from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Snapshot of a changing NHL: The Rangers and Devils are lined up for the Sept. 22 preseason opener at the Garden, New Jersey’s pugilistically inclined Jordin Tootoo on right wing, New York’s similarly inclined Tanner Glass adjacent to him on left wing.

In the old days, the gloves would have dropped right off the opening draw and the night would have featured a long card of bouts. These days, the two men jostled briefly, then skated away to join their teammates in hockey.

“I was actually a little surprised,” Glass told The Post before the Blueshirts’ 6-3 victory over the Flyers at the Garden on Monday. “I wasn’t sure why I was starting, but then when I saw [the Devils’] opening lineup, I got it, and I definitely thought there’d be something, especially with him on a tryout looking for a job.

“But he didn’t really even say anything, and so we just played,” said the six-year NHL veteran who joined the Rangers over the summer as a free agent who played with the Penguins last season. “Definitely the thinking in this league has changed.

“You don’t see nearly as many heavyweights out there whose main job is to fight. Now you’ve got middleweights who fight, but who also can skate, kill penalties, and play a regular shift. That’s how it should be.”

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