Sailors, sailors
It’s Fleet Week in NYC, and I have to tell you a story about that. I used to buy tickets to all the Rangers’ playoff series because I had so many friends who always asked me for them. You had to buy strips of tickets for all possible series.
So this one year, the Rangers played the Flyers, lost the first two in Philly, came home and lost Game 3 at MSG. Now nobody wanted the tickets. Nobody.
Before Game 4, I was outside the Garden trying to sell them. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon during Fleet Week, so the city was crawling with sailors. I didn’t want to get into any trouble scalping, but a bunch of Navy guys in uniform had approached me about my tickets, so I asked a NYPD officer if it was OK if I sold my tickets for face value. He said I probably shouldn’t, but when I told him I was stuck with them, and that these sailors wanted to go to the game, he said, “OK.”
The only problem was the sailors didn’t have enough cash. So the cop agreed to walk us to a nearby ATM. So here I am crossing 33rd Street and Broadway with two sailors and a cop, thinking, “My God, I’m in the Village People.”
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Some sad news yesterday. Clint Smith, the last member of the 1940 Rangers Stanley Cup team, died at age 95. I remember so clearly when he came to the Garden a few times, including the 75th anniversary season, and how guys like Messier, Graves, Leetch and Richter (the usuals) treated him with such respect.
Here is the AP’s story
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP)—Hall of Fame player Clint Smith, a two-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy while with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers, has died. He was 95.
Smith died Tuesday, the Vancouver Canucks announced Thursday. He played 11 years in the NHL with New York (1936-43) and Chicago (1943-47) and was the lone surviving member of the Rangers’ Stanley Cup-winning team in 1940. Teammate Alf Pike died in March.
Smith was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.
The 5-foot-8, 165-pound center won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1939 and 1944, an award given for skill and gentlemanly play. He had only 24 penalty minutes in 483 regular-season games. Smith had a four-season stretch in which he wasn’t called for a penalty.
In the 1943-44 season, Smith set an NHL record with 49 assists while playing on a line with future Hall of Famers Bill Mosienko and Doug Bentley. The trio set a league scoring record by producing 219 total points.
Smith also shares the NHL record for most goals in a period with four, set on March 4, 1945, against Montreal. He played his early hockey in Saskatchewan before moving to Vancouver in 1933 to play for the Vancouver Lions of the North West Hockey League. He led the league with 25 goals in his rookie season.
Following his NHL career, Smith played with the Tulsa Oilers of the USHL and was chosen as the league’s most valuable player in 1948. He was a player-coach for the St. Paul Saints of the USHL and a full-time coach with the Cincinnati Mohawks of the American Hockey League in 1952.
Smith returned to Vancouver in 1953 to play old-timers hockey.He was founding member of the British Columbia Hockey Benevolent Association, also known as the Canucks Alumni. He held various positions within the organization, including president.
Smith also retained ties to the Rangers organization throughout his life and took part in the team’s 75th anniversary celebration nine years ago at Madison Square Garden.
Funeral plans were not immediately announced.
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Another sad note yesterday. Wayne Allwine died at age 62. He was the voice of Mickey Mouse.
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mikeA- i think sangs is fine. i think there might be more like maybe the rangers were such a good team last year, that theres no possible way we couldve fit sangs in the lineup with all our superstar defenseman we already have. its a joke. why is it, that every other team picks can find spots on the big team within 5 years of getting picked? but the rangeers sign kalinen last year instead of just putting sangs in the lineup. or sauer. i think maybe 1 of potter, sauer or sangs will be on the team sometime in the future. some are gettin traded. how long can they milk these guys in the minors? and then sign 2 more d men really instills confidence in them
We should know by now that the Rangers, aka Sather, will ALWAYS sign someone before promoting someone
Carp you didn’t finish the story. Did the sailors see the Rangers win? :^)
So now to honor Clint, we need to win the Cup next year! All Sather has to do now is put together a good team…..Oh well, it was a nice thought anyway!
Any one know if we have any young prospects in the memorial cup finals?? I see there is a game on tonight on NHL Network.
Carp, all you needed was the chief and you’re onto something.
Clint Smith-no penalties in 4 seasons? That’s crazy. Some kind of record? R.I.P.
