Kitchener Rangers 2023-24 Off-Season Thread (Part 1)

[bobber]

Love not listening to Doyle and Sloan drone on. Like chalk on a blackboard. Rangers only real weapon is the power play. Motew not back in the 3rd? If concussion Larence should get more than O'Reilly. Mercer ties it up.

 

[bobber]

Got to play 60 minutes against a team like the Knights. Better effort on the power play tonight. Rangers just don't go to the net enough. Not an easy place to go to without taking a roughing up. Knights are just a solid physical team from the goalie out. Jussi called the Motew hit a viscous blindsided hit.

 

[Krangers08]

Very entertaining 2nd half of the game.

 

[RangerNation]

Well they tried.

 

[robertmac43]

that hit on Motew is going to get some games. Brutal hit!

 

[Krangers08]

that hit on Motew is going to get some games. Brutal hit!

Did he come back? Might be Tanner Lam defence time
Stark didn’t look too bad back there, and Thought misaljevic had his best game.

 

[Matttheleaf]

I see that Motew left the game injured. That's yet another rangers player that has been injured by a knight.

 

[superdee]

Sorry to say Rangers fan that the Lawrence penalty should not have been a major. They were both skating for the puck. One is 6’7 and the other with his head down. Lawrence had the same right to that space as Motew did. Take off the blue glasses. What about the elbow to Sims head? That was flagrant! No penalty! The Rangers and Refs couldn’t beat the Knights.

 

[RangerNation]

Sorry to say Rangers fan that the Lawrence penalty should not have been a major. They were both skating for the puck. One is 6’7 and the other with his head down. Lawrence had the same right to that space as Motew did. Take off the blue glasses. What about the elbow to Sims head? That was flagrant! No penalty! The Rangers and Refs couldn’t beat the Knights.

K

 

[rangersblues]

Sorry to say Rangers fan that the Lawrence penalty should not have been a major. They were both skating for the puck. One is 6’7 and the other with his head down. Lawrence had the same right to that space as Motew did. Take off the blue glasses. What about the elbow to Sims head? That was flagrant! No penalty! The Rangers and Refs couldn’t beat the Knights.

Get out of here. That's one of the more crazy statements of recent times. Go sell your BS on the London board. No one's buying it here!

That was not only a 5 minute major but it deserves a lengthy suspension. If that hit wasn't targeting the head then they might as well have open season. By the way McCue also targeted minutes later on Brzustewicz. He just happened to duck in time or it would have been another injury. By coincidence it was the same area of the ice that McCue got away with a shot to Mesar that put him out. No call!

By my count that's 3 Rangers that London has put out with concussions in 9 games this season. One guy is condoning this - Hunter. Time the league has a long look at him.

Hunter is a fantastic coach. The best in the league at developing players. But c'mon man. There's no room for crap like this. Hunter made a career out of crossing the line. Ruined Pierre Turgeon's career. Now apparently he's passing it on to his players. I like hard nosed hockey as much as the next guy but there's no place for stuff like that. Hopefully Lawrence gets made an example. It's long overdue!

 

[Mach85]

Sorry to say Rangers fan that the Lawrence penalty should not have been a major. They were both skating for the puck. One is 6’7 and the other with his head down. Lawrence had the same right to that space as Motew did. Take off the blue glasses. What about the elbow to Sims head? That was flagrant! No penalty! The Rangers and Refs couldn’t beat the Knights.

Your team's up 3-0 in the series. Do you really think it's necessary to come into the opposing team's thread immediately post-game and post something like this? Show some class.

 

[Matttheleaf]

Sorry to say Rangers fan that the Lawrence penalty should not have been a major. They were both skating for the puck. One is 6’7 and the other with his head down. Lawrence had the same right to that space as Motew did. Take off the blue glasses. What about the elbow to Sims head? That was flagrant! No penalty! The Rangers and Refs couldn’t beat the Knights.

I guess 20+ years of drinking milk straight from the OHL's teet has turned your brain to mush. Go back to your own thread you troll.

 

[robertmac43]

They were both skating for the puck

And?

