So that means only Sean Avery left:

Here’s the release:

New York, July 31, 2007 — New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with restricted free agent forward Marcel Hossa.

 

Hossa, 25, appeared in 64 games with the Rangers this past season, recording 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points, along with 26 penalty minutes. He tallied eight goals and five assists for 13 points in his last 15 regular season games. While establishing career-highs in assists (eight) and points (18), Hossa led the Rangers and tied for seventh in the NHL with three shootout game-deciding goals. In the postseason, Hossa recorded four points (two goals and two assists), along with a plus-five rating and four penalty minutes in 10 games.

 

The 6-3, 220-pound forward has skated in 187 career NHL contests with the Rangers and Montreal Canadiens, registering 30 goals and 23 assists for 53 points, along with 78 penalty minutes. In 2005-06, Hossa appeared in 64 games with the Rangers, recording 10 goals and six assists for 16 points, along with 28 penalty minutes.  As a second-year forward for Montreal in 2002-03, he collected 13 points (six goals and seven assists) in 34 games and played in the 2003 YoungStars Game at All-Star Weekend in Florida, recording two assists.  Hossa has also skated in 144 career games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Quebec Citadelles, registering 54 goals and 50 assists for 104 points, along with a plus-26 rating and 87 penalty minutes.

 

Internationally, Hossa has represented his native Slovakia in several tournaments, including the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy and the 2006 World Championships in Riga, Latvia. In seven games at the 2006 World Championships, he picked up one goal and three assists, along with a plus-three rating. Aside from his experience in the 2006 Winter Olympics and 2006 World Championships, Hossa also participated in the 1999, 2000 and 2001 World Junior Championships and the 2005 World Championships in Austria.

 

Prior to joining the professional ranks, Hossa appeared in 188 games with the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL), registering 65 goals and 99 assists for 164 points, along with 182 penalty minutes.  He led the Winter Hawks in scoring in 2000-01, collecting 34 goals and 56 assists for 90 points and was named to the WHL West Second All-Star Team at the conclusion of the season. 

 

The native of Ilava, Slovakia was originally drafted by Montreal in the first round, 16th overall, of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.  On September 30, 2005, Hossa was acquired by the Rangers from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for left wing Garth Murray.

 

Madison Square Garden, L.P. is owned by Cablevision Systems Corporation, and includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and FSN New York; fuse, the music television network; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.

 

 

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NEW YORK RANGERS 2007-2008 SCHEDULE 

ROAD SCHEDULE
Time (ET)
Sat.	Oct.	06,	2007	OTT	7:00P
Wed.	Oct.	10,	2007	NYI	7:00P
Thu.	Oct.	18,	2007	ATL	7:00P
Sat	Oct.	20,	2007	BOS	7:00P
Tue.	Oct.	23,	2007	PIT	7:00P
Tue.	Nov.	06,	2007	NYI	7:00P
Sat.	Nov.	10,	2007	TOR	7:00P
Wed.	Nov.	14,	2007	N.J.	7:00P
Thu.	Nov.	15,	2007	PHI	7:00P
Sat.	Nov.	17,	2007	PIT	7:30P
Wed.	Nov.	21,	2007	T.B.	7:30P
Fri.	Nov.	23,	2007	FLA	7:30P
Sat.	Dec.	01,	2007	OTT	2:00P
Fri.	Dec.	07,	2007	ATL	7:30P
Wed.	Dec.	12,	2007	WSH	7:00P
Thu.	Dec.	20,	2007	MIN	8:00P
Fri.	Dec.	21,	2007	COL	9:00P
Sat.	Dec.	29,	2007	TOR	7:00P
Wed.	Jan.	02,	2008	CGY	9:00P
Thu.	Jan.	03,	2008	VAN	10:00P
Sat.	Jan.	05,	2008	EDM	10:00P
Mon.	Jan.	14,	2008	PIT	7:00P
Sat.	Jan.	19,	2008	BOS	1:00P
Tue.	Jan.	29,	2008	CAR	7:00P
Thu.	Jan. 	31,	2008	PHI	7:00P
Fri.	Feb.	01,	2008	N.J.	7:00P
Sun.	Feb.	03,	2008	MON	2:00P
Sat.	Feb.	09,	2008	PHI	1:00P
Sun.	Feb.	10,	2008	WSH	1:00P
Tue.	Feb.	19,	2008	MON	7:30P
Sat.	Feb.	23,	2008	BUF	7:00P
Thu.	Feb.	28,	2008	CAR	7:00P
Thu.	Mar.	06,	2008	NYI	7:00P
Mon.	Mar.	10,	2008	BUF	7:00P
Fri.	Mar.	14,	2008	FLA	7:30P
Sat.	Mar.	15,	2008	T.B.	7:30P
Wed.	Mar.	19,	2008	N.J.	7:00P
Fri.	Mar	21,	2008	PHI	7:00P
Sun.	Mar.	30,	2008	PIT	3:00P
Thu.	Apr.	03,	2008	NYI	7:00P
Sun.	Apr.	06,	2008	N.J.	3:00P