I thought it was okay to sell 15% above face?
Now with stubhub and ticketbastard you can sell them for whatever you want!
Hey Carp,
NO WAY you were getting the Chief to complete the Village People set…....ha ha
Carp:
The radio report on the passing of Clint Smith said he was credited/known as the first player to ever score an empty net goal in a NHL game.
When is his retirement of his number ceremony scheduled for?
taylor hall will be fun to watch tonight. 2010 draft kids are mad tall except for kirill kabanov
and the rangers have no prospects playing in the game. the devils, blackhawks and maple leafs have kids playing. and 1 duck lol.
reginald –
the real chief?
the rangers chief?
if so wow, what a blast from the past.
Carp-
Stanford Smith played one game in the cup finals for the Rangers. According to Wikapedia he’s still alive. So Clint Smith is not the last member of the 1940 cup team. Is the correct?
I miss the Rangers chief, before he became just a whipping boy for the fans. I always thought that was disrespectful even to a wise guy like myself. The guy to me was the ultimate Ranger fan, doing play by play and tape recording the games on his cassette player at MSG. Sure he might have been a bit off, but to me he is a part of Ranger MSG history.
http://www.rangercrisis.com
I thought Jim Neilson was “the Chief”
SO I ran into everyones favorite ranger last night, Sean Avery. He is by far the coolest ranger since Thoe Flury. I work the door at a fancy catering hall in the city and Sean was there for an event. I never talk to any of the celebrities that show up, but I had to talk to Avery. He talked to me for about 20 min and even blew off some D list celeb to talk some hockey wit me. He said he was rooting for the Blackhawks because of their young talent and said that he is very happy being back in NY and that he bleeds rangers blue. He owns a bar in tribeca called 77 warren. He threw me an invite and said every rangers fan is welcome. I have ran into a high number of rangers in the city and he was by far the nicest ranger.
yan cant cook – did he have a date ?
Another rumor out of russia
http://www.beyondtheblueshirts.com/2009/05/another-look-russian-rumor/
Take it for what is worth.
no he came solo but asked how the talent was lol. unfortunately it was slim picking last night.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/180077-who-will-the-new-york-rangers-target-this-summer
dunno if anyone posted that in the last 2 days.
Rangers have one prospect (6’5” d-man) playing for memorial cup – tysen dowzec (sp?) – he is on Kelowna – who are playing sunday in the finals.
Rangers do hoard d-men – so hope looking to find partners in trade for Rozy. Redden has to be in Hartford next year right?
Damn, Malkins parents look like hardcore peasants!
How great it would be to have Malkin in NY?? Instead we have to settle for captain clutch and scotty the clown. sigh…
oh yeah
MALKING = MONSTER!
the game tonight is the spitfires vs the voltigeurs (spelling)
Kelowna’s dowzac/barrie are the teams 2nd pairing which is crazy they are a +18 together i think
their #1 pairing is a +31 (b-man/myers)
Joe Beninati
“as Cam Ward vacuums up a loose biscuit ”
what a fcking dork!
Jim Neilson was the Chief. The Chief was also that nutty fan with the headdress.
But to me the Chief will always be Dennis Ryan, the NHL security guy and ex-NYPD cop whom we lost a few seasons ago.
I think that’s the Chief to whom Reginald Dunlop was referring.
You may remember a game against Buffalo when Colin Campbell and Ted Nolan nearly went at it between the benches. Well, Chief Ryan got between them. He was a large fellow, to say the least. And the Buffalo announcers were saying, “Some guy the size of the Statue of Liberty pulls them apart.”
And some of us around the Garden started calling him Lady Liberty … which he didn’t really like too much. But he could always take a joke (and if he couldn’t, you’d know when to stop). Thanks for stirring up a memory, Reginald.
I hate the Pens, but that back hander by Malkin last night was unbelievable .
Go Canes !
Yeah , Toney I told my friend last night that the Malkin backhander was beutiful and was no fluke cuz he aimed for it …BUT bet he can’t do that again!!! Maybe an old school Jari Kurri or Denis savard could pop that shot in again but to see Malkin do that again …doubt it.
sorry , Tony , not Toney.
