And so is anyone terribly surprised that Valeri Kamensky somehow came up with a sore foot that prevented him from participating in last night’s Garden match against the Canadiens?
Game 81 it was in this season of dishonor, a chore to play for just about every Ranger veteran. Home game 40 it was, too, the first at the Garden since last Tuesday’s twin dismissals of Neil Smith and John Muckler. It was also the first at the Garden since Kamensky, Theo Fleury and Kevin Hatcher were targeted for verbal abuse by the fans – no fools, these paying customers – throughout last Monday’s 6-0 loss to the Red Wings.
Some Rangers learned at the morning skate that Kamensky had become disabled. There were guffaws. Others discovered the news upon reporting to the Garden. There was head-shaking.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall during next week’s post-season meeting between Kamensky, paid $6 million this season, the first on a guaranteed four-year, $17M contract, and assistant GM Don Maloney.
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The agents for the suspended Stephane Quintal have not yet requested that the NHLPA file a grievance on the defenseman’s behalf. Rather, and despite Dave Checketts’ declaration earlier in the week that he has no intention of meeting with Quintal or his representatives, Steve Reich yesterday sent the Garden president a letter requesting such an audience.
Clearly, Checketts had every right – if not the responsibility – to send Quintal home for the final week of the season after the defenseman told the Montreal newspaper, La Presse, that his heart had remained in Montreal, that he wanted to play next season for the Canadiens but that if he had no choice he would return to the Rangers.
But there’s something quite chilling indeed about a team being permitted to suspend a player without pay for remarks made to a newspaper. In effect, Ranger players now operate under a gag order. Who’s to say what will or what will not be deemed “inappropriate” by management?
(Strange, isn’t it, that the locker room was silent yesterday morning when a reporter asked for volunteers interested in airing their gripes with the team?)
If Checketts does not rescind the suspension and pay Quintal for the final week – an amount around $113,000 – the NHLPA will be obligated to file a grievance on the defenseman’s behalf. And should the case actually go to a hearing, the arbitrator surely will rule on the side of the union.
Meanwhile, the word from Montreal is that the Canadiens have no interest in reacquiring Quintal, at least not as long as Alain Vigneault remains behind the bench.
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Mike Richter’s surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee was deemed a success by Dr. Bart Nisonson, who, with Dr. Tony Maddalo, performed the 90-minute procedure yesterday at Lenox Hill Hospital.
“The procedure performed on Mike went extremely well,” Dr. Nisonson said. “Following the operation, the knee was very secure and stable. After the necessary rehabilitation, we are extremely optimistic that Mike will return to full form.”
The rehab process for Richter, who sustained the injury during the All Star Skills competition in Toronto on Feb. 5 but continued to play through last Monday, is expected to last six months. That means that the Rangers will go through the entire 2000 training camp and will begin the 2000-2001 season without their No. 1 goaltender.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Jean-Francois Labbe, recalled Tuesday from Hartford, made his NHL debut last night against the Canadiens. Labbe, whom the Rangers signed as a free agent over the summer, had been 27-11-7 with a 2.53 GAA for the Wolf Pack. Kirk McLean was the back-up.
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Kamensky was not the only Ranger to miss the match because of injury. Rich Pilon (shoulder) and Jan Hlavac (foot) were also unable to go. Daniel Goneau and Jason Dawe replaced Hlavac and Kamensky, while 22-year-old defenseman Alexei Vasiliev made his NHL debut.
Rangers entered the match winless in their last seven (0-6-1), having been outscored 24-6 in their last five. The Blueshirts were 1-9-2 in their last 12, 6-16-5 since the All-Star Break.