 

[EvenSteven]

Just wondering, does anybody have any idea who of our draft picks were in attendance tonight? I know Headrick was there. It looked like there had to be seven or eight at least on the big screen. Were there any significant no-shows?

 

[Spinner]

Just wondering, does anybody have any idea who of our draft picks were in attendance tonight? I know Headrick was there. It looked like there had to be seven or eight at least on the big screen. Were there any significant no-shows?

Xu was absent

 

[EvenSteven]

Xu was absent

 

[Krangers08]

Xu was absent

Wasn’t he seen at a game this year? He probably already got the tour. Top rated guy usually tour teams throughout the year.

 

[EvenSteven]

He already got the tour

I hope so. Really need him to report.

Any word on dates for rookie camp?

 

[Krangers08]

I hope so. Really need him to report.

Any word on dates for rookie camp?

8th round flyer, Maybe he comes in his draft year.
Was in the middle of may last year.

 

[rangersblues]

I hope so. Really need him to report.

Any word on dates for rookie camp?

As a rule I don't necessarily need draft picks to report their rookie season. Nothing wrong with them getting some experience at a slightly lower level. But with all the openings on the blue line next season it would be a great opportunity for Xu to dive right in to the OHL deep end.

 

[TheBlueMonster]

8th round flyer, Maybe he comes in his draft year.
Was in the middle of may last year.

Do we have any gold education slots coming off the books this year? MIght be what he's looking for?

Also, for the group, where are we at on talking about the future?

Usually wait until the day after elimination but nothing in this series outside of 1 period gives me hope that Thursday will be any different? lol.

 

[Krangers08]

The u18 draft is today. Dakota betts was the only player drafted by Kitchener to play in the league.

Rangers seem to find their guys through free agency.

 

[EvenSteven]

Do we have any gold education slots coming off the books this year? MIght be what he's looking for?

Also, for the group, where are we at on talking about the future?

Usually wait until the day after elimination but nothing in this series outside of 1 period gives me hope that Thursday will be any different? lol.

I’m not 100% on all the rules regarding gold packages, but, I’ll think out loud on here!


Gold packages automatically go to 1st rounders.

So Reid, Romano, Headrick (when he signs), Rehkopf will have one.

1st rounder LeBlanc is off the books. 1st rounder Hage never came. Not sure if we had to give Brzustewicz one to get him to sign but he comes off the books this year.

I’m thinking that there should be a couple kicking around so if that’s what it takes to get Xu here, and I presume Cameron might have been promised one since he was much higher ranked than where we drafted him and apparently (rumour), the timeout before we picked him in round three was to confirm he’d report.

Also unclear is whether Lam or Stark were offered gold packages to report. Both apparently had options, were ranked higher than where they were drafted so you never know. Let’s assume one of them does.

I believe there are 7 gold packages per team. So, going into next year:

Rehkopf
Reid
Romano
Lam or Stark
Headrick

That leaves room for Xu and Cameron. That’s 7.

Assuming we move Rehkopf at the deadline, (for the future of the team we need to dammit!), based on comparables, we should get a ‘24 1st rounder coming back and he’ll take the slot Rehkopf currently holds.

The only issue I have with my musings, is that none of the final seven with gold packages after the deadline won’t graduate for the next couple years.

So am I out to lunch in my presumptions awarding of gold packages?

Can someone enlighten me?

 

[EvenSteven]

Tough break for Romano to be in the box twice now for big, late game, PP goals against this post season. The kid deserves better.

Romano and Ellinas have to be commended for their emergence in the second half of the season.

Both getting better and better every game.

Talking about second half emergences, nice to see Dirracolo make his way onto central scouting’s final rankings.

 

[purple pharrt]

The u18 draft is today. Dakota betts was the only player drafted by Kitchener to play in the league.

Rangers seem to find their guys through free agency.

Don't discount the possibility of finding a player among those u18s . Case in point: That's where the Knights drafted Jacob Julian from.....you know, that guy who happened to get the Hat Trick and the first star selection this past game. Good luck in finding someone similar.