Hello! As someone who has followed the New York Rangers for over 30 years, I feel it's time to dig into the illustrious past of the Original Six franchise.
Far too often, the Broadway Blueshirts recognize only its recent past with obviously the lone highlight being the 25-Year Anniversary of the Stanley Cup Championship team in 1993-94. That was a great time to be a fan of the team. As a senior in high school, I can still remember all the nervousness I had during that memorable run.
From captain Mark Messier delivering on The Guarantee with a natural hat trick in Game Six to Stephane Matteau becoming a household name by scoring in double overtime to beat the Devils in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Final, it certainly was a unbelievable time to root for this team.
Even leading three games to one against the heavy underdog Canucks was almost too much for that team. Instead, they did it the hard way by losing Games Five and Six before playing a nerve racking do or die Game Seven at Madison Square Garden to win the Cup. In an exciting game they never were tied or trailed in, the Rangers got first period goals from Brian Leetch and Adam Graves. Then Trevor Linden scored a shorthanded goal before Messier was credited with a power play goal to put them ahead 3-1.
The third and final period must've caused panic attacks throughout the building and city. I know once Linden scored his second of the game on a power play, I was very nervous. The clock didn't seem to move fast enough. It felt like an eternity. You had the Canucks coming on with a few close calls. Martin Gelinas hit the outside of the goalpost. Then, Nathan Lafayette was all set up to tie the game, but his shot went past a outstretched Mike Richter and off the crossbar. They were that close.
As it got closer to the climactic end, the Rangers settled down and played their game. They protected the one goal lead. Even a couple of botched icings highlighted by dangerous Vancouver finisher Pavel Bure stopping skating, wasn't enough for them to blow it.
When Craig MacTavish took that final face-off against Bure and Messier checked him for good measure, the waiting was over. As Rangers legendary voice Sam Rosen said, "Let the celebration begin."
John Davidson added, "No more curses. This is unbelievable."
It was. From the fireworks that they had ready to the wild celebration over finally ending a 54-year drought, there really was No More 19-40! Something Graves emphatically chanted along with fans who were lucky enough to be at the arena on June 14, 1994.
Of course, we attended the Stanley Cup Parade on a very hot summer day where it was very humid and jam packed. The one time I played hooky from school. There were "Let's Go Rangers!," chants on the Staten Island Ferry. It was amazing seeing them parade down the Canyon of Heroes on Broadway all the way to City Hall.
If only it could've lasted. As we now know, nothing lasts forever. Not even cold November rain. I had to get that in there for old times sake. That's the classic Guns N' Roses fan I am. I've attended a lot of great shows over the years. Let's leave it at that.
I want to make one thing perfectly clear. As awesome as '94 was while celebrating some of my favorite players including Alexei Kovalev and Sergei Zubov becoming two of the first Russians to get their names on Lord Stanley along with Sergei Nemchinov and Alexander Karpovtsev (RIP), that time is long gone. I will say I'm so glad we got to be at the Anniversary celebration in February. That was special. Who ever would've thought we'd see Mike Keenan and Neil Smith sitting together again after the fallout that summer?
You can't go back. I wish I could. However, there's no time machine like in Back To The Future. If only there really was a Doc Brown and Marty McFly. It's 2019 and soon to be a new decade. It's hard to fathom.
The purpose of this blog is to recognize past Blueshirts Legends who have been forgotten by The Garden. I'm not sure who's more at fault. Is it James Dolan or the Rangers organization. Look how long it took them to retire both Harry Howell's number 3 and Andy Bathgate's number 9. Neither is still around. At least they were honored while alive.
I'm glad both Jean Ratelle and Vic Hadfield had their numbers retired as part of the legendary G-A-G (Goal A Game) Line. They're now where they belong next to all-time franchise scoring leader Rod Gilbert.
However, it is strange that for a franchise rich in tradition that has enough class to recognize achievements, they don't do enough when it comes to remembering that three of their four Stanley Cups came in the first 14 years of existence. They won championships in '27-28, '32-33 and '39-40.
The original Ranger Bill Cook doesn't have his number retired. Neither does Frank Boucher, who was instrumental during that special era. It was Boucher who finished runner-up twice for the Hart Trophy, that played with brothers Bill and Bun Cook to form the Bread Line. For nine years, they combined for 1,000 points playing a much smaller schedule in a unique era.
