Kitchener Rangers 2015-16 Season Thread

[bobber]

Can I ask....

will Nick McHugh and Elijah Roberts stick with Rangers or will he be sent to Dutchmen?

Just a note. The Dutchmen have only so many roster spots. They are privately owned. Some Ranger cuts will have to be sent to other centers.

 

[ILuvHackey]

Just a note. The Dutchmen have only so many roster spots. They are privately owned. Some Ranger cuts will have to be sent to other centers.

With the Dutchmen affiliation, Murray spends a lot of time talking to Lund (Dutchmen GM) and there's a back-and-forth relationship of helping eachother out. However, Kitchener has used other Jr. B teams in the area...

Connor Hall played in Elmira last year, Peterson is there this year, I believe
Mitch Rooney is in Waterloo this year
Del Zotto and Poletek are in Cambridge

Those four seem to be the big 4 the Rangers like to use.

 

[bobber]

With the Dutchmen affiliation, Murray spends a lot of time talking to Lund (Dutchmen GM) and there's a back-and-forth relationship of helping eachother out. However, Kitchener has used other Jr. B teams in the area...

Connor Hall played in Elmira last year, Peterson is there this year, I believe
Mitch Rooney is in Waterloo this year
Del Zotto and Poletek are in Cambridge

Those four seem to be the big 4 the Rangers like to use.

Big Lacours is also in Cambridge this season. Not sure of the spelling. My point is not all players cut can always be sent to the Dutchies.

 

[rgrsboom]

Worth acquiring the rights to Tortora for a 15th round pick. In two years MH can decide if he's worth the 3 x 2nds and pursue him ... or not. Great value if he's the next Derek Roy ... not so great if he's the next Scott Teskey.

I know we seemed to have move on from this trade discussion, but did want to add my two cents. If we had an abundance of 2nd rounders stockpiled, this trade could make sense for me. But we don't. And what got us into the rut we have been in for the last few years? A lack of quality draft picks. If we give away our second rounder in three consecutive years, this guy better turn out to be Derek Roy. Chances are, he will be somewhere between Roy and Teskey - and then what do we do??
With regard to the Dmen, I really like Roberts. Liked him from the first time I watched him walk the puck across the blueline on the powerplay without falling (a la Logan Schmidt). He is quick and smart, but I am not sure we can give him enough ice to grow his potential, so I would like to see him play a big time role on a Jr. B squad somewhere and let the other 7 fight it out for ice. Hall and Allen have earned the opportunity to play in key minutes and can be a big asset for this team, not only this year, but in the future when they will anchor our D.

 

[OhSheila]

You do realize those draft picks are I 2020, 2021 & 2022?

Murray has shown he can restock draft picks.

 

[EvenSteven]

I know we seemed to have move on from this trade discussion, but did want to add my two cents. If we had an abundance of 2nd rounders stockpiled, this trade could make sense for me. But we don't. And what got us into the rut we have been in for the last few years? A lack of quality draft picks. If we give away our second rounder in three consecutive years, this guy better turn out to be Derek Roy. Chances are, he will be somewhere between Roy and Teskey - and then what do we do?

As was mentioned above, Hiebert has shown he's not afraid to sell to acquire high picks. Spott was the sole reason we were in the rut we were in for those few years. He refused to pay the big prices of the day to put us over the top in years when we had the team to go for it. To years he should have pulled out all the stops to go for it was 2012 and 2013. He allowed London (Austin Watson) and Belleville (the centre from the Petes whose name escapes me right now) outbid us in successive years and whined because the prices were too high. Then in years when he should have sold off like Murray did last year, he stood pat or added marginal pieces to get an extra playoff round in. 2011 is a good example. He should have sold off high end OA's Akeson and Tipoff for picks. Instead, he tried to deal Thomson for Carnevale (Thomson vetoed it) then stood pat.

On the other hand, down the 401 in London, the Hunters know when to buy and when to sell. Not often they stand pat. They sold when Kane and Gagner weren't returned (massive return for Mason and AJ Perry) and sold again in 2011 when they dealt their OA's for multiple high picks.

We need to follow suit depending on how we are doing every year. Looks to me like Hiebert knows what he's doing. If the kid reports and Barrie gets the 2nd rounders, I'm confident that Hiebert will replace those picks in trade.

 

[Finster8]

Hall gets 10 games.

 

[RangerDanger]

Is Hall eligible to play Jr B during his OHL suspension time?

 

[aresknights]

Can't see him being allowed to play B or any other league associated with OHA or HC. But if I'm mistaken someone please correct.

