A Sleepy Sunday

With just one game on the schedule for Sunday involving Ranger prospects it offers a chance catch our breath after a mostly positive beginning.

Getting the game action out of the way as with Craig Cunningham and his Vancouver Giants playing their 3 game in 4 nights improved to 2-1 with a 4-2 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds. Cunningham had a very quiet evening going scoreless as he looked on the tired side.

The Giants continue to deny reports of the team being hit hard by a flu bug which given the normally very fit Cunningham look tonight makes you wonder if he too has been hit with the flu.

Congrats to Cunningham though as he was named as one of the Assistant Captains for the Giants joining Ethan Werek, Luke Walker and Ryan McDonagh as confirmed team leaders. Now if Michael Del Zotto is sent back to the London Knights then we believe he too will be wearing a letter on his uniform.

It is noteworthy because when we look at those prospects who make it to the Rangers most have been team leaders in the past. Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, and Matt Gilroy all were either team captains or assistants.

Don't discount that letter on a uniform as it has a lot more value than people may realize. Being a leader is a very good sign of maturity, of a willingness to accept responsibilities and that others look up to that player.

The Doyle Debut

Chris Doyle will finally get to make his 2009-10 season debut on Wednesday as his 4 game suspension is over. Doyle was suspended for after a collision he had with a linesman was ruled deliberate.

The leader among Ranger prospects last season with 14 power play goals, maybe this suspension was a good thing as it helped buy more time for Doyle's back to recover more after last season's disc injury stopped a break out season dead in it's tracks.

If Doyle remains healthy he just might be the leading scorer among Ranger prospects which is saying a lot given the quality of other prospects.

Want to Help?

If you plan on attending any games involving New York Ranger prospects then turn in a report and help bring the story of the Ranger prospects to your fellow Ranger fans. You do not have to be an expert, just tell us what you saw, what you think and what else you noticed.

Over the years we have learned that nobody is perfect, that you would be surprised at who gets us information and the more who share then the chances of us missing someone decreases (like Colorado Mark catching a mistake the other day). So if you plan on seeing any of the prospects in action let us know.

(Chris Doyle courtesy of the PEI Rocket)