Matt Harpwood, skates away from the
Rangers and joins the Ice Dogs.

Rangers fans have been waiting for it since game one of the season.  For the three anxious netminders involved the time must have seemed like an eternity.  The Rangers netminding saga abruptly ended on Halloween when the Rangers acquired gritty Mississauga winger: Nathan O'Nabigon in exchange for netminder: Matt Harpwood.  O'Nabigon gives the Rangers a power forward who may more than anything just need a second chance.

The tension is finally over for veteran OHL netminders: Matt Harpwood and Scott Dickie.  Both netminders started the season off on a poor note, in back-to-back loses to the Spitfires and without a doubt uncertainty about their OHL futures has been a concern for both netminders all season long.  Coincidentally it may have been 16 year old: Carlo DiRienzo's performance in Mississauga that may have given the Rangers organization the confidence to move the 19 year old netminder.  Matt Harpwood in his young OHL career has already scored 4 shutouts and earlier this season ran a shutout streak just short of 120 minutes in total.  Matt Harpwood because of his rapid growth as an OHL netminder last season quickly became a fan favorite in Kitchener.  The trade comes less than one week after a humiliating 8-0 loss to the Brampton Battalion.  Top dog: Miguel Beaudry allowed 5 goals in the first period which was more of a flashback of the embarassing inaugural '98-99 season in Mississauga.  Big Mike Tanel has struggled of late, but unfortunately for Matt Harpwood he might be walking into a netminding situation similar to the one that he just got out of with three netminders.  Fortunately for him though the Ice Dogs desire his services and there is already speculation in Mississauga that Tanel and/or Beaudry could be moved.  O'Nabigon brings a legitimate physical pressence to the Rangers unfortunately one that has seen his offensive production plumet since his rookie season in 2000-01.  O'Nabigon scored 13 goals in his first OHL campaign, and then put the red light on 9 times last season, this season he only has 2 goals in 14 games.  Certainly the Rangers hope or moreso expect O'Nabigon to break out offensively.  Fortunately Peter DeBoer is familiar with O'Nabigon having coached him in his rookie season while with the Whalers.  Much like trading Ryan Ramsay away as this regular season approached trading O'Nabigon couldn't have been easy, however with the Whalers in need of a high scoring winger, Peter DeBoer sacrificed O'Nabigon to acquire: Chad Wiseman in Plymouth.