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This Date In Rangers History: March 2, 1954
Former Ranger right winger Eddie Johnstone, a player profiled in the new book 100 RANGER GREATS, is born in Brandon, Manitoba. Johnstone played seven seasons in New York (1975-76, 1976-83), collecting 109 goals and 234 points in 371 games. In 1981, he was voted the team's most valuable player.
John Halligan Tribute In Blueshirt Bulletin
The late John Halligan, longtime public relations official for the New York Rangers and co-author of 100 RANGER GREATS, graces the cover of the most recent issue of Blueshirt Bulletin. Co-authors Adam Raider and Russ Cohen share their memories of the man fondly remembered for promoting the team and the sport of hockey for over four decades.
100 RANGER GREATS Book Signing: March 14, NYC
Adam Raider and Russ Cohen will autograph copies of their book 100 RANGER GREATS at Gerry Cosby & Co. on Sunday, March 14 from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM.
100 RANGER GREATS profiles and ranks the top 100 players in the history of the New York Rangers, from Depression Era legends like "Bad Bill" Cook and Frank Boucher to modern stars like Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Lundqvist. Filled with rare photographs and compelling stories, this is a book for Rangers fans of all ages.
For more information, please contact the store at 877-563-6464 or gcsmsg@cosbysports.com.
This Date In Rangers History: March 1, 1995
In Hartford, Brian Noonan scores his fourth career hat trick -- and first with the Rangers -- and adds an assist as New York defeats the Whalers, 5-2.
They Were Great ... But Not Great Enough To Be Ranger Greats
The authors of 100 RANGER GREATS had a difficult time deciding which players to profile. Among the many candidates were some of the greatest stars in the history of hockey, but their time with the Blueshirts was simply too brief to warrant inclusion in the book.
Here are ten Hall of Fame legends whose careers took a short detour through New York City:
Marcel Dionne (1987-89): After 12 very successful years in Los Angeles, Dionne was dealt to New York right before the trade deadline. The small but stocky playmaker spent parts of the next three seasons with the Rangers. The team didn’t fare well during that time but Dionne reached a number of personal milestones, including the 14 th 30-goal season of his career and his 700 th NHL goal.
Guy Lafleur (1988-89): This high-flying right wing who won five Stanley Cups as a member of the Montreal Canadiens retired from the NHL in 1985, but made a comeback with the Rangers after a three-year hiatus. Lafleur didn’t look out of place, scoring 18 goals in 67 games for New York.
Pat LaFontaine (1997-98): One of the greatest U.S.-born players of all-time, LaFontaine was skating for the Buffalo Sabres when a serious concussion threatened to end his career. Although Sabres management advised Pat to retired, he instead asked to be traded. Dealt to the Rangers in 1997, he appeared in 67 games and was averaging nearly a point per game before suffering another concussion that ultimately led to his retirement.
Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion (1966-68): With his lethal slap shot, Geoffrion terrorized goaltenders for 14 seasons in Montreal. Hanging up his skates in 1964, he came out of retirement to sign with the Rangers. After two mediocre seasons, he retired for good and briefly worked for the team as coach.
Doug Harvey (1961-63): This legendary defenseman captured six Norris Trophies with the Canadiens before being traded to the Rangers in 1961 because he’d worn out his welcome with Montreal management. Harvey won his seventh and final Norris Trophy in 1962.
Tim Horton (1970-71): A mainstay on the Toronto blueline for two decades, Horton was traded to the Rangers in March 1970 and has been credited for helping the injury-riddled Blueshirts qualify for the playoffs that season.
Jari Kurri (1996): Acquired from Los Angeles for the playoff drive, Kurri was no longer the explosive offensive force he had been during his heyday in the 1980s with the Edmonton Oilers. In 14 regular season games, he managed only one goal and four assists but scored three goals and eight points in 11 postseason games. He and rookie Niklas Sundstrom formed a particularly effective penalty-killing duo.
Jacques Plante (1963-65): Having already won seven Vezina Trophies and six Stanley Cups as a member of the Canadiens, Plante had nothing left to prove when he was dealt to the lowly Rangers in a blockbuster in June 1963. Still, he tried his best to elevate a team that had fallen on hard times. He went 22-36-7 in his only full season with the Blueshirts.
Luc Robitaille (1995-97): A goal-scoring machine who found goals much harder to come by as a Ranger. Acquired from Pittsburgh with Ulf Samuelsson for Petr Nedved and Sergei Zubov, Robitaille never scored more than 24 goals in his two seasons on Broadway. At 29, the charismatic left wing was far from “washed-up” and, in fact, regained his confidence immediately after being traded to the Kings.
Terry Sawchuk (1969-70): Netminder for the mighty Red Wings teams of the 1950s, Sawchuk appeared in only eight games for the Rangers at the very end of his career. He died from injuries suffered during an altercation with teammate Ron Stewart.
The Story Behind 100 RANGER GREATS
Russ Cohen and Adam Raider discuss their book 100 RANGER GREATS with Lisa Marie Latino of Long Shot Productions. Also interviewed: former Rangers goaltender Gilles Villemure and Steve Cirvello of SportsTalkNetwork.com.
