The Rangers Tribune

HBO's "24/7: Road to the NHL Winter Classic" Premieres Tonight

The time has finally come. HBO will be premiering it's 2011 edition of "24/7: Road to the NHL Winter Classic" tonight at 10 p.m. eastern time. Of course, this year's storyline will follow the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers in the weeks leading up to the actual game on January 2 at Citizen's Bank Park, and tonight will be the very first episode, which will cover about a week's worth of games. 

In games that HBO has been in attendance to tape, the Rangers have went 3-2-1, so we'll get to see some emotional swings I'm sure. Keep in mind that this includes the match-up between the Rangers and Flyers that took place in November, which the Blueshirts won, 2-0. Aside from that game, the Flyers have been undefeated since HBO began installing the cameras. 

Some things I will be looking for:

- John Tortorella. To see Torts behind closed doors in general will be an experience in itself, and I'm very anxious to see his temperament in the locker room and with the other coaches. I think many people will be surprised by Torts after seeing this. 

- Pranks. I get the sense that Brian Boyle, Brandon Prust, Derek Stepan and a few others are quite the pranksters. I could very well be wrong, but I have a feeling these guys will have us laughing on multiple occasions. 

- Dan Girardi. I really hope this guy finally gets the attention he deserves. 

- Henrik Lundqvist. Wait until you see how serious Lundqvist is in practice and before a game. The man is part-psycho (in a good way) and you will likely see why tonight. 

- Powerplay strategy. I'm not aware of how much the Rangers are actually allowing HBO to show the audience, but I really hope we get to see how this team goes about instructing players on the powerplay. I still don't get it. 

- Cars. In last year's series featuring the Penguins and Capitals, we got to see what many of the players drove around. I'm a car fanatic, so I'm definitely going to enjoy that part of it. 

- Sean Avery. Any glimpse of Sean Avery that we get should be interesting. Especially if they got him mic'd. 

I'm really looking forward to this entire series. You learn a lot about a team and individuals when you see their daily life and personality away from the flashing lights. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest things a fan could ask for. 

Stop by the blog after the episode (or tomorrow morning) for a full review of episode one. 

Torts Shows Concern with HBO Cameras, but No Restrictions

HBO permanently planted their cameras behind-the-scenes with the Rangers this past week to begin their taping for "24/7", which will follow the club from now until the Winter Classic in Philadelphia on January 2. They already have three games of coverage, as not only did they have cameras in place for this past week's match-ups with the Maple Leafs and Lightning, but they also were there last month when the Rangers defeated the Flyers, 2-0, at Madison Square Garden. The Blueshirts will play three more games -- vs. Buffalo, Florida and Dallas -- before this coming Wednesday's premier episode of the series. 

Obviously the atmosphere in the locker room and at the practice facility changes a bit with the cameras constantly following the players and the coaches, and with a head coach that is very tight-lipped when it comes to his club behind closed doors, that could be a potential problem. However, the New York Post spoke with the producer of "24/7", and while he says John Tortorella has expressed concerns, he has not set any restrictions. At least not yet. 

“The coach has made it clear that, yes, he is concerned about things that provide glimpses at their strategy and possibly with their injuries, but he has not given us restrictions on what we can do,” HBO’s coordinator producer Dave Harmon said.

“We are expecting the full cooperation of the Rangers. We are not expecting any less than we got from the Penguins, Capitals or what we are to get from the Flyers. Until I see otherwise, I’m not worried about it.”

You can't possibly blame Tortorella there, because as we know, he has some very distinct and original procedures with his team that were instilled when he took over as coach, and while it will be great to see some of those for the first time during this series, some others are not the business of anyone outside of the club. 

“But we’ve found with ‘Hard Knocks’ and the NHL so far that that [setting areas off-limits] is incredibly rare,’’ Harmon said. “It’s more is in the training room with injuries than it is with anything else, where there’s doctor/patient privilege and things like that that teams simply don’t want the rest of the league finding out about.”

Whether he will readily admit it or not, Tortorella is excited about the experience, and certainly feels special for his team to be able to go through this process and have them shown as ambassadors of the sport of hockey. He understands the concept behind it all, and that is why he is willing to cope with the cameras and everything else. It's all worth it in the end. 

I can't not point out, though, that the Rangers haven't won since the cameras came in on December 5. I don't think the two are connected in any way, but who wants the first episode to be full of losses on New York's end? Certainly not me, so hopefully the winning ways return tonight in Buffalo.

Winter Classic Promo, Rangers Toy Drive, J.T. Miller

One thing the NHL has always done right is their commercials, and in my opinion, they did a tremendous job with the Winter Classic promo for NBC, below. If this doesn't get you juiced for January 2, then I don't know what will...

 

Gotta love Artem Anisimv's face there.

On a serious note, the Rangers will be holding their annual toy drive at Madison Square Garden this evening from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and donating a toy will give fans the opportunity to interact with the players who are on-hand for the event. It's a fantastic tradition that the Rangers have held for 18 years, so if you are in the area, make someone's Christmas by donating a toy. 

Lastly, Rangers prospect J.T. Miller was invited to the U.S. World Junior Championship camp yesterday, as he will get a shot at cracking the final lineup for the annual tournament that takes place from late December to early January. Miller has had a great first season in the OHL to this point, recording 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points in 29 games for the Plymouth Whalers.

Dubinsky Calls Shelley a "Terrible Hockey Player"

In Friday's preview of the HBO 24/7 series (watch here) that will follow the Rangers and Flyers for the next month leading up to the 2012 Winter Classic, Philadelphia enforcer Jody Shelley referred to New York forward Brandon Dubinsky as a "weasel" that you "like to get at". 

