Lesser Known Rangers – Volume 14

Hockey is a wonderful sport. That goes without saying, but one of the things that make it such a wonderful sport is the long histories many of the clubs possess.

The Rangers, one of the “Original Six” franchises, have many players of note who have donned the famous blueshirt. Then, there are the ones that many of us really don’t know about or remember much about. Good thing I’m here, as I have nothing better to do on a weekday morning at work than think about former players that many people don’t remember. It looks like I’m typing from a keyboard, so I’m giving off an impression that I’m working, so here goes another edition of Lesser Known Rangers!

Jody Shelley, Forward

Time with Rangers: 21 games at the end of the 2009-10 season

Many Ranger fans want to forget how the 2009-10 season ended, as our hearts were crushed by the Philadelphia Flyers on the final day of the season, because Olli Jokinen couldn’t lift a puck or John Tortorella forgot he had this player named Marian Gaborik, who they were giving all this money to sit on the bench. Right? They gave Gaborik money to sit on the bench, right? RIGHT?

Anyways, the team itself wasn’t the worst and made a valiant effort to make the playoffs at the end of that season and one of those catalysts was shockingly enough, Jody Shelley. Coming in a trade for a draft pick from San Jose, the long time Sharks and Blue Jackets enforcer was acquired to give the team a little more grit on the bottom line. Paired with Brandon Prust and Artem Anisimov on the fourth line, they performed admirably in their roles and played well, including some nice goals like this one below by Anisimov himself (note Prust and Shelley as his linemates).

Shelley appeared in 21 games, notching 6 points and 37 penalty minutes, including a few fights along the way.

Shelley would leave the Rangers after they failed to make the post season and sign with the Flyers and play there until his retirement in 2013.

Russ Courtnall, Forward

Time with Rangers: 14 games during the 1996-97 season, 15 playoff games.

Russ Courtnall was a shifty, little winger who had flashes for putting the puck in the back of the net. He was also a friend of Wayne Gretzky, ever heard of him? This more than likely was a catalyst for the Rangers to make a trade before the trade deadline for 1997. The Rangers acquired Courtnall and Esa Tikkanen for Brian Noonan and Sergei Nemchinov.

Courtnall finished the remainder of the season with New York and put up seven points in 14 games, then in 15 playoff games, he put up…you guessed it, seven points! Courtnall was effective in his brief time as a Ranger. You can see evidence of this with the video below that contains two goals he scored versus the Flyers.

After the Rangers were eliminated by the Flyers, Courtnall signed as a free agent with the Kings, where he played until his retirement following the 1998–99 season.

Two Courtnall goals versus the Flyers from the 1:48 mark to the 3:25 mark.

Bryce Lampman, Defenseman

Time with Rangers: 10 games over 3 seasons (03-07), 5 seasons with Hartford

Generally, my memory of the obscure Rangers during the “Dark Ages” is pretty good, but I had to look this guy up just to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind, that’s how obscure this name was. He is a human being and he did suit up for the Rangers, so technically he qualifies for this list.

Lampman was drafted 113th overall by the Rangers in the 2001 Entry Draft. Primarily, he had spent most of his pro career with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, though he had played ten games in the big club. In his ten games spread out, he’s only amassed two penalty minutes and zero points.

After bouncing from a try out to St.Louis to the AHL, Russia, then Germany, Lampman currently finds himself playing for the ECHL’s Florida Everblades.

Thank you for reading! If you have any suggestions for any Lesser Known Rangers you would like to see profiled, tweet and follow me at @JLChaparro8 on Twitter. 

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