Click here to watch.
This Date In Rangers History: February 24, 1968
At Montreal, right wing Rod Gilbert sets an NHL record with 16 shots and scores four goals (his fourth career hat trick) to lead the Rangers to a 6-1 win over the Canadiens. The record would stand until the 1990-91 season when it was broken by Bruins defenseman Ray Bourque.
100 RANGER GREATS: Best of the Rest
As sure as every Ray’s Pizza in Manhattan claims to be the “original,” it was inevitable that some deserving names were going to be squeezed off our list of the 100 greatest Rangers.
Who missed the cut? It's a question that many readers have asked. We decided it was time to reveal the identities of these players, some of whom may find their way into a future edition of 100 RANGER GREATS.
Tony Amonte (1991-94): The Rangers’ fourth round pick in 1988, Amonte was a natural goal scorer with great speed, an accurate shot and the confidence to use it. In 1991-92, the right wing out of Hingham, Massachusetts led all rookies with 35 goals and 69 points but finished runner-up to Vancouver’s Pavel Bure for the Calder Trophy. Toward the end of his third full season, 1993-94, Amonte was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for checking wingers Brian Noonan and Stephane Matteau, a swap made more palatable when one is reminded of the two colossal overtime goals Matteau scored against the Devils in the Conference Finals that spring.
Dave Balon (1959-63, 1968-71): The original left wing on the Rangers’ famous “Bulldog Line” with center Walt Tkaczuk and right wing Bill Fairbairn, Balon was one of the best two-way players the team has ever had. He twice led the club in goals scored with 33 in 1969-70 and with 36 in 1970-71. That year, he played in his fourth All-Star Game and was voted the team’s most popular player.
Lucien DeBlois (1977-79, 1986-89): When he first broke into the NHL, it was expected that DeBlois would become a major piece of the Rangers’ offense. A right wing, he had been one of the top prospects of Canadian junior hockey. But his development as a pro was slow, so the Rangers decided to include him in the landmark deal with the Colorado Rockies for Barry Beck. Lucien eventually returned to New York as a free agent, spending three seasons in a primarily defensive role for which he was better suited.
“Sugar” Jim Henry (1941-42, 1945-48): As a 21-year-old rookie, Henry had an eye-popping season, playing all 48 games and leading the league with 29 wins. The Rangers finished in first place but stumbled in the playoffs, losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs. World War II changed many hockey careers forever, Henry’s most certainly among them. He played three seasons of military hockey and returned to the NHL in 1945-46, but never really recaptured the magic of that rookie campaign.
Danny Lewicki (1954-58): A left wing who represented the Rangers at the 1955 NHL All-Star Game, “Dashin’ Danny” was one of the fastest players in the league at the time. He also never missed a game as a Ranger, appearing in 280 straight contests.
Kevin Lowe (1992-96): Often described as a throwback player because of his strong hockey sense and willingness to play through pain, Lowe was an important – if largely unheralded – component of New York’s Stanley Cup team in 1994. A defenseman, he served the Rangers as an expert shot-blocker, penalty killer and all-around leader who could act as one of Mark Messier’s lieutenants in the dressing room.
Bill Moe (1944-49): You have probably never heard of this defenseman, whose brief NHL career lasted only five seasons, all with the Rangers. A Massachusetts native, Moe was one of the few Americans playing in the NHL in the 1940s and he employed a very physical style reminiscent of Ulf Samuelsson.
Ulf Nilsson (1978-81, 1982-83): For just over three seasons, all of which were marked by serious injuries, the crafty Nilsson gave his all for the Rangers, scoring 169 points in 170 games. Playing almost invariably on a line with right wing Anders Hedberg, Nilsson displayed a Gretzky-like sense of timing that resulted in pinpoint passing plays and an uncanny knack for knowing where the puck would go next.
Grant Warwick (1941-48): Winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 1942, Warwick might have had a stellar career if not for two things: a long, tedious battle with alcoholism, and the fact that he played on World War II-ravaged Rangers teams that made the playoffs only once during his seven years with the club. A right wing, he represented the Rangers at the NHL’s very first (non-benefit) All-Star Game in 1947, played in Toronto.
Mike York (1999-2002): This industrious but soft-spoken little playmaker from Waterford, Michigan was a player the late Herb Brooks would have adored: creative offensively, responsible defensively, eager to learn, and quick to shake off a bad game. In short, York briefly represented everything the Rangers of the late 1990s and early 2000s should have been, but weren’t. In 2001-02, York played on the surprisingly effective “F-L-Y Line” with Theo Fleury and Eric Lindros and was chosen to play in his first and only NHL All-Star Game.
100 RANGER GREATS, a book profiling the top 100 players in the history of the New York Rangers, is available at your local bookstore or on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and Wiley.com.
This Date In Rangers History: February 21, 1933
Brothers and linemates Bill Cook and Bun Cook each score a goal as the Rangers tie the visiting Chicago Blackhawks, 2-2. Ironically, both of Chicago's goals are scored by Tom Cook (no relation).
