SPORTS FOLDEROL

  At last. The New York Rangers have discussed trading their forgotten player. We’re told the Florida Panthers and Arizona Coyotes (among others) have inquired about  ZAC JONES , the talented defenseman and native Richmonder who has been odd man out for new coach  PETER LAVOLIETTE  … With the NHL trade deadline March 8, it’s a wonder anyone remembers Jones, much less is interested in him, after being a healthy scratch for all but 17 of NY’s 60 games … including the last 10 and 21 of 25 (since the first of the year.) … Most of his playing time came in December while 2021 Norris TrophyAward-winning  ADAM FOX  was sidelined, and the Rangers went 7-2-1 en route to building a commanding lead in the Metropolitan Division. With Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over Columbus, New York became the first of the league’s 32 teams to win 40 games … Currently the odds-on choice to claim the 2023-24 Stanley Cup after losing to Las Vegas in last year’s finals, Florida is said to be more interested in Jones, 22

 

  With the New York Rangers suddenly acting tough by using a 6-8 1/2, 241-pound rookie to take on all comers, who better to ask for his opinion about  MATT REMPE  – and his future in the NHL – than  DAVE SCHULTZ ? Yes, THE D. Schultz, face of the Philadelphia Flyers’  Broad  Street Bullies , two-time Stanley Cup champions, of long ago  … who still holds the league record for penalty minutes in one  season (555) and finished with 2,706 in 535 games. The man they called “The Hammer” – among other things – is  74 now. He lives in New Jersey, not far from “The City of  Brotherly Love” where he works part-time for the Flyers and  is writing another book (his second). The first, co-authored by   STAN FISCHLER , was misleading and caused him  considerable grief. “I want to clear things up. Set the record  straight,” Schultz said. In case you haven’t heard, Schultz regrets his role as an  enforcer. He never liked to fight, he says … but, at the time,  because he was very good at it, decided th