Hull, Que. – Kitchener Rangers liked what they saw at the Robert Guertin Arena where they unloaded their equipment shortly before 11 o’clock Thursday night.
     Though rather plain-looking from the outside, “a barn,” said some of the playersas the bus approached, it’s actually a clean, compact building with a strong smell of fresh paint on the floor.
     With 3,600 seats at close quarters and standing room for 1,400 other fans, the 1982 Memorial Cup should be a boisterous fun-filled affair.
     So much for the rink the Rangers will be playing in as they attempt to atone for the national championship they lost to the Cornwall Royals last season.  They weren’t quite as enthusiastic about the Central Scouting Report issue by Joe Crozier en route to Hull.
     “That report is a crock of expletive” said defencemen Allan MacInnis, who doesn’t like the rough going, according to the NHL scouts who compiled the report.  “I don’t think that the scouts put that thing together.  I think it’s something Joe made up to get us going.”
     A few other Rangers had the same suspicion but Crozier said it was a genuine report that he agreed with only in part.
     Though there were a few negative aspects, the scouts also had many good things to say about the Rangers, but that didn’t make the players feel any better.
     “I don’t know whether the scouts sent that out or not,” said Jeff Larmer, also slighted when he read that he didn’t like the rough stuff.  “If they did, why wouldn’t they have gone into more detail.  It really didn’t tell you anything.”
     Larmer was described as a good goal scorer.  With 21 goals in 15 playoff games that’s a bit of an understatement.  But what the scrappy blonde winger didn’t like was the line about him shying away from the heavy hitting.
     Crozier disagreed with that evaluation of Larmer as well.  He also differed with the three words used to describe rugged winger Mike Hough, “skating not good,” and he though the reports on defenceman Dave Shaw and Wendell Young were sadly lacking.
     Hough thought so too.
     “Geez,” he said with a grin.  “I didn’t think my skating was that bad.”
     It isn’t.  Neither did Crozier think Shaw was exceptionally vulnerable to pressure in his own end nor Young weak on low shots and unable to handle the puck well.
     Shaw laughed at the words, “hurry him,” beside his name, saying he didn’t think it meant too much.  But MacInnis found nothing humorous whatsoever.
     Mind you, MacInnis received a compliment.  The scouts think he handles the puck well.  But they also think he holds it too long and backs off in heavy traffic.
     “That ticked me off,” said the big Cape Bretoner.  “Sure, I don’t go dishing it out, but I’m sure as hell not afraid of getting hit.”
     “What I can’t figure out is why the reports on the other two teams (Portland Winter Hawks and Sherbrooke Beavers) were so positive.  I don’t think it was a scouting report at all.”
     The energetic Brad Schnurr learned that he “can’t skate,” Grant Martin read that he was “good on faceoffs and at checking,” and Brian Bellows, the Rangers second leading playoff scorer with 16 goals and 13 assists, now knows that he has to be checked.
     Like many of the others, Schnurr also found the report somewhat strange.  After reading all the positive remarks about the Winter Hawks and the Beavers, he was astounded by the negative view toward the Rangers.
     Schnurr hasn’t scored a goal in 14 playoffs games.  But he’s a constant worker who does so many other things well that you hardly notice his lack of scoring.
     Three letters took care of Dave (Midnight) Nicholls and S-H-Y wasn’t reffering to his personality.  It meant that the solidly built speedster, who has only two playoff goals often detours when confronted with the enemy.
     Defencemen Robert Savard, Joel Levesque and Scott Stevens were the only other Rangers mentioned.  Stevens escaped relatively unscathed, but Savard and Levesque had good reason to be annoyed.
     “Get on him.  He doesn’t like to get bumped,” was the advice for anyone palyed against Savard an overage two time Memorail Cup winnner with the Cornwall Royals who relies on his skating and puck handling skills.
     Stevens is tough, it said but you can get him off his game by, “going after him.”
     “Going after me, eh,” Levesque said. “Well no body had better get too close.”
     And just what do the scouts think of the Rangers as a whole?
     “A lot of talent, but they tend to get away from discipline.”
     Windsor Spitfires, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and the Ottawa 67’s might tend to disagree.