At first glance, Mark Messier and Brandon Dubinsky share similarities. Messier, the Hall of Famer, and Dubinsky were and are centermen for the New York Rangers. And both were contract holdouts. 

Messier had a protracted holdout following the Rangers’ 1994 Cup Championship, which ended when the organization signed the then-captain to a three-year, $15 million contract early in the lockout-shortened 1995 season.

Fast forward 14 years and there’s the 23-year old Dubinsky, who signed a two-year deal with the Rangers last Saturday. The Anchorage, Alaska native had missed a week of John Tortorella’s first training camp and exhibition games as the Rangers’ coach while negotiating a new deal. Heading into his third full season with the Rangers, Dubinsky has 27 goals, 54 assists, 81 points, and 193 penalty minutes in 170 games to his name. ...

One of the aspects of the 2008-09 Rangers offensive game that frustrated Tortorella was the overall lack offense, especially below the hash marks. It is why the Rangers packaged Scott Gomez and two prospects to Montreal for Christopher Higgins and prospects. Higgins, a native of Smithtown, Long Island, recorded 84 goals, 67 assists and 151 points in 282 games. Following the Rangers’ 2-1 preseason loss to Boston on September 15, Tortorella praised the 26-year old.

“I thought he was one of our strongest players on the puck, especially in the second half of the game,” Tortorella said after the loss. “If we’re going to be a good team and a competitive team, he needs to be a goal-scorer for us, he needs to be a penalty killer for us, he needs to be a top six forward for us and he needs to accept responsibility for that. Tonight was a good sign,"…In the post-lockout NHL, the Rangers have been an organization that has taken its time before promoting its prospects to Broadway. However, going into its 83 season, there are very real job opportunities for the Rangers’ 20-somethings. Forward Artem Anisimov and defensemen Matt Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto have impressed during training camp, while veteran blueliners Wade Redden and Michael Rozsival have been less than stellar.

NEW JERSEY

Jacques Lemaire complained to the Newark Star-Ledger about his perception as a coach who is trap-minded. Lemaire, who ran the bench when the Devils won their first of three Cups in 1995, prefers that his teams emulate the 1970s Canadiens, of which he was a key member.  

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

The league announced last Friday that 27-year old forward Pascal Morency was suspended indefinitely after leaving the bench to fight Calgary’s Dion Phaneuf on September 17. According to reports, Phaneuf had knocked out Islanders’ forward Kyle Okposo with a shoulder check. Morency then jumped off the bench to attempt to challenge Phaneuf as all of the players on the ice paired off. Okposo laid on the ice motionless before being taken off on a stretcher.

PHILADELPHIA

Before playing even one preseason game, the Flyers made news for debuting the sweaters that they will wear during the Winter Classic game at Fenway Park against the Bruins on New Years’ Day. … For a team that is one of the favorites to win the Cup, the Flyers got off to a slow start: Two goals in their first three games, all losses, and 132 PIMs in that span. Philadelphia then came back to win its next two.

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