Tortorella annoyed that Dubinsky is a holdout
Photo credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer | New York Rangers new head coach John Tortorella speaks to reporters during a news conference, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009, at the Madison Square Garden training facility in Tarrytown, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
GREENBURGH, N.Y. - The opening of the Rangers initial conditioning-dominant training camp under John Tortorella came and went Saturday with timed, ice-length laps while the coach urged on the gassed participants from center ice.
But the camp also began under a cloud, with 23-year-old center Brandon Dubinsky a no-show, holding out in what could be a destructive contract stalemate, and with oft-injured $37.5-million right wing Marian Gaborik excused due to soreness from skating several times last week.
After negotiations between Dubinsky's agent, Kurt Overhardt, and general manager Glen Sather reached an impasse Friday, the Rangers advised Dubinsky in an e-mail that without a deal, he cannot access the training complex here.
Not surprisingly, Dubinsky's absence irritated Tortorella, who lashed out at the stalemate and Overhardt. "I'm not going to put myself in the negotiations, but it's stupid," he said. "He's a young man and he needs to be in camp. I'm not sure where the thinking is coming from . . . I think his agent is stupid. I hope he realizes he has teammates here, too."
When appraised of Tortorella's remarks, Overhardt - who believes that the team's one and two-year offers are significantly lacking - declined to comment. Dubinsky, who had 41 points last year, won't be in camp Sunday.
Tortorella believes that Dubinsky, who he envisioned as a potential No. 1 center, received good advice from Sather. Nor does he feel the need to pick up the phone and woo him back.
"I think Dubi understands my feelings and how Glen feels about it," Tortorella said. "Glen was honest with him, as a general manager, man-to-man and as a friend. I think it's terrific what he did with the kid. It's not my decision, so we move on."
Gaborik, 27, who carries a double burden - providing the Rangers with a 40-plus goal scorer and staying healthy after off-season hip surgery - might not partake in today's 45-lap aerobic drills, either.
"We just want to be careful, he's a little tender," said Tortorella, who also absolved the Slovak sniper, who declared himself 100 percent two weeks ago, from last night's three-mile run. "We just want to be smart about it. He was skating the other days, he's just a little sore from that."
Notes & quotes: A perspiring Sean Avery, after his drills, joked: "I'll be holding another one of these skates with Dubinsky at Chelsea Piers" . . . Goal- tenders wore full equipment. "It's an excuse to not be the fastest guy out there," Henrik Lundqvist said . . . Former Ranger Dan LaCouture, who played 83 games here between 2002 and 2004, called Sather for a tryout after his KHL contract was voided. "I wanted to be in a camp for the 13th straight year," he said. "I'm 32 and not ready to give up."