Only Bill Cook was recognized by the franchise with the inaugural Alumni Award in January 1986, which was unfortunately the same year he passed away. At least he had his moment. Why did the team do away with such a prestigious award?
I've recently read up on Cook. He actually scored the franchise's first goal at the Original MSG. When they moved to the new Garden, they made it a point to have Cook as a special guest on the ice and score into an empty net to christen the new MSG for good luck. If only one of Dad's favorite Rangers teams had won instead of losing to the hated Bruins in '72 and equally loathed Canadiens in '79.
I often wonder what if they had a healthy Ratelle for '72? Do they beat the Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito Bruins? It's hard to say. What I do know is things happen for a reason. Instead of having the ultimate success in the 70's with some really good teams, they fell a little short. Then the hated Islanders took over by winning four consecutive Cups from '80-83. To make matters worse, they eliminated some competitive Blueshirts teams during those runs.
Some of the 80's teams were good. Maybe if they had a bit more luck, they could've won. I'm sure classic names like Ron Duguay, Ron Greschner, Anders Hedberg and Pierre LaRouche wonder what could've been. So did Davidson, who backstopped the '79 team to a huge upset of the Islanders before losing in five to Montreal. If only he could've stayed healthy. Would he have ever become the JD we all love and respect? Oh Baby! It's great to have him back as Team President during Year Two of the rebuild.
While there is plenty of excitement for the future of the current roster that includes Kaapo Kakko, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Libor Hajek and Filip Chytil, that is not going to be covered here. I already do that at the https://newyorkpuck.com.
This will be a hockey blog centering around Rangers legends who deserve more attention than they receive. It'll also include forgotten stars and good players that became fan favorites while donning the Broadway Blueshirt. It's time for more fans of this era to learn about this franchise's past.
Hockey didn't start in '94. There's so much for us to learn about this team. Even if the four Cups aren't impressive compared to the other five Original Six, special players such as Dad's favorite Ranger Andy Bathgate shouldn't be forgotten. Neither should Dave Kerr or Brad Park.
It's finally time!
Far too often, the Broadway Blueshirts recognize only its recent past with obviously the lone highlight being the 25-Year Anniversary of the Stanley Cup Championship team in 1993-94. That was a great time to be a fan of the team. As a senior in high school, I can still remember all the nervousness I had during that memorable run.
From captain Mark Messier delivering on The Guarantee with a natural hat trick in Game Six to Stephane Matteau becoming a household name by scoring in double overtime to beat the Devils in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Final, it certainly was a unbelievable time to root for this team.
Even leading three games to one against the heavy underdog Canucks was almost too much for that team. Instead, they did it the hard way by losing Games Five and Six before playing a nerve racking do or die Game Seven at Madison Square Garden to win the Cup. In an exciting game they never were tied or trailed in, the Rangers got first period goals from Brian Leetch and Adam Graves. Then Trevor Linden scored a shorthanded goal before Messier was credited with a power play goal to put them ahead 3-1.
The third and final period must've caused panic attacks throughout the building and city. I know once Linden scored his second of the game on a power play, I was very nervous. The clock didn't seem to move fast enough. It felt like an eternity. You had the Canucks coming on with a few close calls. Martin Gelinas hit the outside of the goalpost. Then, Nathan Lafayette was all set up to tie the game, but his shot went past a outstretched Mike Richter and off the crossbar. They were that close.
As it got closer to the climactic end, the Rangers settled down and played their game. They protected the one goal lead. Even a couple of botched icings highlighted by dangerous Vancouver finisher Pavel Bure stopping skating, wasn't enough for them to blow it.
When Craig MacTavish took that final face-off against Bure and Messier checked him for good measure, the waiting was over. As Rangers legendary voice Sam Rosen said, "Let the celebration begin."
John Davidson added, "No more curses. This is unbelievable."
It was. From the fireworks that they had ready to the wild celebration over finally ending a 54-year drought, there really was No More 19-40! Something Graves emphatically chanted along with fans who were lucky enough to be at the arena on June 14, 1994.
