Yeah sure, hockey REALLY gets under way tomorrow night when the Rangers host the Caps, but I guess technically the NHL returns tonight. Of course, there is a ton of news, so I'll run through the league stuff and finish up with the Rangers.

By the way, how great is Derek Jeter?

The Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes will raise their banner prior to tonight's opener. They will then face the Buffalo Sabres in a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Bird always gets excited come opening night, and he tells you so in the latest Birdcage. Speaking of Bird, he will join fellow critter the Hockey Rodent along with a few others for Blueshirt Bulletin's 4-on-4 chat tonight at 7:00 pm.

NY Sports Day has its 2006-07 NHL season preview.

Lou Lamoriello was able to pull some rabbits out of his hat, or actually he was able to pull some tricks out of his ass, to get the Devils under the cap in time to sign Brian Gionta, David Hale, Paul Martin, Scott Clemmensen and Erik Rasmussen. I have met Lou, and he is really a wonderful guy with a sincere love of this game and the league, but I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate the Devils and the fact that Lou was allowed to pull this off.

The Bruins named Zdeno Chara captain. We have no idea why.

Derek Jeter rules.

What a difference a year makes, eh? While the Rangers were picked to finish dead last in some places last season, this year we have seen a bunch of websites that have them winning the Eastern Conference. It also looks as if the Ducks are the pre-season favorites all over to win the Cup.

The Penguins will start the season with three teenagers in their lineup. Their 2006 1st round pick, Jordan Staal, will at least start the season with the big club.

Shawn Roarke gives us 82 reasons to watch the NHL this year. Reason number 81: Madison Square Garden slowly but surely coming back to life as the Rangers rebound from their fallow period. No place embraces hockey like MSG when the Blueshirts are competitive.

Damn straight, but what do you mean "slowly"?? We're back hard.

Which leads me to the Rangers:

The Rangers reassigned Ivan Baranka and Jarkko Immonen back to Hartford to get the roster down to 23 (not including Ortmeyer and Ozolinsh, who are injured).

I am really disappointed in that move, but in reality it is temporary. The team is carrying three goaltenders, and as soon as Kevin Weekes is 100%, Stephen Valliquette will return to the AHL, and Jarkko will be back up. Nigel Dawes and Thomas Pöck made the club.

The more immediate problem is that it appears coach Tom Renney is trying to have Brendan Shanahan play on the first line with Michael Nylander and Jaromir Jagr. I would very much prefer that the scoring be spread out more and keep Shanny on the second line with Cullen and Prucha, and leave one of the most productive lines from last year intact with Straka on the left of those other two guys.

The locals:

NY Daily News: Shanahan's straight-line approach has yet to mesh with the Spirograph game Nylander and Jagr play - the game with which they and Martin Straka dominated the puck through many games last season. In fact, it has been almost comical watching Shanahan drive to the net, plant himself and then appear mystified at what his weaving linemates are doing with the puck.

The Journal News: "Even before I came here, there was definitely a feeling that for years, when New York was rebuilding, players wanted New York to be better," said Brendan Shanahan, who signed with the team during the offseason. "There was even a lot of players that felt, coming out of the lockout — kind of like with Patrick Ewing — that New York should just be given Sidney Crosby; that we need him in New York for the health of the league. It's not something that just New Yorkers feel. It's an admission that this is an important stage and the success of the New York Rangers is important."

Newsday: In yesterday's 75-minute practice at the Lake George Forum, fans got a glimpse of what will be the Rangers' chief power-play unit for the start of the season. Michal Rozsival and Martin Straka manned the points and Jaromir Jagr, Michael Nylander and Brendan Shanahan were up front.

Hartford Courant: "We tried to grow our young team in the preseason, and I like that we had more competition for jobs," said Renney, who led the Rangers on bonding trips to Puerto Rico and Lake George, N.Y. "We have depth now in the organization where there's legitimate competition for positions, and that's a healthy situation. I think there's a potential for being a better team than we were a year ago and hopefully sustain it. And that will be the big difference."

NY Sports Day: When Tom Renney addressed his team before the 2005-06 season, he had one goal in mind. It didn't matter to him if the Rangers went to the playoffs, nor what the final win/loss total would be. The coach only had one message for his team - “Be A Ranger”.

It's kinda nice that that means something again.

Tomorrow I will be back with the second annual UNOFFICIAL Hockeybird Rangers preview. Last year I had the Rangers missing the playoffs, and most of the veterans traded away at the deadline for picks and prospects. Good call huh?

One more day, one more day.

HDH

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