sending it off the backhand over to Chytil, who was wide open with the whole net to shot at and scored his second goal in as many games at 9:47. “I was in the right place. He made the play (happen)and I'm not going to miss the (open) net." He said. The Pack extended their lead to 2-0 as Matt Beleskey banked a pass off the left-wing boards that caught Nieves speeding away behind the Americans defense for a clean breakaway. Eric Cornel tried to catch him in vain. Nieves moved in on Andrew Hammond, yes that Andrew Hammond, who was leading Ottawa in the playoffs two years ago as, "The Hamburglar" as he was dubbed. Nieves zoomed in and fired a shot saved by Hammond, but Nieves had his stick on the ice and got off a shot off the rebound. It went off the inside of Hammond’s right pad and into the net for his first goal for the season at 16:44. “I thought the Nieves goal was a good team play,“ Knoblauch said, speaking of one of his assistant captains. “Both Beleskey and Kravtsov made impressive passes on the breakout to make it happen.” Huska continues to impress and stopped several top-shelf Rochester scoring attempts. He stopped Kevin Porter’s left-wing shot, then kicked the puck to the right-wing corner where C.J. Smith attempted as well. Rasmus Asplund’s strong scoring chance from 15-feet out aimed for the short-side. The first period was a better skating version of last night’s game, but again quality chances were spaced out. Early on Casey Fitzgerald had solid chances for the Americans and Raddysh stepped into one that was denied by Andrew Hammond. Huska made a nice blocker save and did his best for the Wolf Pack to get the game’s first goal. LINES O’Regan-Di Giuseppe-Chytil Fogarty-Lettieri-Ryan Gropp Nieves-Beleskey-Kravtsov Jones-Newell-Gettinger LoVerde-Lindgren Day-Raddysh Ebert-Geersten SCRATCHES: Jeff Taylor Joey Keane Gabriel Fontaine Ville Meskanen. NOTES: Darren Raddysh has always worn number 24 and had received it, but Ebert is now wearing his former number 22 The Wolf Pack off to an undefeated start is stopped at three here is the top seven in team history. The 2003-04 squad went 8-0-3-1 and the following season the Wolf Pack won their nine games all in regulation (9-0-0). The 1998-99 team went 5-0-0 and 2013-14 squad went 5-0-1, and the 1999-00 team was 2-0-3-1. Thompson and Huska are the first two UCONN players to play against each other in this building as professionals. Rochester’s Dalton Smith is the nephew to former Whaler, Keith Primeau. Wolf Pack Fan jersey of the game: 18 Tyler Brown (Reading-ECHL player-assistant coach), 21 Bobby Sanguinetti (EHC Munich Germany-DEL), 30 Cederick Desjardins (Jonquiere-LNAH/Levis- QMAAA goalie coach), 32 Hubert Labrie (Belleville-AHL) and 41 Taylor Beck (Avangard Omsk-KHL). -Our condolences on the passing in Edmonton of former New England Whalers great Ted Green 79, who jumped from the Big, Bad brawling Bruins to tryout the upstart, renegade WHA. Green was the team’s first captain the first three years with the Whalers (two in Boston and one in Hartford) winning the first of his three Avco Cup titles before being traded to Winnipeg in his home province. As a young man he won a Memorial Cup with the Winnipeg Braves team. Green won the Stanley Cup in 1971-’72 when he was a member of those physically intimidating and also high scoring Bruins teams in their early form.  Green is known as “Terrible Ted” then was involved in one of hockey’s most violent episodes with him at the epicenter that changed his career playing style and cost him a whole year of hockey from 1969-’70. In an exhibition game in Ottawa against the St. Louis Blues on September 21, 1969, he got into a bloody stick fight with Wayne Maki where he suffered a fractured skull and suffered brain damage, remember very few players wore helmets in those days, which is hard to imagine today. Each player was charged with assault, the first NHL players ever to be charged for their on-ice behavior, both were acquitted. Maki was suspended for 30 games and Green was suspended for 13 games, but missed the whole season and missed out on the first Bruins Stanley Cup win. The players voted him a share of the playoff money and his name was engraved on the Stanley Cup. He did hoist the Cup for real when the Bruins won in 1972. Maki tragically died of brain cancer five years later. Green was teammates with Glen Sather in Boston who made him an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers winning five more Stanley Cup titles for seven in total. Sather hired him with the New York Rangers as an assistant. Green was a 2nd team NHL All-Star in 1969 and at one time held the record for assists for a defenseman at the now comically low 36. After the incident, he had just two major fighting penalties the last with Rangers great Rod Gilbert. Read the full article

RANGERS: DAN GIRARDI ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

BY: The New York Rangers NEW YORK, September 20, 2019 – National Hockey League defenseman Dan Girardi announced his retirement today after 13 seasons in the league. “I would like to thank all my coaches, family, friends and teammates for supporting me throughout my entire hockey career,” Girardi said. “I want to thank the New York Rangers for giving me a chance to fulfill my childhood dream of playing in the NHL. Throughout those 11 incredible years, I have made so many friends on and off the ice. I bled Ranger blue and gave it my all for my team, the city, and the Garden faithful. I also want to thank the Tampa Bay Lightning for helping me continue my career by giving me a chance to play for such an amazing organization, city and fan base. The last two years in Tampa Bay have been so much fun for me and my family. I will always fondly remember my time here. Finally, I want to thank my wife Pamela for always being there for me and holding down the fort and to Landon and Shaye for always being daddy’s number one fans. “I gave my all every single night and left it all out on the ice. Now it’s time for the next chapter of my life to begin and I couldn't be happier...and so is my body.” “On behalf of the entire Rangers organization, I want to congratulate Dan on an outstanding NHL career,” Rangers Senior Advisor to the Owner and Alternate Governor Glen Sather said. “Dan was the ultimate warrior. From the moment he joined the Rangers, he gave his heart and soul to his teammates, the organization, and the fans. Dan’s relentless effort and dedication to the Rangers was an inspiration to everyone. The accomplishments