I hate any one that’s not a Ranger – LOL
But Malkin did it once & it was Sweeeeet !
Speaking of the Chief, wasn’t there a Chief on the Syracuse Bulldogs in Slapshot ?
RIP Robert Müller, Goalie of German League (DEL) Cologne Sharks, died at the age of 28 due to a brain tumor… Black day in European hockey…
Died at the age of 28 – that ain’t right.
RIP
Wow 28. That’s too young. I’m tell this day saddened by the death of Alexei Cherepanov. A lost talent!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH22QGPXCH8&feature=related
An awesome goal.
RIP Alexei.
Cherepanov,Walt Poddubny,Alf Pike and Clint Smith all in one season!! A sad year to be a rangers fan.
Minesota Wild introducing their new GM… some Chuck Fletcher guy…
Waiting for the same action from Dolan giving a new jersey to new GM.
YEAH RIGHT!
RIP to all who is no longer with us.
Carp, are sure it was the garden and not Christopher St.?
Reggie,
But in New York, a real indian chief out of nowhere is a definite possibility!...
Carp,
You should have started singing YMCA…
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gnMnQU8jT2t2mbyKlFFFdJK6Lf3QD98ASRPO2
Fletcher, the Penguins’ assistant general manager, replaced Doug Risebrough. Risebrough was the Wild’s GM from their founding in 1999 until he was dismissed in April.
apparently he has 16 yrs experience with 3 teams (fla, ana, pitt).
Mike Keenan fired again!! Tsn.com reporting!!
watch Isles hire Keenan.
wow…how does sutter look at himself in the mirror??
The end of the year meltdown was just due to lack of ca$h, cap issues…iron mike got screwed!
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=279606
The Calgary Flames announced the firing of head coach Mike Keenan on Friday afternoon.
“Our team did not meet expectations,” Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter said in a statement. ‘’Following detailed evaluation over the past three weeks, and taking into consideration all factors affecting our season ending result, we believe this is a necessary change required to allow our team to continue toward our objective of winning the Stanley Cup.”
The Rangers should fire Glen Sather and immediately hire Mike Keenan
DOOGIE
He’s only firing him so he can hire Brent Sutter. It was a rumor for a while now. I think it’s pretty obvious.
Why the hell would Brent want to coach the fuggin Devs anyway. New Jersey, or close to home ? It’s a no brainer.
I hope the Devs don’t hire Keenan, or Laviolette.
Kipper was pathetic, he didn’t show up for the playoffs, as always. Really surprising though, after the got Jokinen, i really thought they were gonna be a pretty serious team.
Sather really needs to bring in some guys that know how to win. To my knowledge only Gomez and Drury have cups. This team melted in the big spots. They need some vetern leadership. Guys that know how to win.
“They need some vetern leadership. Guys that know how to win.”
sounds like someone we had …once
Jagr and Shanny
The only problem is these guys were getting old. You can depend on guys in there late 30’s to do everything for you.
i would still take Jagr and Shanny over Drury and Gomez.
shanny at 38 had 29 goals and 62 points in 67 games!
drury at 31 had 25 goals and 58 points in 82 games!
There are plenty of guys who can give you what Scotty gives us for half a price. 16 goals and 40 asst anybody could do.
onecup, sorry, i don’t get the Christopher St. reference.
Chuck Fletcher is Cliff Fletcher’s son, I’m pretty sure.
Keenan’s awesome. Watch him get another job. St. Louis again with his old MSG buddies??? San Jose?
You know what’s incredible, too? That Neil Smith can’t get another shot. Won three division titles, two Presidents Trophies and a Stanley.
it would be really nice if and when conklin gets put in. the main reason the pens made the playoffs last year.
one more goal in this period should do it, lol
kronwall just destroyed havlat. my initial reaction is it looked clean. kronwall got a bunch of penalties for the hit. what do you all think?
watching seabrook fire bombs from the blue line makes me jealous.
kronwalls hit was clean imho.
and seabrooks shots always get thru. one thing i liked about morris he always seemed to get shots thru.
there it is
throw ty conklin in now!
roc
May 22nd, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Cherepanov,Walt Poddubny,Alf Pike and Clint Smith all in one season!! A sad year to be a rangers fan.
