Q. and A. With Ron Duguay Ron Duguay was selected 13th in the 1977 N.H.L. amateur draft by the Rangers. He became a fan favorite, not just for his hockey skills but for his cascading brown hair, active night life and commercial appearances. He scored 20 goals as a rookie, followed up with 27 and 28 in the next two seasons and was a key player in the Rangers drive to the Stanley Cup finals in 1979. He was named to Team Canada for the 1981 Canada Cup tournament. In 1982, he scored a career-high 40 goals and made the All-Star team. Duguay scored 274 goals and 620 points in 860 games over 12 seasons with the Rangers, Red Wings, Penguins and Kings. Recently, Duguay and other players in the Rangers Assist program joined with Chase to reopen the Long Beach Arena in Long Island, which was damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The Rangers Assist program works to improve the youth hockey experience and increase opportunities. Duguay, 56, is a hockey analyst for the MSG Network. Q. Why is the Rangers Assist program important to you? A. The Rangers, along with their partners at Chase, have created a terrific program that provides kids with a variety of opportunities to play the game through camps, clinics and special events, which I am all for. Recently, we just helped reopen the Long Beach Arena, which was affected during Sandy. It was important to us because of the history of the building. For players like me in the "70s, that was our home and it was important to the Rangers fans in that community. Q. What do you think about the realigned divisions? A. It makes sense for some of the teams that have been playing out of their time zones, where they have been doing a lot of traveling. It will be easier on the players with less travel. And it's going to be more fun for the fans, seeing more of the local teams. There's an opportunity for more rivalries. Detroit and Columbus are good examples. Q. After last season's lockout, how will a full training camp affect play? A. Full training camp means more preparation. Coaches like to have at least three full weeks to get their players ready to play their type of hockey, so with more time this season you're going to see more competitive play. Q. What team has the best chance to take the title from the Blackhawks? A. The L.A. Kings. They were right there last season and I don't see a reason why they won't be at least as good this time around. Q. What surprise team will improve the most this season? A. Toronto. I like head coach Randy Carlyle. They made strides last year and could jump this season. Q. How will the Rangers do with Alain Vigneault as coach, dealing with a new personality and his fast-paced system? A. With Coach Vigneault, it's more of a relaxed atmosphere and for certain skill players the game opens up for them when they can relax and be more creative. Q. How will John Tortorella's strict style go over in Vancouver? A. That only time will tell. Q. There have been several rule changes, including smaller nets, more referee whistles to prevent icing injuries, visors, smaller goalie equipment and no shirt tucking. What changes do you like or dislike? A. I like all of the rule changes except icing. I understand it's for the protection of the players, but I feel that in certain games there are going to be too many stoppages of play. Q. What has changed about the game the most since you played? A. The speed of the game because of the type of player that is playing now. They are bigger and in better shape. And the equipment is much better. The skates are better, the sticks are better. You have a more efficient skater with more speed. Q. How would you handicap the Olympics in 2014? A. I like the Russians, not just because it's in Sochi, but because of the players they are going to have playing. Q. You enjoyed the night life when you played. What was your favorite nightclub? A. Studio 54. I'd go in there once or twice a week. It was different than any other club. You had the freedom to be yourself and not feel like you had eyes on you. And they had great music to dance to. I was in great shape in those years. I was doing extra cardio at Studio 54.