we achieved during Dan’s tenure with the Rangers – which included two Division Championships, a Presidents’ Trophy, and a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2014 – would not have been possible without his immeasurable contributions. We wish Dan, his wife Pam, and their two children, Landon and Shaye, the best of luck as they begin their next chapter. They will always be a part of the Rangers family.” Girardi skated in 927 career NHL games with the Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning, registering 56 goals and 208 assists for 264 points, along with a plus-78 rating and 314 penalty minutes. Since the NHL began to track blocked shots consistently in 2005-06, Girardi has been credited with more blocked shots than any other NHL player (1,954). He helped his team advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in his 12 of his 13 seasons in the league, and he skated in 143 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. During his career, Girardi helped his team advance to the Eastern Conference Final in four different years, as well as the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. Over the last 13 seasons, only six NHL players skated in more playoff games than Girardi. In addition, Girardi’s ranks 30th all-time among NHL defensemen in playoff games played. Girardi skated in 788 games with the Rangers over 11 seasons (2006-07 – 2016-17), registering 46 goals and 184 assists for 230 points, along with a plus-54 rating and 275 penalty minutes. He ranks 10th on the Rangers’ all-time games played list among skaters. In addition, Girardi, who was signed by the Rangers as an undrafted free agent on July 1, 2006, appeared in more games with the Blueshirts than any other undrafted player in franchise history (among players who were eligible to be selected since the NHL Draft was implemented in 1963). The Welland, Ontario native helped the Rangers advance to the playoffs 10 times during his 11 seasons with the franchise (2006-07 – 2008-09; 2010-11 – 2016-17), and in those 10 playoff appearances, the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference Final three times and the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. In addition, Girardi helped the Rangers finish in first place in their division twice during the regular season (Atlantic Division – 2011-12; Metropolitan Division – 2014-15) and finish with the best record in the NHL during the regular season in 2014-15, as the Blueshirts established single-season franchise records with 53 wins and 113 points. Girardi represented the Rangers at the 2012 NHL All-Star Game and finished sixth in voting for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman in 2011-12. He led the league in blocked shots in 2010-11 and 2012-13, and he established career-highs in blocked shots (236), assists (27), and points (31) during the 2010-11 season. In addition, Girardi served as one of the Rangers’ alternate captains for six seasons (2011-12 – 2016-17). Girardi skated in 788 of 820 regular-season games the Rangers played from the time he made his NHL debut on Jan. 27, 2007 through the end of the 2016-17 regular season (96.1%), including 651 of 656 regular-season games the team played from Jan. 27, 2007 through the end of the 2014-15 regular season (99.2%). Girardi skated in at least 80 games in seven seasons in his career, and he played all 82 games of a season five times. Since the NHL implemented an 82-game schedule in 1995-96, Girardi and Brian Leetch are the only Rangers who have played all 82 games of a regular season in five different seasons. Girardi skated in 122 career playoff games with the Rangers, registering six goals and 27 assists for 33 points, along with 36 penalty minutes. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in playoff games played (among skaters) and only trails Henrik Lundqvist (128) in career playoff appearances by a Ranger. Girardi also holds the franchise record (among skaters) in consecutive playoff games, as he skated in 109 consecutive playoff games with the Rangers from his Stanley Cup Playoff debut in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against Atlanta in 2007 to Game 1 of the First Round against Pittsburgh in 2016. Girardi’s 27 career playoff assists and 33 career playoff points rank fifth among Rangers defensemen in franchise history. Girardi registered three game-winning goals during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including one in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. Ottawa on April 26, 2012, and his three game-winning goals were tied for the fourth-most any Ranger has recorded in one playoff year in franchise history. Girardi led the NHL in blocked shots (67) and led NHL defensemen in hits (80) during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs while helping the Rangers advance to the Stanley Cup Final. During his tenure with the Rangers, Girardi received several team and league awards and nominations. He was the Rangers’ nominee twice for the Bill Masterton Trophy (2011-12 and 2016-17), which is awarded annually to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” Girardi received the John Halligan Good Guy Award in 2012-13 for his cooperation with the media, and he was named the Rangers Fan Club Rookie of the Year in 2006-07. Read the full article

CANTLON'S CORNER: SCHOENFELD STEPS DOWN

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT -  With New York Rangers' President, Glen Sather announcing his departure near the end of the season, it comes as no big surprise the team declared that Senior Vice President and Assistant GM, Jim Schoenfeld, 66, has officially stepped down from his positions.  