HOME SCHEDULE
Time (ET)
Thu.	Oct.	04,	2007	FLA	7:00P
Fri.	Oct.	12,	2007	WSH	7:00P
Sat.	Oct.	13,	2007	OTT	7:00P
Thu.	Oct.	25,	2007	N.J.	7:00P
Sat.	Oct.	27,	2007	TOR	7:00P
Mon.	Oct.	29,	2007	T.B.	7:00P
Thu.	Nov.	01,	2007	WSH	7:00P
Sat.	Nov.	03,	2007	N.J.	7:00P
Mon.	Nov.	05,	2007	PHI	7:00P
Thu.	Nov.	08,	2007	PIT	7:00P
Mon.	Nov.	19,	2007	NYI	7:00P
Sun.	Nov.	25,	2007	DAL	1:00P
Thu.	Nov.	29,	2007	NYI	7:00P
Mon.	Dec.	03,	2007	CAR	7:00P
Thu.	Dec.	06,	2007	TOR	7:00P
Sun.	Dec.	09,	2007	N.J.	5:00P
Sun.	Dec.	16,	2007	PHO	5:00P
Tue.	Dec.	18,	2007	PIT	7:00P
Sun.	Dec.	23,	2007	OTT	7:00P
Wed.	Dec.	26,	2007	CAR	7:00P
Sun.	Dec.	30,	2007	MON	7:00P
Tue.	Jan.	08,	2008	T.B.	7:00P
Thu.	Jan.	10,	2008	PHI	7:00P
Sat.	Jan.	12,	2008	MON	7:00P
Wed.	Jan.	16,	2008	BUF	1:00P
Sun.	Jan.	20,	2008	BOS	TBD*
Tue.	Jan.	22,	2008	ATL	7:00P
Thu.	Jan.	24,	2008	ATL	7:00P
Tue.	Feb.	05,	2008	L.A.	7:00P
Thu.	Feb.	07,	2008	ANA	7:00P
Sat.	Feb.	16,	2008	BUF	1:00P
Sun.	Feb.	17,	2008	S.J.	TBD*
Sun.	Feb.	24,	2008	FLA	7:00P
Sun.	Mar.	02,	2008	PHI	TBD*
Tue.	Mar.	04,	2008	NYI	7:00P
Sun.	Mar.	09,	2008	BOS	TBD*
Tue.	Mar.	18,	2008	PIT	7:00P
Tue.	Mar.	25,	2008	PHI	7:00P
Thu.	Mar.	27,	2008	N.J.	7:00P
Mon.	Mar.	31,	2008	PIT	7:00P
Fri.	Apr.	04,	2008	NYI	7:00P

* Please note games listed as TBD are based on a potential national TV schedule. Start times on these games will not be confirmed until 13 days prior to the game day. Please check newyorkrangers.com for final start times. 

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Here’s the release:

 

RANGERS ANNOUNCE 2007-2008 SCHEDULE

Team Opens 81st Season on October 4 Against Florida At Madison Square Garden

New York, July 11, 2007 – The New York Rangers will open the 2007-08 season on Thursday, October 4, taking on the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden. This marks the fourth time in the last 10 years that the Rangers have kicked off their season on home ice.

With a continued emphasis on division rivalries, the Rangers will face Atlantic Division foes New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the Islanders eight times each over the course of the season. New York will face the other Eastern Conference opponents a total of four times a piece. Also, the Rangers will host the Pacific Division – Anaheim, Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Jose – and will travel to meet the Northwest Division opponents – Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Minnesota, and Vancouver.

The schedule features five Saturday contests at MSG and 10 Sunday games at home. The Rangers will play two back-to-back sets in New York, the first on Friday, October 12 vs. Washington and Saturday, October 13 vs. Ottawa, and the second on Saturday, February 16 vs. Buffalo and Sunday, February 17 vs. San Jose. The team’s longest homestand will be six games from October 25 – November 5 and the busiest nights on the Rangers’ home schedule are Thursday and Sunday, with 10 dates a piece. In addition, the Rangers will play five home games on Mondays, seven on Tuesdays, two on Wednesdays, and two on Fridays during the season.

Starting times for all home games will be 7:00 PM, except for the following eight dates (which includes potential national selections for NBC*): Sun., Nov. 25 vs. Dallas (1:00 PM); Sun., Dec. 9 vs. New Jersey (5:00 PM); Sun., Dec. 16 vs. Phoenix (5:00 PM); Sun., Jan. 20 vs. Boston (TBD*); Sat., Feb. 16 vs. Buffalo (1:00 PM); Sun., Feb. 17 vs. San Jose (TBD*); Sun., Mar. 2 vs. Philadelphia (TBD*) and Sun., Mar. 9 vs. Boston (TBD*).

