New York Rangers Could Move Minor League Team to Syracuse, New York

Despite their connection to the Hartford Wolf Pack, there are rumors that the New York Rangers could switch minor league affiliates to the Syracuse Crunch according to Lindsay Kramer of The Post-Standard .

Dolgon said Columbus assistant GM Chris MacFarland told him the Blue Jackets would be talking to other teams.

Dolgon said he had no direct knowledge of a Columbus-Springfield final deal and that the Blue Jackets and Crunch have not officially announced that they are parting ways.

Still, he said that he and MacFarland have not discussed affiliation proposals for several weeks and that the Crunch is in heavy negotiations with one team to move in here.

Dolgon would not identify that team, but speculation has centered around the New York Rangers. Dolgon, a Long Island resident, is a former Rangers season ticket holder and is good friends with New York assistant general manager Jim Schoenfeld.

The Rangers own their own franchise in Hartford and would have to sell it or put it in suspension if they want to pair up with Dolgon in Syracuse.

It’s unclear how much the Rangers might have to pay to get out of their current deal with the Wolf Pack. Schoenfeld did not return a phone message on Wednesday night.

Thoughts : It’s hard to see exactly what is in this for the Rangers. It’s nearly twice as long a drive from Syracuse as it is from Hartford, so in an emergency it’s going to take longer to call a player up.

Think, a goalie injures himself during an afternoon practice, if a player is coming from Hartford he could be at the Garden before you know it.

Although this is a minor problem, if it is even a problem at all, it seems unnecessary considering the Rangers would have to go out of their way to cut ties with the Wolf Pack. This is not a situation where their affiliation with the team is up making it a good time to make a switch.

As a Rangers fan living in New York City I have very conflicting feelings regarding this issue. My first thought is that I don’t like it, because Hartford is just over two hours away by car and there are also options to get there via public transportation.

But I do like it because I never go to Connecticut and even though Syracuse is over four hours away for me, I do have friends and family throughout New York state.

So, your thoughts on this situation probably are going to vary depend on where you live. This could slightly heat up the rivalry between the Sabres and Rangers, too.

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