This move was seen as a fait accompli. Schoenfeld served 14 seasons as the General Manager of the Hartford Wolf Pack / CT Whale from 2003-04 until the 2016-17 season, He served as the Pack’s Head Coach for two seasons (2005-06 and 2006-07) where he mentored his replacements, Ken Gernander, and JJ Daigneault, who were just starting out their pro coaching careers. During his tenure as General Manager in Connecticut's capital city, players such as Ryan McDonagh, Mats Zuccarello, J.T. Miller, and Artem Anisimov all made their professional debuts in the AHL before they were called up by the Rangers. Ironically all four players are no longer with the franchise. Additionally, in Schoenfeld’s two seasons as Hartford’s Head Coach, he oversaw the progression of players such as Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi, and Brandon Dubinsky before they joined the Rangers on a regular basis. In July of 2016, Schoenfeld received the Thomas Ebright Award in recognition of career contributions to the American Hockey League. In his playing days, Schoenfeld played just two AHL games where he had two assists with the old Cincinnati Swords. The big redhead was always a colorful character. It didn't matter whether he was mad at a referee or a player, he always sported a big smile, a laugh and a great sense of humor! He once threatened the mercurial and coach-killing, Evgeni Grachev in the locker room hallway with banishment to Charlotte, who back then the Wolf Pack’s ECHL affiliate, if he didn’t play better. It scared players and media alike. Schoenfeld baptized goalie Cam Talbot as the Pack playoff goalie in front of everybody with a big slap of his paw on his shoulder in front of the media. Another mercurial player, Jarkko Immonen, who was struggling mightily, a reporter told him his agent said he was depressed he wasn’t in New York. Schoenfeld shot back. “I’m depressed too. My best player is playing like (crap) at minus-16!” As tough as he could be, Schoenfeld also defended his players with the same fervor and loyalty. In a playoff game in Portland, Maine, referee, Francois St. Laurent, made two horrible calls. The first was overruling his linesman and nullifying an Artem Anisimov goal. The second was tagging Alex Bourret with a major and game misconduct with under five minutes to play in regulation with the Pack trailing by a goal. It would be a game they would go on to lose. Despite a 102 degree fever, Schoenfeld punched and dented a metal office door, walked past everybody and stood just outside the ref's room and let St. Laurent have it, but without entering the ref room. Schoenfeld's sense of humor was probably best on display after a comical situation when former Hartford morning radio jock, Jeanine Jersey, famously forgot the words to the National Anthem and blurted out for all to hear, “Oh, crap, I forgot the words,” before a big crowd with Schoenfeld, Sather, and lot of other Ranger brass in attendance. Following the game, Schoney, as he is known by those close to him, exited the coach's room and put his arms around the shoulder of the team's, then game night Operations Director, Danielle Levy, and said in a voice for all to hear, ‘Whatever happened to Teresa Rodriguez?” Schoenfeld was referencing the former anthem singer who was let go two weeks earlier. He also had a great running feud with former Lowell head coach, Tom Rowe, in his last coached playoff series in the 2004 lockout year. Rowe told this reporter, “Tell Schoeny they still have his chair warm at ESPN since he talks so much!” Schoeny had worked at The Worldwide Leader doing NHL games when they were broadcast by the network. The response can’t be printed here, but it was extremely funny. Schoenfeld was involved in the hockey business his entire adult life prior to being a coach and executive with the Rangers, Schoenfeld served as a Head Coach in the NHL for parts of ten seasons. He served as a Head Coach for 580 regular-season NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, and Phoenix Coyotes, posting a 256-246-78 record (.509 points percentage), and he guided his team to a playoff berth in six of the ten seasons. In 1987-88, Schoenfeld was named the New Jersey Devils’ Head Coach with 30 games remaining in the regular season. He guided the Devils to a 7-0-1 record over their last eight games that season, including winning the final five games in a row, to help the team clinch its first playoff berth since moving to New Jersey. Schoenfeld proceeded to lead the Devils to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final during the 1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is most famously remembered for his confrontation with referee Don Koharski in a hallway after a controversial 1988 playoff series. He shouted, “have another doughnut you fat pig.” It was all caught on camera and played all over the US and Canada. It led to a referee boycott of the next game in the series with Boston. See it HERE. When the senior Koharski came to see his son Jamie do one of his first AHL games as a referee, he stopped by to see Schoenfeld prior to the game and brought with him - a box of donuts. Schoenfeld was born in Galt, Ontario, but grew up in Cambridge, Ontario. Schoenfeld played parts of thirteen NHL seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins. The defenseman skated in 719 career NHL games, registering 51 goals, and 204 assists for 255 points, along with a plus-236 rating and 1,132 penalty minutes. He was a tough and fierce defenseman in his playing days. One of his more memorable battles was with the Bruins' Wayne Cashman. After a jarring Schoenfeld hit, the pair fell through the unsecured Zamboni door at the Boston Garden and they got up and starting tossing haymakers. See it HERE. Schoenfeld played in two NHL All-Star Games and was named to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team in 1979-80, as he led the NHL with a plus-60 rating during the season. Schoenfeld served as the Sabres’ captain for three seasons, and in his first season as the team’s captain in 1974-75, he helped Buffalo advance to the Stanley Cup Final where they lost to the Flyers. The Sabres featured the fabled French Connection line of Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert, and the late Richard Martin. Teammates included ex-Nighthawk head coach, Rick Dudley, Danny Gare, Craig Ramsay and fellow defenseman Jerry “King Kong” Korab. Schoenfeld played his junior hockey with OHA (now OHL) with the London Knights, who drafted him in the third round, (25th overall), Hamilton Red Wings and Niagara Falls Flyers in 143 games 15 goals, 90 assists and 105 points and 555 PM. He was drafted as the first pick and 5th overall in the 1972 NHL Draft by Buffalo. Schoenfeld is a member of the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Cambridge (Ontario) Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. Read the full article

RANGERS: JIM SCHOENFELD STEPS DOWN