 

[bobber]

Can't see him being allowed to play B or any other league associated with OHA or HC. But if I'm mistaken someone please correct.

I think you are correct aresknights. Never heard of an OHL player playing elsewhere during suspension. Hall plays a rugged game. Hope it doesn't effect the way he plays the rest of the season. The Rangers really needed a shot of sandpaper the last few seasons. It helps to get fans into the game and creates a loud atmosphere. Opposing teams liked playing in Kitchener. Opposing players should never be comfortable playing here. If they go home miserable and frustrated the Rangers have done a good job. I think all fans and Rangers players should be given a big shot of Irish Whiskey before every game....(kidding) I just mean the players.

 

[Ward Cornell]

But if I'm mistaken someone please correct.

You'll be waiting a mighty long time!

 

[Ward Cornell]

Hope it doesn't effect the way he plays the rest of the season.

I doubt that would happen with McKee in charge of the D.

I have no issues with the 10 games that Hall got since the hit was definitely interference with an ill-timed hit. The hit may have been the hardest I've seen in the O since the Scott Stevens days!
But if that pass connected I'm positive the hit would be "clean". I saw the hit live and watched it in slo-mo on the PVR and still hasn't seen a head shot!

 

[EvenSteven]

I doubt that would happen with McKee in charge of the D.

I have no issues with the 10 games that Hall got since the hit was definitely interference with an ill-timed hit. The hit may have been the hardest I've seen in the O since the Scott Stevens days!
But if that pass connected I'm positive the hit would be "clean". I saw the hit live and watched it in slo-mo on the PVR and still hasn't seen a head shot!

I do have an issue with the ten games. This hit was timed correctly had the pass not been intercepted by the player's teammate. That teammate was right behind Hall's target. The time elapsed from the time the puck was intercepted to the time Hall made contact was bang bang. Hall was at the point of no return and couldn't avoid contact at that point.

These things need to be taken into account when video is being reviewed by the league. This wasn't a headshot that happened a zone away from the puck. It was a clean hit that became interference an instant before contact. On top of that, we have an officiating crew that get excited every time there's a big hit and toss around headshot and/or match penalties as if they've just witnessed a car wreck.

As far as McKee's direction goes, he'd better be telling his charges that open ice hits are a thing of the past in this league because clean or not, if it's the least bit explosive and the player stays down long even for a trainer to appear on the ice, this league will suspend for 10 games (the norm the last couple of years). Branch and company will back their on ice officials most every time and suspend no matter what actually happened on the ice.

Either that or prepare to have enough defenseman on the roster to ice six as we'll almost always have one or two guys serving suspensions.

 

[Sleeperpick]

I doubt that would happen with McKee in charge of the D.

I have no issues with the 10 games that Hall got since the hit was definitely interference with an ill-timed hit. The hit may have been the hardest I've seen in the O since the Scott Stevens days!
But if that pass connected I'm positive the hit would be "clean". I saw the hit live and watched it in slo-mo on the PVR and still hasn't seen a head shot!

The call on the ice was Head check. It was no head check IMHO . If it had been, he would have been concussed for sure. So then it becomes a 10 game interference penalty? WTF.

 

[Ward Cornell]

I do have an issue with the ten games. This hit was timed correctly had the pass not been intercepted by the player's teammate. That teammate was right behind Hall's target. The time elapsed from the time the puck was intercepted to the time Hall made contact was bang bang. Hall was at the point of no return and couldn't avoid contact at that point.

These things need to be taken into account when video is being reviewed by the league. This wasn't a headshot that happened a zone away from the puck. It was a clean hit that became interference an instant before contact. On top of that, we have an officiating crew that get excited every time there's a big hit and toss around headshot and/or match penalties as if they've just witnessed a car wreck.

As far as McKee's direction goes, he'd better be telling his charges that open ice hits are a thing of the past in this league because clean or not, if it's the least bit explosive and the player stays down long even for a trainer to appear on the ice, this league will suspend for 10 games (the norm the last couple of years). Branch and company will back their on ice officials most every time and suspend no matter what actually happened on the ice.

Either that or prepare to have enough defenseman on the roster to ice six as we'll almost always have one or two guys serving suspensions.

When I said that "I had no issues with the 10 games" it's due to the fact that 10 games now is the norm for a hard hit. I do 100% agree with the rest of your post. If the pass connected it was a clean hit according to the rules. BUT now a days any really hard hit either the on ice officials or the gerbils in the OHL offices will find something wrong with it and throw out a 10 game suspension!
I still think that the 'dog player who ran Hall after should've a similar suspension...left feet to deliver hit plus he manhandled to linesman.