Today, following Rangers practice, Dubinsky had a response to Shelley's comments that only increases the hatred between the two teams and boosts the trash-talking going in. Here's what Dubi had to say, courtesy of the Daily News...

“First of all, if I was him, I’d keep my mouth shut if I don’t play, especially since I never see him on the ice,” Dubinsky said of Shelley. “He’s usually just yapping from the bench, and I guess now he’s yapping from behind the video camera. So that’s about all I have to say.

“Jody Shelley - it won’t be long before he’s out of the league, because he’s a terrible hockey player,” he said.

That's deep stuff, but I can't help but to agree with what Brandon says here. How, exactly, is Brandon Dubinsky the weasel as a role player on this team, while Shelley is nothing but a fighter for Philadelphia? 

And, to be honest, as far as skills go, Shelley is terrible. He can drop the mitts and that is about it. But as fans you have to love this sort of stuff. It only increases the anticipation of the game on January 2. 

Rangers Unveil 2012 Winter Classic Jerseys

The New York Rangers unveiled their jerseys for the 2012 NHL Winter Classic this afternoon in Central Park, which you could've watched right here on the blog. Below are the jerseys, followed by my thoughts on the newly-designed sweaters. 

I love the look of these jerseys, and they just so happen to resemble the new look I launched on the blog this morning. The crest actually looks better on the jersey than I originally thought it would, and I think the red and blue stripes on the shoulders add to the look as well. 

Very well done, Rangers. Very well done. 

Share your thoughts on the jerseys in the comments. I want to hear what you think!

Watch the live stream of the unveiling here. 

Live Stream of Rangers Winter Classic Jersey Unveiling

The New York Rangers will be officially unveiling their jerseys for the 2012 NHL Winter Classic at 4 p.m. eastern time. Watch the unveiling live, below. 

 

Video: Rangers-Flyers HBO 24/7 Preview

On Friday night, HBO aired a 12-minute preview of the 24/7 series that will follow the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers beginning on December 14 leading up to the January 2 Winter Classic. If you missed it and forgot to set the DVR, or don't have HBO at all, below is the preview for you to watch...

 

Remember, the Rangers will be unveiling their jerseys for the 2012 Winter Classic tomorrow at 4 p.m. eastern time. Also, tomorrow morning on the blog you will notice some changes in design. In spirit of the Winter Classic theme, The Rangers Tribune will have a bit of a vintage look to it. You'll like the new design I put together over the weekend, I promise. 

I created a page on the blog for all of your latest Winter Classic news as well. You can find that by clicking here or hitting the "Winter Classic" tab up on the navigation bar. 

Rangers Announce Winter Classic Alumni Roster

The New York Rangers have announced their roster for the 2012 Alumni Game between the Blueshirts and Philadelphia Flyers at Citizen's Bank Park on December 31. 

Forwards: Glenn Anderson, Paul Broten, Ron Duguay, Nick Fotiu, Mike Gartner, Adam Graves, Pat Hickey, Kris King, Nick Kypreos, Darren Langdon, Stephane Matteau, Brian Mullen, Darren Turcotte.

Defensemen: Ron Greschner, Darius Kasparaitis, Tom Laidlaw, Brian Leetch, Dave Maloney, Dale Purinton, Mathieu Schneider.

Goalies: Dan Blackburn, John Vanbiesbrouck.

Coaches: Mike Keenan (head coach), Emile Francis, Colin Campbell.

Mark Messier is not on the roster at the moment as he is scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery in early December, but he is hoping he will recover in time to play. Mike Richter is trying to get clearance from his doctors so that he can play in the game as well. 

The Alumni game will be televised on VERSUS. 

Flyers Unveil Winter Classic Jersey, Rangers Likely Next Week

The Philadelphia Flyers unveiled their jersey for the 2012 Winter Classic in Philadelphia earlier today. The picture below is the official sweater, courtesy of NHL.com, and as you can see, they've went with a slightly deeper shade of orange, added a black stripe to the bottom and completely blacked out the shoulders. 

I have to be completely honest here, and the Flyers are by far my most hated team in the NHL, but these jerseys aren't half bad. They give off that vintage look that I think the Winter Classic tries to encapsulate plus they are original. My hope is that the Rangers will take a similar approach with their Winter Classic jersey. 

Speaking of which, according to Andrew Gross, the Rangers could unveil their design as soon as next week. Everything you've seen online and even at Madison Square Garden is not authentic. I don't know where all of these fake sweaters have come from, but that's all they are - fakes. The official design is supposed to be released next week. 

Personally, I'm looking for the Rangers to bring the crest back just as they wore in the late-70's. The purpose of these sweaters is to differ from the current ones, and I think the crest would do the job. I'd be fine with that, or if they decided to make a white version of the current alternate jersey, that would work well too. 

We'll know next week. 

Video: Sather Steals the Show at Winter Classic Presser

For those of you that didn't get a chance to catch the Glen Sather speech during the Winter Classic press conference on NHL Network that I talked about earlier, here it is...

 

Transcript: 

"We're gonna come to Philadelphia, and we are going to win. [Crowd boos, somebody says "no way!"] Now that's more like it! I knew I could get a rise out of you sooner or later. It's a great event. I've respected the fans in Philadelphia all the years I've been here. I'm sorry we kicked the hell out of you twice in the Stanley Cup [shock, awe from crowd] and we're going to do the same thing on [Jan. 2] and at the end of the year we will be carrying the Cup, just like the Yankees are going to have the world championship as well."