BY: The New York Rangers NEW YORK, May 16, 2019 – Rangers Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager Jim Schoenfeld stepped down from his position today. “In nearly two decades with the Rangers, Jim made an impact on every level of the organization,” Rangers President Glen Sather said. “His tireless efforts and contributions were vital to the extended run of success we experienced during his tenure in New York.” Schoenfeld was a member of the Rangers organization for 17 seasons (2002-03 – 2018-19), dating back to when he was named an Assistant Coach with the Blueshirts on June 12, 2002. During his tenure in the Rangers organization, he served in several capacities, including as an Assistant Coach with the Rangers, the Rangers’ Assistant General Manager, the General Manager of the Rangers’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate (either the Hartford Wolf Pack or the Connecticut Whale), and the Wolf Pack’s Head Coach. He served eight seasons as the Rangers’ Assistant General Manager, Player Personnel prior to being promoted to Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager on July 1, 2015. Schoenfeld served 14 seasons as the General Manager of the Wolf Pack/Whale (2003-04 – 2016-17), and he served as the team’s Head Coach for two seasons (2005-06 and 2006-07). He played a vital role in developing the organization’s pool of prospects, as several Rangers developed under his guidance in the AHL before becoming key contributors in New York. During his tenure as the Wolf Pack/Whale General Manager, players such as Ryan McDonagh, Mats Zuccarello, J.T. Miller, and Artem Anisimov made their professional debuts in the AHL before being called up by the Rangers. In addition, in Schoenfeld’s two seasons as Hartford’s Head Coach, he oversaw the progression of players such as Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi, and Brandon Dubinsky before they joined the Rangers on a regular basis. Through his work at the AHL level, while simultaneously serving as the Rangers’ Assistant General Manager, Schoenfeld helped the Blueshirts achieve a sustained level of success. Over a 12-season span from 2005-06 – 2016-17, the Rangers were one of four NHL teams that reached the playoffs 11 times and were the only NHL team that was not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs prior to the start of a regular season game during the stretch. New York played in more playoff games than any NHL team over a six-year stretch from 2011-12 – 2016-17 (93) and was the only NHL team that won at least one playoff series in five of those six seasons. During this stretch, the Rangers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2013-14, won the Presidents’ Trophy for having the best regular season record in the NHL in 2014-15, were Division Champions twice (Atlantic Division Champions in 2011-12 and Metropolitan Division Champions in 2014-15), and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final three times (2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15). In 2014-15, the Rangers and Wolf Pack were the only NHL and AHL teams from the same organization to reach the Conference Finals in their respective league, marking the first time in franchise history that the Rangers and their AHL affiliate reached the Eastern Conference Final in the same season. In July of 2016, Schoenfeld received the Thomas Ebright Award in recognition of career contributions to the American Hockey League. Prior to beginning his tenure as a coach and executive with the Rangers, Schoenfeld served as a Head Coach in the NHL for parts of 10 seasons. He served as a Head Coach for 580 regular season NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, and Phoenix Coyotes, posting a 256-246-78 record (.509 points percentage), and he guided his team to a playoff berth in six of the 10 seasons. In 1987-88, Schoenfeld was named the Devils’ Head Coach with 30 games remaining in the regular season. He guided the Devils to a 7-0-1 record over their last eight games of the season, including a five-game winning streak over the final five games, to help the team clinch its first playoff berth since moving to New Jersey. Schoenfeld proceeded to lead the Devils to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final during the 1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs. A native of Galt, Ontario, Schoenfeld played parts of 13 NHL seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins. The defenseman skated in 719 career NHL games, registering 51 goals and 204 assists for 255 points, along with a plus-236 rating and 1,132 penalty minutes. Schoenfeld played in two NHL All-Star Games and was named to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team in 1979-80, as he led the NHL with a plus-60 rating during the season. Schoenfeld served as the Sabres’ captain for three seasons, and in his first season as the team’s captain in 1974-75, he helped Buffalo advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Schoenfeld is a member of the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame. In addition, Schoenfeld was inducted into the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. Read the full article

CANTLON'S CORNER: (FOR THE FANS) PACK SEASON COMES TO A MERCIFUL END

BY: Gerry Cantlon, HOWLINGS HARTFORD, CT- The 2018-19 season has mercifully ended for the Hartford Wolf Pack and thus begins another long spring without having playoffs in the Connecticut capitol and a summer of big questions for the New York Rangers' AHL franchise. The locker room was silent. The ice surface is gone as scrubbers cleaned up any residual water left over. Wolf Pack players received their exit interviews and left for various different ports in the US, Canada, and Europe. On a day the world mourned the burning of the 870-year-old iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, the Rangers were completing the immolation of the latest edition of the Pack. The Rangers relieved head coach Keith McCambridge and his assistant coach, Joe Mormina. The team chose not to renew their contracts. This hardly came as a surprise given the team's performance these past two years. They became the first AHL coaching casualties of the 2018-19 season. Pack GM, Chris Drury, declined to be interviewed as he was conducting the exit interviews. Calls to McCambridge were not returned. Three weeks ago, Cantlon Corner was told by an NHL source that McCambridge had been informed his tenure was up. Out of respect for McCambridge, an honorable man, we declined to publish that. “It’s tough. You feel really bad, and you wish you could have done more for the team as a whole. It’s not fun for anyone,” Shawn O’Donnell said. The 30-year-old completed his third tour of duty in Hartford. “One thing is we had a lot of (personnel) turnover and it’s a part of the league. You look at Hershey. They had very few changes in the second half of the season. We