OF POTENTIAL TRADES, MELVIN EDICT, MORT AND MORE

 Did you see where …

The New York Rangers reportedly will get FRANK 

VATRANO and ADAM HENRIQUE from the Anaheim 

Ducks? Both had been targeted previously but not together … 

Vatrano (29 goals, minus-17) to join MIKA ZIBANEJAD 

and CHRIS KREITER on the No. 1 line … Henrique as 

third-line center … by a team going all in for a run at the 

Stanley Cup … which it hasn’t won since 1993-94 … 

Unknown is who (what?) the Rangers are offering for them. 

This year’s No. 1 draft choice is likely … among other things. 

Seldom-used defenseman ZAC JONESperhaps. He was a 

healthy scratch for the 11^th straight game … The native 

Richmonder last played in back-to-back victories Jan. 27 at 

Ottawa (where he had the game-winning goal plus assist in a 

7-2 decision) and Feb. 5 … 2-1 over Colorado at Madison 

Square Garden … kick-starting a franchise record-tying 10 

straight.

MATT REMPE, the over-valued but nonetheless sudden 

darling of Ranger fans, dropped the gloves again Saturday … 

his fourth fight in seven NHL games? … This time the 6-8 ½, 

241-pound rookie took on veteran Maple Leafs’ tough guy

 RYAN REAVES, now with this second team since leaving 

New York Nov. 27, 2022 for Minnesota … Unlike his 

previous bouts -- since making his Rangers’ debut Feb. 18 

from AHL Hartford, Rempe managed to avoid trouble in the 

opening minutes … even seconds … on his first shift. Finally, 

with 5:59 remaining in the third period … and no longer 

willing to ignore Reaves’ game-long challenges … the right 

wing gave fans, media ... just about everyone … what they 

wanted: fisticuffs with the 37-year-old enforcer … Truth be 

told, it wasn’t much of a fight … both landing a few if 

inconsequential blows. Call it a draw, Rempe’s second. He’s 

1-1-2, having a close win over the Flyers’ NICOLAS 

DESLAURIERS and a one-sided loss to MATHIEU 

OLIVIER of Columbus. Rempe also was tossed from a Feb. 

22 game with New Jersey, getting a match penalty with 2:25 

gone … coming off the bench for his initial shift and 

immediately charging into NATHAN BASTIAN, hitting him 

a glancing blow in the head … Homestanding Toronto won a 

wild and crazy game Saturday 4-3 in a shootout after NY’s

 VINCENT TROCHECK forced overtime with 1:07 left in 

regulation with his second goal.

AND ... did you see where ... 

BOB MELVIN, in his first season as San Francisco Giants’ 

manager, plans to make all players stand for the National 

Anthem? What a novel idea! … Wonder what odds are it 

won’t happen? Predecessor GABE KAPLER often took a 

knee in protest or refused to leave the dugout.

The 2012 recipient JOHNNY MANZELL said he will not 

attend another Heisman Trophy ceremony until REGGIE 

BUSH, denied the award in 2005 because of improper (at the 

time) payments that cost Southern California the 2004 

national championship – among other things – gets his. Yeah, 

that should do it.

Sadly, long-time NFL “insider” CHRIS MORTENSEN died 

Sunday. He was 72 … Say sadly because he really was a nice 

man in a nasty (cliché alert) dog-eat-dog, cutthroat business 

not made for the faint of heart … Mort was best known for his 

work with ESPN which he joined in 1991 and remained until 

retiring (sort of) in 2023 … Before ESPN, he wrote sports for 

the Atlanta Journal-Constitution … followed by an assortment 

of national publications … One of his biggest “scoops” was

 PEYTON MANNING calling it quits as an active player in 

the NFL. Believe it or not, most of his competitors, who 

(cliché alert II) would have killed to be first with the story, 

were happy for Mort, then recovering from cancer of the 

throat diagnosed in 2016.

Until next time ...