Rangers Will Get Friendly With Carolina Fast

August 4, 1995

Paul Stuart, Staff Writer

Press & Sun Bulletin

It will take less than a week for the Carolina Monarchs and Binghamton Rangers to get to know each other.

The Monarchs, an American Hockey League expansion team, will be the opponent in the Rangers’ first three games including Binghamton’s season opener, on Saturday, Oct. 7 at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

Carolina, the new minor league affiliate of the NHL’s Florida Panthers, will play its first AHL game on opening night, Oct. 6, at Binghamton and then Oct. 8 at Hershey, the Monarchs host the Rangers Oct. 10-11 at Greensboro, N.C.

Other schedule highlights:

--Because Binghamton has six games at Greensboro—a 10 ½-hour bus ride—the Rangers’ were given a break elsewhere. Binghamton plays just one of the five Maritimes teams, having four games with Prince Edward Island, two at each site.

--Binghamton will host its usual holiday games, including Carolina on Thanksgiving night, the Baltimore Bandits on Dec., 26 and Springfield on New Year’s Eve.

“I think if you stack our schedule up against the other teams, Binghamton’s ranks right up there,” said Rangers managing partner Tom Mitchell, who is pleased with the dates.

Binghamton also announced the signings of right wing Ryan VandenBussche and goalie Ken Shepard. VandenBussche will play in Binghamton and Shepard may at some point.

VandenBussche, 22, is an enforcer who had 239 penalty minutes last season with St. John’s. He’s known best for holding his own in two major fights with Rangers enforcer Darren Langdon. Shepard, 21, played with Oshawn of the Ontario Hockey League.

Brad Jones, a veteran left wing who has 22 goals and 23 assists in 61 games with Springfield last season, is also believed to have signed to play in Binghamton.

Meanwhile, former Binghamton coach All Hill and former NHL right wing Blaine Stoughton are among the candidates to become assistant coach to ex-Rangers coach Ron Smith, who was named coach of the International Hockey League’s Cincinnati Cyclones on Thursday.

Hill was Smith’s assistant with the Rangers from 1991-93. Smith contacted Hill on Wednesday night to see if he was interested.

The decision will be made by Smith with the approval of majority owner Doug Kirchhofer.

The Cyclones already have three prominent ex-Rangers in team captain Don Biggs, left wing Mike Stevens and right wing Chris Cichocki.