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JNH · 04-07-2013, 04:59 PM

<div align="center">New Faces

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The Manhattan Rage are in the midst of a very busy offseason and the locker room has seen many new faces walk through the doors. Following a season where the Manhattan Rage took more strides to becoming a cup contending team, finishing once again in a playoff spot, they still were not satisfied. As other teams made big trades such as division rival North Stars acquiring on of the league's top defensemen in Aidan Richan, many stopped to wonder what exactly was going on in Manhattan. It was awfully quiet and many thought that the Rage may stand pat and continue their tradition of drafting strong and building from within the organization. That thought was quickly snuffed out.

On April 2nd 2013, leading up to the draft, news leaked to members within the Rage that superstars Ivo Willems and Jareth Sto Helit could be on the block and headed to Manhattan. The locker room was buzzing amid rumours that the Manhattan management had entered into talks with the New England Wolfpack regarding the duo. Speculation was rampant as names circulated about who would be headed to the Wolfpack in return for Ivo and Jareth. The name that seemed to come up the most in rumours was that of Nike Kickz, second round selection of the Manhattan Rage in the S12 SHL Entry Draft. This may have come as a surprise to people given the close relationship shared by Rage forward and leading scorer Jordan Nugent-Hall and Nike Kickz. As the night progressed and the draft moved along, the trigger on the deal was pulled and the deal was made bringing Ivo and Jareth to MAN in return for Nike Kickz and picks.

Manhattan Rage Rage

Receives:

Jareth Sto Helit
Ivo Willems

New England Wolfpack

Receives:

Nike Kickz
MAN S14 1st Round Pick
MAN S15 1st Round Pick
Jardy Bunclewirth

This deal sent shockwaves through the Manhattan Rage locker room the minute this was announced as a resident fan favourite Nike Kickz was headed out of town. Leaving along with Nike was 2 first round draft picks, one from the aptly named "Super Draft" in Season 14.

We caught up with Jordan Nugent-Hall to walk us through what exactly happened.

Quote:Originally posted by Jordan Nugent-Hall+--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Jordan Nugent-Hall)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Well, it certainly felt like a shot through the gut to me.  I was in contact with Jason throughout the negotiations as he wanted to make sure I was okay with moving Nike given our friendship.  I told him that I was as I wasn't going to stand in the way of a deal that would improve our team.  Nike's a big boy and I know that New England is his home so he'd do fine there.  When the trigger was officially pulled on the deal, I did get this sinking feeling in my stomach.  Y'know, Nike and I were together from the start so it's gonna be weird not having him around.  There were lots of mixed feeling in the locker room as we mourned the loss of Nike but we were super excited to add two stellar pieces to our team.  This really brings us a lot closer to the cup and actually in my opinion could vault us to the top of the Eastern Conference.[/b]

While the Rage were still buzzing about the trade, the draft was going on. The Manhattan Rage did not have their first rounder as they dealt it to Toronto in return for veteran defenseman Mike Ochocinco one season prior. Their first selection was 18th overall and they used it to select a talented young forward in Karl Tony.

<!--QuoteBegin-Rage Scout
Karl is a kid who we believe could be a very big steal in the second round.  He has struggled at times with his work ethic and some scouts have doubted his work ethic but we're willing to work past that.  We believe that we've built a positive enough environment that we would be able to bring in Karl and help him learn the ropes and gain back the desire that got him to this level in the first place.[/quote]

The draft for the Manhattan Rage concluded as they used their 3rd round selection on former Montreal Impact Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged Junior III. Wowbagger is fresh off a Four Star Cup win and who knows, with a little bit of encouragement, he could become a good player for the Manhattan Rage.

Now you may think that this was enough action to last an offseason but the Rage were not done yet. Free Agency was yet to come and the Rage had set their sights high, looking for a cup win in Season 13.