had changes on an almost a weekly basis.” One of the assistant captains, Rob O’Gara, was sidelined for much of the second half with back spasms was very disappointed. "When you work with someone who has helped you and you develop a relationship with them, it's never fun to see them go through something like this. We do develop a family atmosphere and (McCambridge) was very honest with me, which I appreciated, and he helped me because I struggled a lot early on trying to do too much. I got to be in a good spot where I was playing some good minutes, and then I got injured, but I appreciate he gave me a leadership role this season.” The season result was not all McCambridge’s fault, nor was it his predecessor, Ken Gernander’s, fault either. Asking a head coach to turn lemons into lemonade is what was asked of both men. The Wolf Pack have hit bottom and have been cresting at the bottom of the division and the entire AHL for almost five years. They have not made the playoffs in six of the last seven years. That's an organizational failure, not just a coaching problem. There have been some moments to celebrate the signs of player development, but those are few and far between and what has seemed to become a trend, change is in the air again. The team’s break up day process was shifted until Tuesday despite ending on Sunday with a 3-1 loss in Hershey. Many of the players who ended the season with Hartford now will clearly not be here for training camp next fall. Sunday’s loss saw the Bears sweep all the Pack in all six games they played this season. On January 14th, the Wolf Pack (40 pts) were four points ahead of the Bears (36) and just three points out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the Atlantic division. At the conclusion of the season, the Pack finished 25 points behind them! Give some credit to the Bears, who played .789 hockey from that point and amassed 56 points. They will deservedly be in the playoffs while the Wolf Pack will look back to see that they won only TEN games in the final three months. January 14th was the day the Rangers made the fateful decision to trade Pack captain Cole Schneider to Milwaukee for Connor Brickley. The Wolf Pack simply never recovered. “It was rough no question," O'Donnell said. "Cole was a good hockey player, a good leader, and was an all-around good guy. We lost guys to the NHL and a couple of other trades. It was different that’s for sure.” Schneider was the fourth captain in a row that was traded. For this Wolf Pack team, the self-inflicted pyromania by the Rangers continued with the subsequent trading of their goaltender, Marek Mazanec, who was the team's first off-season signee. Then came the departure of their leading goal scorer, Peter Holland. All of this went down in a three-week span as the Rangers made it clear they had thrown in the towel, not only in New York but in Hartford as well. “I had no idea that three other captains had been traded before Cole," O'Gara said. "His going was tough enough. He was the backbone of this team and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be because we won the first game after the trade, 6-5 in OT, in Lehigh Valley. We weren’t consistent enough. We would win five in a row, then turn around and drop five in a row. In some games, we struggled to be consistent. We would have a bad five-minute segment that would kill us. Just before Christmas we were above .500. We never got back to that level the rest of the way.” O’Donnell is at a playing crossroads and enjoys Hartford. “Hartford has become a second home. I like it here, but this is still a business. What comes my way this summer, and my second year when we went to the conference finals, I will look back at the years here were one of the best of my life in hockey and it's great to go on a playoff run like that. I just wish we could have had a few more of those here." The scoring on Sunday by Hershey was all done by ex-Pack, Chris McCarthy. He tallied a goal and two assists, while Joey Leach, who was just recalled from the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL, scored his first of the season. Joe Snively, fresh out of Yale, also tallied a goal and two assists. Hershey’s Aaron Ness had two assists on Friday night in Hartford’s home finale. That production allowed him to surpass the Pack's John Gilmour 55 to 54 points and capture the AHL defenseman scoring title. The on-ice carnage is best reflective in the plus/minus numbers. While plus/minus can be skewered by individuals making a faux pas that reflects on the rest of their teammates on the ice, but once a player gets into the deep teens or to over minus-twenty, that reflects far more on a fundamental flaws that extend from the forwards to the defensemen and possibly even the goaltender. Six Pack players were a minus-20. In that category, Bobby Butler and defenseman Libor Hajak were both a minus-26. Lias Andersson was a staggering minus-24 in just 36 games, breaking Matt Gilroy’s record of minus-16 in 31 games mark, yet he was recalled to NY. Sean Day was a minus-23 in 47 games. Steven Fogarty, the team MVP, was also over 20 with a minus-21. Rookie Tim Gettinger was a minus-20. The best players on defense ended their season on the injured list, Chris Bigras (ankle) was a plus-5, assistant captain Rob O’Gara (back spasms) plus-3, Ryan Lindgren (concussion) with two Rangers recalls at minus-1. Only Binghamton, Ontario, and San Antonio had numbers like that. Daniel Brickley, Ontario's Jake Walman, John Gilmour’s collegiate defense partner were tied for the worst at minus-31. The Rangers are on the hook here as they await the naming of a new president of the team to succeed Glen Sather. That fortunate soul will have to pick through the debris in New York and Hartford and try to plot a forward course. The Rangers clear indifference to Hartford has to end. Winning and the playoffs were once synonymous here. Over a 14-year consecutive stretch where the team made the playoffs and competed at the top end of the AHL. Winning and playoffs still matter. The Rangers have to decide if they care to accomplish that objective here. Cantlon’s Corner has learned that the Rangers have had a preliminarily interview with at least one Hockey East coach about the Hartford opening, However until a new President is named, these preliminary interviews will likely be done to present the new person a list of candidates to come for second interviews. Director of Player Development, Jed Ortmeyer, was on the bench during three games this