Rangers Report

Van Ryn returns to the bench

Former Kitchener Rangers coach Mike Van Ryn is headed back behind the bench.

The London native was named head coach of the American Hockey League's Tucson Roadrunners on Wednesday. The Roadrunners are the minor-league affiliate of the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes.

Van Ryn joined the Rangers in 2013 as an associate coach and was promoted to head coach after two years. He spent one season as the skipper and guided the Blueshirts to a record of 44-17-5-2 which was good for fourth overall in the Ontario Hockey League.

The Florida resident left the team last year for family reasons and spent this past season as a development coach with the Coyotes.

John Slaney and Steve Potvin were named assistant coaches to Van Ryn in Tucson.

Rippon keeping options open

There was some Merrick Rippon news on the weekend. 

Ottawa Jr. Sens 2000 D-man Merrick Rippon no longer committed to @FriarsHockey, per source. Looks to be OHL bound

— Mark Divver (@MarkDivver) July 23, 2017

Rippon was one of Kitchener's second round picks (36th overall) in last year's OHL draft and some early projections have him pegged to go in the first two rounds in next year's NHL draft.

The defenceman had committed to Providence College and did not report to the Rangers. Commitment aside I'm told he has personal reasons for not wanting to report to the Aud.

Either way, his reported desire to play in the OHL puts the Rangers in a nice position.

Teams will covet the rearguard, who was the CCHL's rookie of the year this past season with the Ottawa Jr. Senators.

Now the Rangers should be able to recoup something for the talented d-man (unless he has had a change of heart and decides to report here). At minimum the team should get a second round pick in return or maybe he's part of a package to get a high end player since the Rangers have an excess of exciting young players under contract who can't all get ice time.

Speculation is already out there. 

Luke Kirwan deal from Guelph to Windsor comes to mind. Price was two 2nds. Tortora's rights fetched 3 2nd's (conditional). In that range. https://t.co/hFhbVkgZ9k

— OHL Prospects (@BrockOtten) July 24, 2017

Mascherin on the mend

Adam Mascherin expects his already potent shot to be even more lethal now that he had arthroscopic surgery to repair his left shoulder.

And that's bad news for opposing Ontario Hockey League goalies.

"I think my shot will be harder," said the five-foot-nine, 192-pound Kitchener Rangers winger.

"If I played the last three seasons with pretty much no shoulder, I would assume now that it's brand new in there that it will be better," he said.

Mascherin was one of three players in the OHL to hit the 100-point mark last season. He also ranked second in the western conference for best and hardest shot and most dangerous in the goal area in the league's annual coaches poll.

Full story

CLARIFICATION: There was a misunderstanding between Luke Richardson's agent and the team that got passed on to me that needs clearing up. The netminder did not attend Boston Bruins development camp but has been invited to man the crease for the B's at their rookie tournament with the Sabres and Devils in Buffalo in September.