Many free agents such as Ja'far Dar, Christoph Klose and David Winter were set to Free Agency but the first move that Manhattan made was picking up a young goalie prospect in Anthony Tremayne. Tremayne went undrafted out of the NWJHL but made a resurgence right after the draft and could develop into a very solid goaltending prospect if he can keep up this work ethic.

The Rage were rumoured to be in talks with Free Agents such as Christoph Klose, David Winter, Ja'Far Dar and others, but when new broke this morning of a Rage signing, it was not what people expected. The Rage added another re-emerging face to the locker room with the signing of Jackie Lee. Drafted in the same year as Rage players Jordan Nugent-Hall, Benoit Charlebois and Meb Keflezighi, Jackie Lee was first drafted by the Winnipeg Jets. He played in Winnipeg in a depth role before deciding to test Free Agency after 3 seasons in Winnipeg. Having grown up together, Benoit was able to convince Jackie to join the Manhattan Rage and suddenly the Rage were beginning to add depth throughout their roster.

Free Agency is not done yet and having already added a few new faces to their roster, do not be surprised if there is more to come. Big names such as Ja'Far Dar, Christoph Klose and David Winter remain on the market and have ties linked to Manhattan.

<div align="center">Who's In?

Ivo Willems
Position: LW
Player Type: Sniper
TPE: 826
Height: 6'0
Weight: 190 lbs

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Ivo came via one of the biggest blockbusters of the offseason. The Rage now have the two biggest TPE earners of the S10 SHL Entry Draft. Ivo is known for his prolific scoring ability and how he is able to dominate the game. Coming off an off year in New England (previously Hartford), Ivo is looking to bounce back and prove to the critics that he is among the SHL elite.

Jareth Sto Helit
Position: Defense
Player Type: Two Way Defenseman
TPE: 673
Height: 6'2
Weight: 220 lbs

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Jareth Sto Helit came along with Ivo in the blockbuster with New England. Jareth brings an oustanding work ethic as he has caught and surpassed almost all of his fellow S10 draftees despite joining almost half a season later. Jareth has very strong defensive attributes but also has the ability to put the puck in the net, making him a very strong and dangerous threat for the opposition. Look for him to play on the second pairing with tough as nails defenseman (and alcoholic) Benoit Charlebois.

Anthony Tremayne
Position: Goaltender
Player Type: Hybrid
TPE: 155
Height: 6'4
Weight: 180 lbs

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Anthony is an undrafted prospect coming off a season with the Prince George Firebirds of the Northwest Junior Hockey League. After re-emerging after the draft, he was promptly signed by the Manhattan Rage to a contract averaging $1M a year for the next two seasons. This is one of those low risk, high reward scenarios where this kid could emerge as one of the best undrafted players among the likes of Mike O'Brien.

Jackie Lee
Position: Center
Player Type: Power Forward
TPE: 313
Height: 5'5
Weight: 210 lbs

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The most recent acquisition of the offseason comes from the signing of Jackie Lee. Lee was inked earlier today to a 3 year deal averaging $1M per for the next 3 seasons. Another low risk, high reward scenario for the Rage as they bring in a childhood friend of the aforementioned Benoit Charlebois. Jackie Lee should fit in really well in the Manhattan Rage's bottom 6 and provide a solid defensive game for what looks to be an otherwise high powered offense.

Who's Out?

Nike Kickz
Position: LW
Player Type: Playmaker
TPE: 279
Height: 6'0
Weight: 178 lbs

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Nike Kickz never played for Manhattan as he spent his first rookie season playing with their NWJHL affiliate, the Manhattan Rage. He was slotted to fit into the third line prior to the trade. Nike will be sorely missed, but will have a strong opportunity in New England. With guaranteed top 6 minutes and the ability to help lead a young team, Nike will be able to do things he couldn't in Manhattan. Look for Nike to make a very strong push for the Ryan Jesster Trophy this season.
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That wraps it up for today's article. Stay tuned for future editions as the Rage franchise shifts gears and moves towards that prized Challenge Cup.