Come the end of August, I usually throw away my hockey hat in favor of my figure skater’s cap and head up to the Olympic Center  in Lake Placid for Adult Skate Week. Twice each year, in June and August, adult recreational and competitive figure skaters can improve their technique, exhibit their programs, test and have some fun with friends old and new.

This year I thought, as in 2005, I would see the USA Ladies try out for the 2010 Olympic Team. Unfortunately, that’s not on the schedule. But I couldn’t be happier about the fact that in addition to three time Olympic Pairs Gold Medalists Oleg and Lumilla Protopopov, we will be graced with Olympians John Zimmerman and Silvia Fontana as guest instructors.

It’s going to be a big week for me. I’m testing the Adult Bronze Moves in the Field at the conclusion of the week. All of the preliminary tests I’d taken back in the 80’s have been re-verified. I don’t have to start again from scratch.  I have been promising myself to rejoin US Figure Skating and I am now making good on that promise. Scratch another item off my bucket list.

At this time of year, things in the hockey world are usually uneventful. Enjoy what’s left of the summer. Unless Glen Sather trades for Dany Heatley, I’ll see  you after September 1.

Posted under New York Rangers

Deepest sympathy to Jose and his wife Stephanie who lost their two month old baby boy. 

Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Posted under New York Rangers

The fact that the Patrick Kane incident last week in Buffalo is going to a grand jury to see if an indictment is warranted is a waste of taxpayer money.

The media and the public over dramatize any hint of wrongdoing by people in the public eye. Lately sports figures, rightly or wrongly, have born the brunt of this attention.

When the world first heard the news about the Kane’s altercation with the cab driver through the usual hockey media outlets, it read to me as a clear cut case of  two young punks assaulting a cab driver. But the report didn’t ring true. Why would a big hockey star like Patrick Kane become involved in such an unseemly and petty situation?

Sure, two young fellas out on a Saturday night had probably hoisted a few beers with friends. They were smart enough not to drink and drive. So, they do the right thing and  hail a cab. What transpired in the cab is unknown. It ends up in a violent incident with the cousins seemingly assaulting the cab driver. Now Patrick Kane and his cousin are facing a felony robbery and misdemeanor counts of theft and criminal mischief.

Apparently, a witness saw the altercation and said the boys were beating up the cabbie. The cabbie lawyers up and appears in interviews with cuts and bruises. It’s looking really bad for Patrick Kane.  

Then, the lawyer for the cabbie pulls in his horns and says that the whole incident is being blown out of proportion. Hmm. Maybe the cabbie’s lawyer just learned of Kane’s lawyer’s revealation to the press that this cabbie apparently has a couple of DUI convictions and was driving the Kanes without a valid driver’s license?

The fact that cab drivers in Buffalo apparently have the right to lock doors on passenger should be challenged.  How is that not considered involuntary imprisonment or kidnapping?  And, this wasn’t the first time this same cab driver had altercations with passengers and locked his doors.

If the Kanes are not convicted of any criminal wrongdoing, the cabbie and his lawyer will not have much of a case for a civil suit. By saying the case was being blown out of proportion was, to me, clearly an attempt by the cabbie’s lawyer to backpeddle his client’s criminal history in an attempt to seek an out of court settlement.

Frankly, if the grand jury finds in favor of Patrick Kane and his cousin, the cabbie and his lawyer should be made to pay all the court costs. After all, it was his statement to the police that forced a grand jury proceeding in the first place.

Maybe a ruling in favor of the Kanes and against the cabbie will make opportunists out there think twice before trying to squeeze money out sports stars and celebrities. It certainly would cut down on the frivolous litigation clogging up the court systems.

Posted under New York Rangers

With absolutely nothing going on with the Rangers in particular and hockey in general, all of us diehards are jonesing for some Ranger news, any hockey news. The two biggest stories of the week are Nik Zherdev’s imminent signing with the KHL and two cousins raising Kane on a Saturday night in that armpit of the universe, that mistake by the lake, beautiful downtown Buffalo. C’est ennui.

Sure some out there were revelling in the homecoming of Cindy Crosby and his hard earned Stanley Cup. Did I really just say that? The heat is making me delusional. I couldn’t bring myself to watch that footage lest I become nauseous. Yawn.

So. with nothing sufficient to entertain, I cruised on over to the New York Rangers website and started reading the titles of the Rangers On Demand videos. Low and behold, what did I see?  Aaron Voros expounded on how he can’t wait for September to come. Yeah Aaron, I hope come September you’ll be starting on the Wolfpack.

Among a few of the other video gems:

Avery Looks Back on His Boyhood. What, pulling wings off flies? Pulling girls behind the Tasty-Freeze? Riveting. 

Drury Recalls His Little League Experience. I guess that’s because he’d rather not recall his recent big league experience.

Drury and Avery look ahead to the 2009-2010 Season. Why, because neither dare look back at 2008-2009?

Avery at his new bar Warren 77. Avery at Bonoroo. Avery stealing Sanchez’s girlfriend at Brother Jimmy’s. Avery, Avery,  Everywhere. All Avery All the Time. You give us 22 minutes, we’ll give you the Avery news. I’ll lay money that Avery will be wearing an “A” very soon. From pariah to poster boy in 6 months. Nice work Sean.  Make sure you don’t screw up again. Three strikes and you’re a turkey, as they say in bowling.

Speaking of three strikes, Theo Fleury wants to stage a comeback at age 41. Someone needs to bind and gag Sather so he doesn’t invite Fleury to tryout. I always liked Theo and felt bad for him and his demons but the man shouldn’t be playing hockey anymore. Who does he think he is, Brendan Shanahan?

Posted under New York Rangers