*Please note games listed as TBD are based on a potential national TV schedule. Start times on these games will not be confirmed until 13 days prior to the game day. Please check newyorkrangers.com for final start times.

Single-game tickets will be put on-sale to the public in September. No date has been set at this time.

Madison Square Garden, L.P. is owned by Cablevision Systems Corporation, and includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and FSN New York; fuse, the music television network; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.

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The Rangers announced they signed Brendan Shanahan for another season. According to Larry Brooks it’s worth 2.5 million plus bonuses. Here’s the release:

Rangers Agree to Terms with Brendan Shanahan

New York, July 10, 2007 — New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward Brendan Shanahan.

Shanahan, 38, skated in 67 games with the Rangers this past season, registering 29 goals and 33 assists for 62 points, along with 47 penalty minutes. The captain of the 2007 Eastern Conference All-Star Team finished the season tied for second on the Blueshirts with 29 goals, while his 62 points ranked fourth on the club. He also tied for first on the team with three shorthanded goals and 14 power play goals, and placed second on the Rangers with 295 shots on goal. Shanahan notched his 18th career hat trick on December 3 vs. the Islanders, and with his third goal of the game, became the second player in NHL history to score 20 or more goals in 18 consecutive seasons (Shanahan-18, Howe-22). In his Rangers debut on October 5 vs. Washington, Shanahan notched two goals and became just the 15th NHL player to reach the 600-goal plateau. In the 2007 playoffs, he collected five goals and two assists, along with 12 penalty minutes. His five goals tied for second on the team.

A veteran of 19 NHL seasons, the 6-3, 220-pounder leads all active NHL players in goals scored and is 12th on the league’s all-time goal scoring list with 627. Shanahan is an eight-time NHL All-Star and captured three Stanley Cup Championships while with the Red Wings in 1997, 1998 and 2002. He has appeared in 1,417 career NHL games with the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings and Rangers, collecting 627 goals and 667 assists for 1,294 points, along with 2,425 penalty minutes. In addition, the two-time 50-goal scorer has scored at least 40 goals in six of his 19 seasons in the NHL and he is one of only 11 players in NHL history to have 12 seasons of at least 30 goals. In 2005-06, he registered 40 goals and 41 assists for 81 points, along with 105 penalty minutes and a plus-29 rating while skating in 82 games with the Detroit Red Wings. His 40 goals led the club and tied for 10th in the league, while his 81 points (24th in NHL) ranked third on the Wings.

In 167 career postseason contests, Shanahan has registered 58 goals and 68 assists for 126 points, along with 269 penalty minutes. In the 1997 playoffs, en route to capturing his first Stanley Cup, he led the Red Wings in goals (nine) and ranked second on the team in scoring with 17 points (nine goals and eight assists). The following season, in 1998, he collected five goals and four assists and helped Detroit win the Cup for the second consecutive season. During the 2002 Cup run, Shanahan tallied eight goals and 11 assists, along with 20 penalty minutes in 23 postseason games. Among all players in the playoffs that season, he tied for third in scoring with 19 points and led the league in power play assists (eight).

Internationally, Shanahan has represented Canada at several tournaments, including the World Junior Championships in 1986, The World Cup of Hockey in 1996 and the Winter Olympics in 1998 and 2002. In 2002, he captured the gold medal in Salt Lake City, Utah and won the Stanley Cup, and at the time, became only the third player in NHL history to win both in the same year.

The Mimico, Ontario native was originally the New Jersey Devils’ first round choice, second overall, in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft.

Madison Square Garden, L.P. is owned by Cablevision Systems Corporation, and includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and FSN New York; fuse, the music television network; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.

Now the Rangers have to get the RFAs under contract, which isn’t too much of a problem and next season will be set.

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Although they lost, this season proved the Rangers are back as a force in New York. No longer considered a joke, the Blueshirts showed they could do the city proud.

“In the big picture, it was a positive season for the New York Rangers and their development,” said Brendan Shanahan “It was a great learning experience. Buffalo has been through it last year. It is incredibly valuable experience for our young players to go through what we went through this year.”

And next year may get better. With only Michael Nylander – who will probably be back – and Shanahan – who will be back or will retire – as free agents, the team that jelled at the end of the year will be more or less the same next year. 

That’s good, because the Rangers can be the team to control the year for themselves, while making the 2007-08 Stanley Cup run.

Henrik Lundqvist is a championship goalie, while Jagr and Shanahan are Hall of Famers. Add to that veterans who never had a chance to win a cup, like Marty Straka and Nylander and the Rangers have the pieces there for next year.

So all that needs to be done is to say good bye. The Blueshirt Scene will be still up and running all summer and giving updates from the offseason. Also we will have draft coverage and some further playoff features.

But right now the 2006-07 season has ended in New York. But as they said in Brooklyn all those years ago….

“Wait ‘Til Next Year!” 

[youtube RdNi5CF1b8Y nolink]

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