Tortorella telling everyone to “stay the #$%^ off the logo” gives me chills.  I’m a stickler for tradition, respect, and honor…you know, all those things the Rangers and Tom Renney pretended to practice the last couple seasons.  Even though they preached it ad nauseum in that ridiculous pre-game entrance video last season, I never felt that Renney really got the feeling of what it was like to play/coach in New York.  He WILL motivate these boys and make them have a sense of pride when pulling the Rangers jersey over their heads.  The fans “bleed blue”, and the players should be no different.

Maybe I’m looking a bit too much into it, but I think there’s something to be said about an American coming to coach hockey in New York.  Naturally, a Canadien coach’s roots are embedded in Canada.  With Tortorella, you have an American, born and bred in northeastern United States, who previously played and coached in New York.  The best analogy I can use is a college coach going to coach somewhere OTHER than his alma mater: no matter how successful he is, the ties and loyalty to his alma mater will always be there, and that’s not something you can just shake loose.

His first rule is only the beginning.  If he is as great as a motivator as we all hear he is, these players will never take a shift off.  They will realize the importance of playing in New York, for an Original Six team, in the World’s Most Famous Arena, because he will make them understand it.  The past few seasons, its been all talk.  Hopefully now, they will start to feel it as the fans and their coach does (finally)

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