Of course, we attended the Stanley Cup Parade on a very hot summer day where it was very humid and jam packed. The one time I played hooky from school. There were "Let's Go Rangers!," chants on the Staten Island Ferry. It was amazing seeing them parade down the Canyon of Heroes on Broadway all the way to City Hall.
If only it could've lasted. As we now know, nothing lasts forever. Not even cold November rain. I had to get that in there for old times sake. That's the classic Guns N' Roses fan I am. I've attended a lot of great shows over the years. Let's leave it at that.
I want to make one thing perfectly clear. As awesome as '94 was while celebrating some of my favorite players including Alexei Kovalev and Sergei Zubov becoming two of the first Russians to get their names on Lord Stanley along with Sergei Nemchinov and Alexander Karpovtsev (RIP), that time is long gone. I will say I'm so glad we got to be at the Anniversary celebration in February. That was special. Who ever would've thought we'd see Mike Keenan and Neil Smith sitting together again after the fallout that summer?
You can't go back. I wish I could. However, there's no time machine like in Back To The Future. If only there really was a Doc Brown and Marty McFly. It's 2019 and soon to be a new decade. It's hard to fathom.
The purpose of this blog is to recognize past Blueshirts Legends who have been forgotten by The Garden. I'm not sure who's more at fault. Is it James Dolan or the Rangers organization. Look how long it took them to retire both Harry Howell's number 3 and Andy Bathgate's number 9. Neither is still around. At least they were honored while alive.
I'm glad both Jean Ratelle and Vic Hadfield had their numbers retired as part of the legendary G-A-G (Goal A Game) Line. They're now where they belong next to all-time franchise scoring leader Rod Gilbert.
However, it is strange that for a franchise rich in tradition that has enough class to recognize achievements, they don't do enough when it comes to remembering that three of their four Stanley Cups came in the first 14 years of existence. They won championships in '27-28, '32-33 and '39-40.
The original Ranger Bill Cook doesn't have his number retired. Neither does Frank Boucher, who was instrumental during that special era. It was Boucher who finished runner-up twice for the Hart Trophy, that played with brothers Bill and Bun Cook to form the Bread Line. For nine years, they combined for 1,000 points playing a much smaller schedule in a unique era.
Only Bill Cook was recognized by the franchise with the inaugural Alumni Award in January 1986, which was unfortunately the same year he passed away. At least he had his moment. Why did the team do away with such a prestigious award?
I've recently read up on Cook. He actually scored the franchise's first goal at the Original MSG. When they moved to the new Garden, they made it a point to have Cook as a special guest on the ice and score into an empty net to christen the new MSG for good luck. If only one of Dad's favorite Rangers teams had won instead of losing to the hated Bruins in '72 and equally loathed Canadiens in '79.
I often wonder what if they had a healthy Ratelle for '72? Do they beat the Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito Bruins? It's hard to say. What I do know is things happen for a reason. Instead of having the ultimate success in the 70's with some really good teams, they fell a little short. Then the hated Islanders took over by winning four consecutive Cups from '80-83. To make matters worse, they eliminated some competitive Blueshirts teams during those runs.
Some of the 80's teams were good. Maybe if they had a bit more luck, they could've won. I'm sure classic names like Ron Duguay, Ron Greschner, Anders Hedberg and Pierre LaRouche wonder what could've been. So did Davidson, who backstopped the '79 team to a huge upset of the Islanders before losing in five to Montreal. If only he could've stayed healthy. Would he have ever become the JD we all love and respect? Oh Baby! It's great to have him back as Team President during Year Two of the rebuild.
While there is plenty of excitement for the future of the current roster that includes Kaapo Kakko, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Libor Hajek and Filip Chytil, that is not going to be covered here. I already do that at the https://newyorkpuck.com.
This will be a hockey blog centering around Rangers legends who deserve more attention than they receive. It'll also include forgotten stars and good players that became fan favorites while donning the Broadway Blueshirt. It's time for more fans of this era to learn about this franchise's past.
Hockey didn't start in '94. There's so much for us to learn about this team. Even if the four Cups aren't impressive compared to the other five Original Six, special players such as Dad's favorite Ranger Andy Bathgate shouldn't be forgotten. Neither should Dave Kerr or Brad Park.
It's finally time!
