ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME FOR Z JONES TO SAY HOW HE REALLY FEELS?

 Briefly told … at least that’s the plan:



Sooner or later ZAC JONES will have it up to here 

with his shoddy treatment by the New York Rangers 

and say what he really thinks. The time for his usual 

“It is what it is” dodge is over … The left-handed 

defenseman was a healthy scratch Thursday night for 

the third straight game despite beginning the season 

with a four-game plus 4 in the tell-tale plus-minus 

category … and despite being paired with newcomer

 VICTOR MANCINI who has made his share of 

rookie mistakes … By now Jones has to be fed up 

with coach PETER LAVIOLETTE who a year ago 

kept Jones out of uniform for 51 of 82 regular-season 

games, a healthy scratch, Then, despite earning high 

marks while replacing injured stars like ADAM 

FOX and JACOB TROUBA, the 24 year old 

Richmonder from Glen Allen sat out the playoffs in 

which New York, which had the best record (55-23-

4) coming in, failed to reach the Stanley Cup’s final 

round … Asked why Jones wasn’t playing more, 

Laviolette ducked the question by saying he told the 

team’s third-round draft choice in 2019, “Keep 

working hard … and, when you get back in there, 

just keep doing your thing.” Think about it … 

Meanwhile, the Utah Hockey Club has lost its top 

two defensemen to injuries, one for the season. 

Maybe the transplanted Arizona Coyotes are 

interested in Jones … whose agent was told last year 

to find a trading partner only to learn later the 

Rangers’ asking price was either a first-round draft 

choice or a second rounder plus cash and/or a player 

to be named later. Ridiculous!




Trouba was at it again Tuesday night, doing what he does 

best … which is catching an opponent when he is most 

vulnerable and putting the big hurt on him … This time 

the Rangers’ captain caught Montreal’s JUSTIN 

BARRON looking the other way and popped him with an 

arm-shoulder combination that snapped his head back 

while tumbling to the ice … While the league’s 

department of safety, having checked replays from several 

angles, saw no reason to fine and/or suspend Trouba … 

the Canadiens were incensed if for no other reason than it 

happened in the third period with the Rangers well on 

their way to a 7-2 rout. 



Rangers put right-handed defenseman CHAD 

RUHWEDEL on waivers Thursday. He came at the trade 

deadline last year from Pittsburgh where he collected a 

Stanley Cp ring … If he clears, Ruhwedel will go to AHL 

Hartford.



…… Believe it or not … the over-rated (as usual) 2-5 New 

York Jets are raising ticket prices six per cent for the 2025 

season after a 30 percent increase this year.



……. The WNBA is expected to lose – get this – more than 

$40 million this year … and the NBA, which is said to be 

footing about 75 percent of the bill, isn’t happy about it.



……. Virginia Tech announced HYSIER MILLER, a 

transfer guard from Temple where he averaged 15.9 

points as a junior, has been “permanently released due to 

circumstances prior to his enrollment.” … Translation: 

Temple is being investigated for irregularities tied to 

gambling. Last year the Owls were flagged after a 

meeting with UAB … in which they began as 1.5-point 

underdogs that grew to eight points by tipoff in a game 

they lost by 28.



……. Penn State football coach JAMES FRANKLIN

 refused to answer questions about two players, including 

Varina linebacker KAVEION KEYS, who have been 

charged with rape (among other things) of a 17-year-old 

State student. The incident took place July 7 in the 

athletes' campus apartment … and both redshirt freshman 

Keys, 19, and JAMEIAL LYONS, 19, a sophomore d-

lineman expected to see considerable playing time, were 

subsequently dismissed … although the media wasn’t 

informed … and didn’t know about it until preseason 

practice got under way … and someone noted their 

absence … Twice Franklin was asked about it at a press 

conference … and twice he walked off without comment, 

leaving an athletic department spokesman to read and re-

read a release that said there would be no further 

comment … hiding behind the old-reliable dodge of the 

charges still being under investigation.


Until next time ...

















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