yea, watch sather ask the league for some more compensatory picks the senile old fool
wow 3 straight quick goals by the wings. hawks are fragile and young. they need some of their vets to calm things down
cccp- isnt it sad when an old fart like shanny who played 60 games, got injured pretty bad, still had more goals and points than captain hook. granted most came in the early half of the season, he still was more effective than dru, even while skating slower, he was able to rally the team, get more out of them, and he wasnt the captain either. jags was. the only time i saw dru get mad was the preseason victoriacup game, and thats prety much it. oh and also he got fired up and scored 2 straight pps to tie the game. he gave more in that game than any other meaningful one last year. i wanna like dru, i really do. he never was a scoring machine, but i just know he could give a lot more. if anything, i wouldnt mind the low point production so much if he actually was able to play the way he did in bern, and to lead by example like he did that game. too often, he is invisible and id at least like to see some emotion. id like to see him call himself out after a horrible loss like the washington game we lost from having a 4-0 lead. instead of saying “it wont ruin my snortfest later at wades”, or holiday, whatever.
yeah this is a pretty crazy game.
spitfires won in ot!
” I used to buy tickets to all the Rangers’ playoff series because I had so many friends who always asked me for them. You had to buy strips of tickets for all possible series.”
Yes, you did, and you still do. It was and is part of being a seaon ticket holder. which it appears you were – I’m outing you Carp (not that there’s anything wrong with it) – you’rem a Ranger fan like us. You were born and raised one and you don’t lose that. It’s OK, you’re amongst friends here. not to mention, we’re all better off if you are – you’ll be much tougher on them.
Nice try, Peter. I was a fan when I was a kid. I never had season tickets. I am definitely not a fan now.
the Kronwall hit was not a penalty and for sure not a game misconduct.
that is looking at the effects of the hit..
The Spitfires are good; they beat Grachev’s Bramton Battalion. I hope some of you get to watch the Memorial Cup game on the NHL Network on Sunday night.
As far as Neil Smith, wasn’t there something like the Dolans claimed he was mentally unbalanced or unstable or some nonsense and has since kind of been viewed as nutty? His one month as Isles GM didn’t help matters although that was not his fault.
Yeah, Keenan will get another job and get fired in 2 years again. That guy should have never left NY.
Random question to everyone here but I found this hysterical…
If anyone has seen the new Terminator movie, take a second look at the character Marcus Wright who was half man/half machine in the film…im convinced, Sean Avery is secretly playing rolls in Hollywood movies staring as a terminator. Just found it kinda funny if anyone thought the same thing haha
My reference to the chief was the fan with the headdress, sort of the Dancin Larry of the 80’s. Ah, the 80’s. Walking up the ramp to the arena and all you saw was a giant billow of smoke. Harry M Stevens BIG BEER sold right in the seats. Only 1 zamboni to clean the ice. Any opposing teams fans knew if they came to MSG with their team colors on, they were in for a long, horrible night. And bad Rangers hockey. The good ole days. Everything’s changed except for the last part.
I remember the Chief; he used to call into Steve Sommers a lot in the early 90s and said he would retire the headdress when the Rangers won the Cup, and he did!
I got into the Rangers right after the Espo era yeah but it seems like it wasn’t much fun in those days.
22figure8-I still think the Rangers since the lockout ave been generally good; no one thought they’d be in the playoffs every year and have a good solid farm system. I know they need a superstar in his prime but there IS at least hope.
http://www.examiner.com/x-8838-Tampa-Bay-Lightning-Examiner~y2009m5d20-Never-say-never-in-Tampa-Bay
good article on the draft and possible trades and such.
Carp
I think Mike Keenan’s rep as a great coach is completely over rated. Good results with Philly, Chicago and New York but hasn’t done anything since except have longevity. He’s also manage to wear out his welcome at very single team he’s worked at.
