RECALLING THE DRIESELLS AT JMU ... WHILE RANGERS TRY TO SALVAGE SEASON

 Of several things ...

Come on … North Carolina can’t be THAT desperate, 

turning Tar Heel football over to BILL BELICHICK … 

and giving him anything he demands … including his son 

which seldom is a good idea … See basketball’s

 CHARLES and CHUCKY DRIESELL at James 

Madison, for example: Against the advice of just about 

everyone, most of all his athletic director DEAN 

EHLERS, JMU president RON CARRIER brought the 

Lefthander to Harrisonburg to revitalize a once-proud 

program. Nine embattled seasons later … with Ehlers 

having taken premature retirement … Driesell had long 

since worn out his welcome … when he announced on 

TV he was stepping down, and annointed Chuckie his 

successor … which was news to Carrier … who a few 

months later came to Richmond to deliver a Sunday 

sermon at Trinity United Methodist Church where he 

asked a question I will never forget. “Why didn’t you tell 

me about Lefty?” Uncle Ron (as Carrier was known to 

the students) said … He WAS kidding, wasn’t he?

-------  Your New York Rangers finally unloaded JACOB 

TROUBA(and his over-loaded annual salary of $8 million) 

to Anaheim … after threatening to waive him if he didn’t 

accept the deal to a team among the 15 on his no-trade list 

… To hear (read) NHL pundits tell it, the Broadway 

Blueshirts should be ashamed for treating their captain in 

such a heartless (if legal) way … which didn’t take into 

consideration the veteran defenseman’s lack of meaningful 

minutes since suffering leg and ankle injuries a season ago. 

Trouba became a liability, more likely to give up the puck in 

his own end. What’s more, his reputation as a tough guy no 

longer was deserved … as he became more of a cheap-shot 

artist when the spirit moved him (which was seldom) … If 

there was any doubt this was a salary dump by the Rangers 

(who, in return, got a fourth-round 2025 draft choice and an 

often-injured, never-heard-of-him defensemen who probably 

will be sent to AHL Hartford when he comes off IR), it has 

been reported they could have had CAM FOWLER, a 

rough defensive defenseman they really need … except he’s 

making $6.5M … and NY general manager Chris Drury had 

to free up enough money against the salary cap to (a) pay 

goalie IGOR SHESTERKIN his just-announced $11.5M 

per over the next eight years; and (b) make a blockbuster 

trade or two designed to shake up a team going in the wrong 

direction … Rumors Ottawa might be willing to part with

 BRADY TKACHUCKapparently were unfounded. The 

Senators’ owner accused the Rangers of “soft tampering” via 

a New York sportswriter … which sounded foolish even for 

the NHL.

For sure, Drury has got to do something. The Rangers lost 2-

1 at home to the 8-17-1 Chicago Monday night … their

eighth loss in 10 games … and were booed off the ice … 

How bad has it become? Well, MSG-TV analyst JOE 

MICHELETTI stopped looking the other way. Why, he 

actually criticized the play ofK’ANDRE MILLER … a big, 

soft defenseman whose lackadaisical play invariably leads to 

a goal … by the opposition. Monday, the Blackhawks’ 

game-winning goal was the direct result of a giveaway by 

Miller … which was quickly noted by Micheletti who 

added, “… and he made little effort to try to stop him …” 

from scoring … The first Chicago goal was made possible 

when MIKE ZIBANEJADlost the puck behind the NY goal 

to TAYLOR HALL who immediately fed TYLER 

BERTUZZI for his sixth of the season with little more than 

eight minutes gone … On his next shift Bertuzzi took the 

puck from Miller but his ensuing shot from point-blank 

range went high and wide. Before the first period was over, 

Blackhawks’ defenseman CONNOR MURPHY came 

down the slot only to likewise miss from right on … while 

Miller, standing to Shesterkin’s left, made no attempt to go 

out and stop him … BRADEN SCHNEIDER (plus 8), 

Richmond’s ZAC JONES (plus 6) and ADAM FOX (plus 

2) are the only season-long defensive regulars above the line 

in the tell-take plus-minus category. Miller is minus 5,

 RYAN LINDGREN minus 2. Trouba left with minus 3.

By the way … is Chapel Hill ready for Belichick, 72, and 24 

year old former cheerleader girl friend? … Latest Rangers’ 

rumor has forward KAAPO KAKKO going to Columbus 

for IVAN POVOROV, 27, a left-handed defenseman who 

was Philadelphia’s top draft choice in 2015 … and known 

for his skating and ability to move the puck. In seven 

years with the Flyers, he never had more than 34 PIM in a 

season.

Until next time ...