season. He also conducted several practices last week and is likely on an initial short list. Clearly, the Rangers talent evaluation process is broken. A major shakeup is needed to achieve better results so necessary changes in the scouting department will likely happen. About seven years ago in Worcester, a former high-ranking AHL official in a profanity-laced tirade lamented at how poorly Hartford had become both on-and-off the ice. Since then, it has only gotten worse. Too many average skilled players have been sent to the Connecticut state capitol. Others were picked off the waiver wire scrap heap, or they were traded for, have all dotted the lineup over the past five years. Many of the present Wolf Pack need to excise a set of words from their vocabulary how good, great or talented they are. The team's record demonstrates the team's reality and other teams that used to fear the Wolf Pack over the years, have, over the past several seasons, feasted on the Wolf Pack. The Rangers have an abundance of selections coming up at the Vancouver Entry Draft this summer and that's all fine and dandy, but they need to make sound choices and sign genuine quality AHL free agents to help nurse them along the path. The days of bringing in the likes of players like Akim Aliu, Cody Beach, Andre Deveaux, Dustin Tokarski, and Bobby Butler have to stop. The organization must stop the goaltending madness. This year with simply a redux of years past with a refined packaging of rotating people to be Henrik Lundqvist’s backup. Remember the Cam Talbot-Chad Johnson saga when the Ranger's rotated them up and down the Merritt Parkway like a relay recall race? Both players went elsewhere to find NHL playing time in other NHL cities. This year Alexander Georgiev was dispatched to play in Hartford while Lundqvist went one of his playing tears. Tokarski and Mazanec went to New York to be well-paid practice goalies and fatten their bank accounts but didn't help either team. If the Rangers choose to name a captain or to sign a player next season to assume that role, that agent must extract the first AHL NTC-No Trade Clause. A franchise that set the standard of what a captain should be and that had his number retired as his should have been, that indifferent approach to the captaincy has to end. The Schneider situation demonstrates so clearly that it can have a truly devastating consequence to the team's in-season plight and the growth and development of their prospects. The Rangers have to make choices in Hartford. You don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce that the status quo is not good and not working. Read the full article

CANTLON: PACK LAST FULL HOME WEEKEND OF PLAY

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack have a pair of weekend games in which they seek to snap a five-game losing streak against the Utica Comets Saturday night and the Binghamton Devils Sunday afternoon. The task got a bit harder on Thursday when defenseman Ryan Lindgren was recalled for a second time likely to play in either one or both of the Rangers last two regular season games against Columbus and Pittsburgh. You can just call them the Hartford Junior Wolf Pack for the final two weekends of play. In addition to Lindgren’s recall, the Rangers announced the signing of two more collegians and recent junior hockey signing to ATO deals and sent two players back to Maine. Pack added collegiate forward in Harvard’s Lewis Zerter-Gossage. A Montreal area native, Gossage completed his four-years at Harvard after playing two years of prep hockey at Kent School. Current New York Rangers head coach David Quinn and player Boo Nieve also attended the western Connecticut private school. Hartford signed a local Springfield college product, Shawn McBride, the captain of American International College (AIC) from the AHA conference. He will likely play this weekend as will Gossage. AIC knocked off St. Cloud State in their first-ever NCAA Division 1 tourney game in one of the biggest upsets in college hockey history. He is the second McBride to play for the Wolf Pack in team history. Brock McBride played eight games in the 2008-09 season but is no relation. He is presently an assistant coach with the Cornwall Colts (CCHL) one of the 10 Junior A leagues in Canada. The junior player is Jake Elmer of the Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL). He was signed last month and arrives here after Lethbridge dropped a seven-game first round series to the Calgary Hitmen, four games to three. They lost Game 7, 4-2. Elmer had a goal and six points in that first-round matchup. Through 68 regular-season games, Elmer was third in team scoring with 81 points with a team-leading 39 goals. The Hurricanes finished second in the WHL Central Division with a record of 40-18-5-5 and second highest offensive output in the WHL with 268 goals. One of his junior teammates, Jake Lechyshyn, a Las Vegas draftee, is the son of former Hartford Whaler, Curt Lechyshyn, who tallied ten points in the series tops in the WHL. One of his opponents for Calgary the son of Ed Kastelic, another Whaler, in Mark Kastelic. Two players were returned to the Maine Mariners. Ty Ronning had four goals and five points in 23 games, and Terrence Wallin, who was returned for the third time this season, has just one assist in 23 games. The Wolf Pack have an influx of junior and college players. One of them has a Connecticut address, Ryan Dmowski. The East Lyme born forward, a veteran of four games, Dmowski played at UMASS–Lowell, but his hockey GPS has landed in various parts of New England. Dmowski played against UCONN at the XL Center back on November 16th tallying two goals in a 5-2 win over the Huskies. Dmowski garnered the game’s First Star and was on the ice for the opening shift. “I had about 40 friends and family in the stands that night. It was a good game and I liked playing here when I was with UMASS (Lowell). I loved the atmosphere, and so far, the crowd has been awesome to me and I am very happy to be here.” Finding his way to Hartford was something special. “It’s been amazing; a dream come true to go pro, and even more special being here in Hartford. (I'm) just thrilled to get the opportunity. To be honest, I never thought I would be back here to start my career in Connecticut. (It's) kinda crazy how it works.” He talked with Providence and a few other AHL teams, but the best opportunity came from the Rangers. His hockey road map started in Rhode Island at age seven. After school, his grandfather would take