His coaching record since the Rangers –
94-95 St. Louis – 1st round exit
95-96 St. Louis – 2nd round exit
96-97 St. Louis – Fired
97-98 Vancouver – Missed playoffs
98-99 Vancouver – Fired
99-00 Didn’t coach
00-01 Boston – Missed playoffs
01-02 Florida – Missed playoffs
02-03 Florida – Missed playoffs
03-04 Florida – Fired
04-05 Didn’t coach
05-06 Didn’t coach
06-07 Didn’t coach
07-08 Calgary – 1st round exit
08-09 Calgary – 1st round exit
09-10 Calgary – Fired
Another sad note… Glen Sather is still a NYR GM.
What pick do the rangers have?
And Carp, my Mom used to sing this ditty about sailors:
http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/s043.html
Its funny what you remember.
CCCP – LOL
JJP, thanks for the Keenan boxscore. That’s exactly what I meant—that despite all his failures and bridge-burning, he still gets jobs (he was also GM in that period when he wasn’t coaching). And with the right team—a veteran team that’s close to winning—he could still succeed. Again, there’s a lot of him in Tortorella. And, again, he would have been a better choice than a bunch of Rangers coaches since 2000, and he wanted the job twice in that span.
so brents gonna obviously be the new coach in calgary. i wonder if keenan goes to the debbies.
carp- do you honestly see zherdev coming back next year? or antro? and people keep saying that mara isnt a “torts” guy. what does that mean? i mean, what makes you a torts guy? mara plays with an edge, he sticks up for teammates, he takes hometown discounts… i know he isnt the most gifted d man but what is it about him that doesnt make him a torts guy?
Ry Mac – I’m happy I wasn’t the only one who thought he looked alot like Avery. Maybe that’s what Avery was doing when he wasn’t playing hockey…
william wallace vs shaka zulu?
sicilian mafia vs the yakuza?
hey guys, wanna watch a cool show? check out the deadliest warrior on spike. right now they got the mafia vs the yakuza.
are u kidding me? how the hell did the canes beat boston??? theyre getting pimpslapped by malkin n crosby. 3 goals by those 2 on some pretty plays. wheres the canes d??
WOW Malkin is good. Isn’t it nice to be handed franchise players via draft?
goin to warren 77. see what its all about. drink a molson, lol.
i must say this place is really nice. its not as tiny as i thought.
Another Wings vs. Pens stanley cup finals. Whoopi!!
Hallo guyz! i want come play for Rainjers but this stupid CrosBee took all my clouse and i don have nutting to wear! HELP!
I no love crosBee, he stupid… i love jordan staal! Look my picture in my name.
Mike In IA-I think not a Torts guy means that he doesn’t have the wheels or transition elements from offense to defense and back to play in the ideal Torts system. He also needs to work on he accuracy of his shot.
I like Mara a lot and if he came back I’d be very happy but I think Torts is going to want 6 fast skating D kinda like they always had in Tamp.
I’m really curious what he’s gonna think of Sanguinetti/Del Zotto/Kundratek/Gilroy/Dowzak and I hope the Sauer and Potter spend this offseason working on their transition speed. I’m a big Sauer fan and hope he can become that snarly crease clearer the Rangers have been lacking since Beuk/Samuelson.
I hate the damn Penguins, but man, you have got to just let your jaw drop at some of these plays they are making. The finals are going to be much closer than they were last year. I can see a Detroit/Pittsburgh final going to game 7 in OT.
I want to check out Warren 77 too. How was the vibe and the prices and such?
Man, I have to wear sunglasses while I am typing this right now. I had way too much Sam’s Summer Ale and shots of grape vodka last night. I have only myself to blame (sigh) I have only myself to blame. HA. Have a good day everyone.
Ry Mac
May 23rd, 2009 at 4:12 am
Random question to everyone here but I found this hysterical…
If anyone has seen the new Terminator movie, take a second look at the character Marcus Wright who was half man/half machine in the film…im convinced, Sean Avery is secretly playing rolls in Hollywood movies staring as a terminator. Just found it kinda funny if anyone thought the same thing haha
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Ry Mac, I saw the movie earlier today and I gotta say, after reading your post, I was waiting for the guy, and honestly, as soon as they showed him on the screen I started crackin up (to myself). My fiance said “whats wrong” I said “ITS AVERY!!!!!!!” For the rest of the movie (which I really liked by the way) I was mesmerized by the guy!!! At the end I told my fiance, Sean Avery saves the day AGAIIIIIIIIIIIIN!