Rangers Rap

Sisca and Soupy

One Guelph Storm offer to Kingston for defender Taylor Doherty, according to sources, was forward Matt Sisca and blueliner Tim Campbell.

Sisca and Campbell have both requested moves.

The Fronts rejected the offer.

Rangers very interested in Doherty. Heck, half the league is. Literally.

Grey Cup, Shmey Cup

Rangers and Wolves in 30 minutes, up against the Grey Cup.

It was the Rangers call to start this one against the big football game. With three starts in 48 hours, it was felt the safety of the players should come first. Hence, the 6 p.m. start, rather than 2 p.m.

Mavric Parks, The Vermillionaire, in net for Kitch.

Andrew Loverock, ex-IceDog, for the Suds.

Dodero, Lowry, Fanelli, Stevens, Mascioli, Sartoretto and Akeson are out for Kitch.

Scott Oakman has the bands.

Tim Steen and Ben Wilson on the lines.

Ben is back in the building

Ben Fanelli is at the Aud tonight with family and friends.

About 6,000 friends to be exact.

Life of Riley

Jacob Riley, London lad, gets the start in goal for Bramptonia.

Mavric Parks, the Scarlet Netter, stats for Kitchville.

Jeremy Morin, back spasms, is in for the Rangers.

Lowry, Fanelli, Morris, Stevens, Mascioli and Akeson are out.

No, Cody Hodgson isn't playing for Brampton. Still recovering from back woes.

Faceoff in 70.

Taylor Talks

By Jeff Hicks, Record staff

As blueline catches go, Cambridge's Taylor Doherty is a whopper.

The 6-foot-8, 230 pound Kingston Frontenacs defender was on the Ontario Hockey League trade block on Thursday as clubs lined up to bid for the second-round pick of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.

Sources say the Kitchener Rangers are among the eager suitors for the 18-year-old Doherty, who was disappointed over not being invited to play in the OHL-Russia exhibition series as a candidate for the national junior squad.

Yesterday, a deal with the Guelph Storm fell apart. It’s believed forward Matt Sisca and defender Ben Chiarot were offered in return.

When reached in Plymouth, Mich. on Thursday afternoon, Doherty said little about his recent talks with Kingston general manager Larry Mavety.

“Well, me and Mav have had some discussions about some stuff,” Doherty said.

“That’s about it.”

With Kingston in the running to host the Memorial Cup in 2011 – along with front-runner Mississauga and Windsor -- the Frontenacs seek high-quality 18-year-old players in return for Doherty. A blueliner would likely have to come the other way, along with picks.

The Rangers may not have what the Fronts seek.

However, the Rangers and Fronts are frequent trading partners in recent years.

They were part of the three-way deal with London that landed goalie Steve Mason in January of 2008. That deal also brought defender Ben Shutron to Kitchener.

This September, the Fronts shipped goalie Mavric Parks, who went to Kingston from Kitchener as part of the Mason deal, to the Aud.

Doherty has a goal and 10 assists in 27 games this season and is plus-four.

It’s difficult to say where Doherty will land since he appeals to so many teams.

“Honestly, I have no idea myself,” Doherty said.

The Frontenacs visit Saginaw on Friday and travel to Plymouth on Saturday.

jhicks@therecord.com

Doherty trade watch

Cambridge's Taylor Doherty was anticipating a possible trade this week, perhaps before the Kingston Frontenacs go on their Michigan road swing.

No confirmation that one is done as of yet. At least not from the family or team.

But a swap with Guelph for Matt Sisca makes sense, if another defenceman is involved.

The Storm host the Rangers on Saturday and the 6-foot-7 Doherty is an imposing presence.

Latta looks to play

As per the Guelph Mercury today, The Storm look to have Mike Latta back in the lineup for Saturday's Sleestack Centre tilt with the Rangers.

Latta has been out 10 games after getting belted by long-gone Mike Liambas of the Erie Otters.

Carter Sandlak, son of former NHLer and Kitch native Jim Sandlak, could also return from a shoulder injury.

Big Jim was in the press box on Tuesday, checking out the Rangers' 5-2 loss to Londonia.

Sandlak is an NHL scout for Anaheim.

Unice looking around

Ex-Rangers goalie Josh Unice, sent packing by the Windsor Spitfires, is hunting for a crease while he recovers from a knee injury.

The University of Western Ontario is one potential destination.

He's also considering heading to the USHL.

Another Stinker

By Jeff Hicks
Record staff
KITCHENER —
It was a satisfying moment in a frustrating game.
Chris MacKinnon of the Kitchener Rangers rode Zac Rinaldo of the London Knights into the turnbuckle at the side of the London bench at the Aud.
Rinaldo, known for serving tough hits rather than digesting them, went over the boards like a high jumper clearing the bar with a backwards flop in a high school gym.
A crowd of 6,105 awoke.
Trouble was, the Knights dominated the Ontario Hockey League game and won 5-2 to pull even with the Rangers atop the Midwest Divison.
Both clubs have played 25 games. Both clubs have 35 points.
The Rangers, who host trap-happy Brampton on Friday, have lost three of four.
The Knights have won four straight since losing 6-4 at the Aud two Fridays ago, when ex-Ranger Nazem Kadri exited the Aud in frustration.
This time, Kadri gave a two-armed pump after his goal put the Knights ahead 3-0 in the second.
Kadri slunk his way around Rangers captain Dan Kelly and snapped a shot high over the blocker of Rangers goalie Brandon Maxwell, who was being scouted by USA Hockey as a potential world junior puckstop.
Maxwell started well but gave up a pair of five-hole goals to the Knights by mid-game.
Kalle Ekelund’s one-time whiffer slipped through Maxwell’s legs in the first.
Phil McRae, another U.S. world junior candidate, slid the puck through Maxwell in the second after being sprung on a breakaway by a nifty Matt Ashman pass.
The Knights controlled the puck through two periods.
Other than MacKinnon’s Zac Attack, rookie Knights goalie Michael Houser was awfully comfortable.
McRae’s spin-around backhand shot found net in the third thanks to a Justin Taylor screen and the Knights led 4-1. The Rangers answered back with Jeremy Morin’s 20th of the season.
His shot from the sideboards glanced in off Houser’s glove.
Morin is likely tagged as a U.S. sniper for the Christams worlds in Saskatoon.
Skinner tipped in a Morin shot to make it 4-2 with 3:14 to play. The puck snuck through Houser’s legs.
Kadri added an empty-netter, on a feed from McRae, to finish the scoring.
The Rangers visit Guelph on Saturday and host Sudbury on Sunday.
jhicks@therecord.com

The Other Mike H in goal for London

That's the rookie Houser. Hutchinson is the backup.

The Silver Hammer starts for the Rangers.

USA Hockey is watching him for the worlds

Colorado assistant GM Craig Billington is here to watch the Avs pick too.

Jared Knight is a surprise scratch for London.

Maybe he's been traded. Just kidding. Knight truthfully hasn't been feeling well.

Chad Lowry (shoulder), Ben Fanelli, Branden Morris, Christian Stevens (leg), Mike Catenacci (strep) and Mike Mascioli (knee) are the Rangers scratches.

35 till puck drop.