him to North Smithfield, Rhode Island. It's an hour away each time to begin his first skate lengths of hockey. “I would get out of school, and my grandfather picked me up or my dad (Dave). All the dedication we both put in was incredible, and all worth it so far,” Dmowski said with a smile. When he finished Bantam-level play, he headed in the opposite direction and played for the Springfield Junior Falcons program when after his freshmen high school year, he put a new address in the GPS for Gunnery prep school in Washington, CT closer to New York state than Connecticut. “To be honest, I had no idea there was a Washington, Connecticut until I went there,” Dmowski said with a laugh, who had a fellow Highlander (Gunnery’s nickname) Terrence Wallin, older by three years, just sent back to Maine on the Wolf Pack roster, “(It's) kinda weird we took about the same hockey path and wound up here.” He went to a few P-Bruins and Wolf Pack games as a kid, but he spent more time honing his craft and schoolwork. His adjustment to the Wolf Pack has been a stretch playing with a new line almost every game. “It's been a bit stressful, but part of being a pro, and I’ve been doing a pretty good job getting to know everybody and a new line this week too.” Pack head coach, Keith McCambridge had Dmowski with Bobby Butler, the vet, and newcomer Shawn McBride. Butler, Dmowski, and McBridge…sounds like a law firm. “It’s so different here. The speed is so much different just getting used to that now. I’m just trying to get the puck in and not rushing myself and taking my time and learning to keep my feet moving and developing that confidence I’m gonna be good to go.” McCambridge likes what he's seen so far. “He carries himself well. He is a big body, has played well with the puck, and he's handled several different situations well.” It's audition time for the 2019-20 Wolf Pack roster for Dmowksi and his GPS will be putting in another address for the summer. ‘My girlfriend is going to graduate school at Sacred Heart University (Bridgeport) so we're looking for a place between Hartford and Bridgeport now.” The pro hockey map Dmowski has just begun. NOTES: A story has been was broken by the Rangers long-time beat writer Larry Brooks of the New York Post on Thursday that Glen Sather’s stepping down as Rangers President. Sather's retirement makes an already complicated offseason going to be a palace of intrigue as to where the deck chairs will fall. With Sather’s departure, expect Jim Schoenfeld, who held the post as Hartford GM for 10 years and was a head coach for one and who has been Sather’s right-hand man, will likely also get a golden parachute by either retirement or might find another new gig. The question now is who will be promoted or hired to take the upper echelon reigns? Jeff Gorton, Sather's hand-picked successor, is the present GM. Will he make the move upstairs or add this role to his portfolio? Chris Drury, the present assistant GM, and Hartford GM, could he be promoted? Will there be an overhaul of the entire Rangers scouting staff, professional North America, Europe, and amateur by a new team President? How will the Wolf Pack be affected? They're on the verge of a potential sub-par, below .500 season. What will happen with its coaching staff? How will a future team President feel about Hartford and the unresolved XL Center business? The Rangers also have serious player-personnel decisions to make in New York and Hartford in relation to next year’s cap space and with a looming potential labor stoppage in two years, and yes, the expansion draft in three years when Seattle enters the NHL family. Many questions to be answered over the next three and half months in preparation for the NHL Draft in Vancouver on the organization direction under a new regime. Read more HERE NEWS & NOTES This next story is without a doubt the best hockey story of the year. Former AHL player and now Pro Scout for the Arizona Coyotes, Craig Cunningham, who nearly died two years before an AHL game in Tucson, and by the true Grace of God is still among us, released a video showing him skating with his prosthetic leg at the San Diego Gulls practice facility. It was simply amazing, spectacular great news for a young man who suffered so much and has triumphed in the most outstanding way. Hope he gets some shifts in a game in a league where there isn’t as much hitting or contact-like in the Asia League Ice Hockey (ALIH) or in Australia (AIHL) and New Zealand (NZIHL) to end his career as a player, not as a heart attack victim. Read more HERE Despite having the same last name, the reporter in that story is of no relation. With the arrival of McBride, and Zerter-Gossage, plus Quinnipiac’s Brandon Fortunato signing with Nashville (NHL), the number of Division I players that have signed is up to 150 and that the total number of college players that have signed over the past month is 168. The first college coach signing as Chris Bergeron after nine season leaves the Bowling Green Falcons (WCHA) to take the reigns of his alma mater Miami (OH) RedHawks (NCHC). Bergeron, graduated in 1993 when the school won its first conference title (CCHA at that time) and made their first NCAA tournament appearance. The NCAA announced the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award that will be given out in Buffalo next weekend at the site of the NCAA’s Frozen Four. It's a hat trick of finalists for the Hobey Baker Award. All three finalists are defensemen. Senior Jordan Schuldt, St. Cloud State Huskies (NCHC) who just signed an NHL free agent deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. The second is junior Adam Fox of Harvard who is a Carolina Hurricanes draft pick who is weighing whether to sign or wait another year and go the free agent route. Then there's UMASS-Amherst Minutemen sophomore Cale Makar, a Colorado Avalanche draft pick who is likely to go pro after next weekend. A unique college commit right from a CT prep school in Cooper Moore (Cos Cob) Brunswick School (Greenwich) with North Dakota (NCHC). Overseas we see former Whaler great Sami Kapanen retains his franchise owner and Chairman of the Board title with KalPa Kuopio (Finland-FEL) but relinquished his head coaching duties to take the job as head coach with HC Lugano (Switzerland-LNA) in the fall. His son Kasperi skated with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ex-Sound Tiger goalie, C.J. Motte, who has played most of the season with Allen (ECHL) and some games with Iowa signs with HC Innsbruck (Austria-EBEL) for next season. Philippe Hudon, who played prep school hockey at Choate Rosemary Hall (Wallingford) after finishing his Canadian collegiate career with the Concordia Stingers (Montreal) (OUAA0 played 14 games with seven points for Florida (ECHL) was loaned to Laval (AHL). Read the full article

