Why not The Whale Versus The Rangers?

The more the NHL travels to Europe to open their regular season campaigns, the more the illustrious NHL clubs venturing to Europe play money spinning (and locally enticing) preseason fixtures against European clubs. This season the Rangers are playing a pre season game in Sweden, a game in Prague and a game in Switzerland. The games are of more significance to the local teams due to the commercial value of the fixtures. It also gives wider audiences rare direct access to the big NHL star players. What I think gets forgotten or perhaps under-appreciated is the use and convenience of local markets and affiliates.

The Rangers, most seasons, would play a handful of pre season fixtures against other NHL clubs to half empty NHL venues before embarking on the long regular season grind. They are missing an opportunity – as is each NHL club with a local affiliate. The Rangers and the Connecticut Whale have a potential win-win scenario which I believe hasn’t been utilised even though the Rangers have played games there before. Why don’t they play each other in preseason fixtures in Connecticut? It could be win-win. Let me explain my thinking.

The Rangers roster during the ‘normal’ preseason fixtures is split; filled with prospects and a few NHL players before, perhaps the final two games, when the roster closely resembles the starting roster for game one. Any kind of consistency in selection goes out the window. A true gauge of a prospects ability/NHL readiness is also tempered by the diluted opposition.

If the Rangers played their final tune up in Connecticut, playing their ‘final’ roster against the prospects and the Whale’s best available squad it would provide two clear on-ice benefits. One; the Rangers full side get a game together helping chemistry and two; the Rangers prospects – and the ambitious AHL contracted players – get to measure themselves against a full NHL line up while using the game as an audition in front of the big club’s management. Due to the potential reward for 99% of the Whale squad, the game inherits a competitive nature, as a good performance by a player here and there may be the difference between a prospect getting the call to NY or not. Nice carrot to dangle, no?

Then there are the rewards for the Whale. Hartford/Connecticut has an NHL fan base. It is a city that has long craved the return of major league hockey. One (or perhaps even two?) games against the Rangers may not quench the thirst for the return of the beloved Whalers (no disrespect at all meant to the excellent Whale AHL franchise) but an NHL club playing there in preseason would surely be welcomed and the Rangers would hopefully play in front of packed, passionate crowds. Packed attendances could equal commercial success for the minor league affiliate, gives the prospects a better grasp of NHL (regular season) venues and therefore the entire organisational structure benefits from such games.

It just makes sense on every level, at least in my eyes. Whether it be on a financial level, commercial, prospect development, or geographical/logistical level; what’s not to like about the idea of a regular season Whale versus Rangers match up?