 

[bobber]

When I said that "I had no issues with the 10 games" it's due to the fact that 10 games now is the norm for a hard hit. I do 100% agree with the rest of your post. If the pass connected it was a clean hit according to the rules. BUT now a days any really hard hit either the on ice officials or the gerbils in the OHL offices will find something wrong with it and throw out a 10 game suspension!
I still think that the 'dog player who ran Hall after should've a similar suspension...left feet to deliver hit plus he manhandled to linesman.

Ward I agree with your opinion on the suspension even though I never witnessed the incident. It's par for the course that the league mandates these long suspensions. It's part of the program because of concussions. The NHL has hired spotters to watch for systems in players that may have been concussed. In saying that I think most people like a hard hitting team. Guess players have to pick their spots. The refs will be looking at players with reputations for hard hits. There is even a discussion in soccer about players wearing helmets because of concussions heading the ball. Guess it's something we as fans have to get use to whether we like it or not.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Ward I agree with your opinion on the suspension even though I never witnessed the incident. It's par for the course that the league mandates these long suspensions. It's part of the program because of concussions. The NHL has hired spotters to watch for systems in players that may have been concussed. In saying that I think most people like a hard hitting team. Guess players have to pick their spots. The refs will be looking at players with reputations for hard hits. There is even a discussion in soccer about players wearing helmets because of concussions heading the ball. Guess it's something we as fans have to get use to whether we like it or not.

We're just evaluating the hits from the written rules....so far I haven't seen the unwritten ones!
100% on board for protecting players from head injuries. I suspect in very few yrs that football will no longer be played at the highschool levels due to
the liability issues.
Read in todays paper that Forest Heights High School isn't fielding football teams this yr due to lack of players (maybe parents won't let them play?)

 

[bobber]

We're just evaluating the hits from the written rules....so far I haven't seen the unwritten ones!
100% on board for protecting players from head injuries. I suspect in very few yrs that football will no longer be played at the highschool levels due to
the liability issues.
Read in todays paper that Forest Heights High School isn't fielding football teams this yr due to lack of players (maybe parents won't let them play?)

As a fan we hate to see players suspended. I was hoping Hall would get less but some how knew he would be punished going by the previous recent history of suspensions handed out and reading descriptions of the hit. I still want to see a team that doesn't shy away from contact. I just like gritty games that keep fans from sitting on their hands all night and gets the crowd into the game. Guess it's an old fashion view.

 

[EvenSteven]

I still think that the 'dog player who ran Hall after should've a similar suspension...left feet to deliver hit plus he manhandled to linesman.

The actions of that Dogs player was the sort of stuff that got Mike Masciolli a couple 5 game suspensions a few years ago. Never mind a suspension, I can't believe they let him stay in the game after his actions. But then, this is the OHL.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Went to today's practice (first time this yr) and been attending them about once every cpl weeks for years now. Today was the first time ever that I've seen the team spend anytime on passing, puck-handling and shooting skills....the entire practice. What I saw today, I'm definitively more at ease with having MVR as head coach and was impressed with the interaction and hands-on approach of McKee and Daniel Tkachuk


Also saw Brandon Robinson working out with no apparent after affects from his surgery

 

[Phatpat88]

Overagers

Do the rangers only have 2 overage guys on the team and does anyone know some top overaged players that we might be able to get

 

[bobber]

Do the rangers only have 2 overage guys on the team and does anyone know some top overaged players that we might be able to get

I think you are correct. The Rangers according to Brown are actively in the market for another OA. I think they said Greenfield was the other and he has moved on.

 

[EvenSteven]

according to Josh Brown in today's Record, Meireles it's supposed to be playing in our next 2 exhibition games. If he does, that'll put an end to the uncertainty as to whether or not he comes here next year as he'll be disqualifying himself from being NCAA eligible.

Does anybody know whether or not these games will be televised? They are in Mississauga and Niagara. Too bad they are road games. Would have loved to see him in game action at the Aud.

 

[EON]

signing with Kitchener makes him NCAA ineligible

 

[EvenSteven]

signing with Kitchener makes him NCAA ineligible

I would have thought that he'd still be ok to go NCAA as long as he didn't play games or accept gifts etc etc.

Or does to NCAA recognize that the actual signing of a contract is the point of no return?

Just asking. I'm a little sketchy on that issue.