ROSASCO: VIC HADFIELD’S NUMBER 11 TO BE RETIRED ON DECEMBER 2, 2018

Becomes tenth Ranger to have his number retired by the organization BY: John Rosasco, New York Rangers NEW YORK, September 4, 2018 – New York Rangers President Glen Sather announced today that the organization will retire jersey No. 11 in honor of Rangers great Vic Hadfield in an on-ice ceremony prior to the Rangers’ game against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, December 2, 2018, as part of Vic Hadfield Night presented by Budweiser. “As a player, Vic Hadfield embodied the heart, soul, and determination of a New York Ranger,” Sather said. “His willingness to contribute in any way necessary to help the Rangers win earned the respect and admiration of his teammates and fans alike. It is only fitting that Vic takes his rightful place alongside the Rangers legends in the rafters of Madison Square Garden.” Hadfield played parts of 13 seasons with the Rangers (1961-62 – 1973-74), registering 262 goals and 310 assists for 572 points, along with 1,041 penalty minutes in 841 games. He ranks fifth in franchise history in goals, power play goals (83), game-winning goals (40), and penalty minutes, ranks seventh in games played, ranks ninth in points, ranks 10th in assists, and ranks third in shots on goal (2,414). At the time of his departure from the Rangers following the 1973-74 season, Hadfield ranked second in franchise history in games played and penalty minutes (trailing only Harry Howell in both categories), and ranked fourth in goals, assists, and points (trailing only Andy Bathgate, Rod Gilbert, and Jean Ratelle in all three categories). One of the premier power forwards of his era, Hadfield is the only player who has recorded at least 200 goals and 1,000 or more penalty minutes as a member of the Rangers in franchise history. Hadfield was named the 14th captain in franchise history on June 9, 1971, and he served as the team’s captain for the final three seasons of his tenure with the Rangers (1971-72 – 1973-74). Hadfield’s best season as a Ranger was his first as the team’s captain in 1971-72. He registered 50 goals and 56 assists for 106 points, along with a plus-60 rating and 142 penalty minutes in 78 games during the 1971-72 season, becoming the first Ranger to tally 50 goals in a season in franchise history. Hadfield reached the 50-goal plateau on the final day of the regular season, recording the goal at the 14:46 mark of the third period on April 2, 1972, against Montreal at MSG. Hadfield, along with his linemates on the Rangers’ Goal-A-Game Line (G-A-G Line), center Jean Ratelle and right-wing Rod Gilbert, became the first linemates to all register 40 or more goals in the same season in NHL history. Ratelle, Hadfield, and Gilbert ranked third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in the NHL in points during the 1971-72 season, and the Rangers advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals. Hadfield was selected to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team at Left Wing, and he finished fifth in voting for the Hart Trophy as the league’s Most Valuable Player. Hadfield skated in 62 career Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Rangers, registering 22 goals and 19 assists for 41 points, along with a plus-eight rating and 106 penalty minutes. He led the Rangers in goals (eight) and points (13) in 13 games during the 1971 Stanley Cup Playoffs while helping the team advance to the Game 7 of the Semifinals against Chicago. In addition, Hadfield tied for the team lead in goals (seven) and registered 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 16 games during the Rangers’ run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1971-72. He tallied a hat trick in Game 3 of the Semifinals against Chicago on April 22, 1971. During his tenure with the Rangers, Hadfield represented the team in the NHL All-Star Game twice (1965 and 1972). In addition to becoming the first player to score 50 goals in a season in franchise history, he also established single-season franchise records for power play goals (23 – 1971-72), power play points (34 – 1971-72), and shots on goal (321 – 1968-69). Hadfield held the Rangers single-season record for goals until 1993-94 when Adam Graves tallied 52 goals. Hadfield remains one of only three Rangers who has tallied 50 or more goals in a season in franchise history (along with Graves in 1993-94 and Jaromir Jagr in 2005-06). In 1963-64, Hadfield tied for first in the NHL with 151 penalty minutes during the season. In 1971-72, Hadfield was named the recipient of the Players’ Player Award, which is given annually to the Ranger who, as selected by his teammates, “best exemplifies what it means to be a team player”. The Oakville, Ontario native played parts of 16 NHL seasons with the Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins (1961-62 – 1976-77), registering 323 goals and 389 assists for 712 points, along with a plus-22 rating and 1,159 penalty minutes in 1,004 career games. Hadfield was originally claimed by the Rangers from Chicago in the Intraleague Draft on June 14, 1961. Hadfield will join Rod Gilbert (7), Ed Giacomin (1), Mike Richter (35), Mark Messier (11), Brian Leetch (2), Adam Graves (9), Andy Bathgate (9), Harry Howell (3), and Jean Ratelle (19) as the only Rangers whose jersey numbers have been retired by the organization. Gilbert was the first Ranger to have his number retired on Oct. 14, 1979, and was joined by Giacomin’s No. 1 on Mar. 15, 1989, Richter’s No. 35 on Feb. 4, 2004, Messier’s No. 11 on Jan. 12, 2006, Leetch’s No. 2 on Jan. 24, 2008, Graves’ No. 9 on Feb. 3, 2009, Bathgate’s No. 9 and Howell’s No. 3 on Feb. 22, 2009, and most recently, Ratelle’s No. 19 on Feb. 25, 2018. In addition, Hadfield’s jersey number will be among nine New York Knickerbockers that have been remembered in the ceiling of The World’s Most Famous Arena. Former Knicks players Walt Frazier (10), Dick Barnett (12), Earl Monroe (15), Dick McGuire (15), Willis Reed (19), Dave DeBusschere (22), Bill Bradley (24), and most recently Patrick Ewing (33) have all had their numbers honored by the team, along with Hall-of-Fame coach Red Holzman (613). Read the full article