Despite some of the game’s greatest players calling Madison Square Garden home, whether it was for one season or a decade, names like Wayne Gretzky, Phil Esposito, Brad Park, Eric Lindros, Sergei Zubov, Pavel Bure, Martin St. Louis, Brendan Shanahan, and Pat LaFontaine are missing from this list. Realistically, when people think of those names, they remember highlights from other teams. Although many of them had heroic moments on Broadway, most people would rarely associate their careers with being prominent players for the Rangers. 

Ultimately, our goal with this list is to determine which inductees have the strongest association with the Blueshirts. So, after crunching the numbers, and separating the players based on merits, here is the list of players in the Hockey Hall of Famer who best represent the Rangers. 

Related: Henrik Lundqvist to be inducted into HHOF

Top 10 New York Rangers in the Hall of Fame

10. Andy Bathgate

Anytime anyone writes a top ten list on any subject, some may question the last entry unless it’s concrete. Although many deserving names could have slid into this spot, we ultimately chose Andy Bathgate, who spent the first 12 seasons of his NHL career with the Rangers. Upon his departure from the team in 1964, he was the franchise’s leading scorer with 729 points, a mark he held for a decade until Jean Ratelle broke it in 1974. 

Coincidently, Bathgate’s jersey #9 is retired, sharing the honor with Adam Graves, who wore the number three decades later in the 1990s. Despite leaving New York 59 years ago, he still ranks fourth in goals, assists, and points. Even though he played in several other cities, and the team waited decades to retire his jersey, there’s no denying his place in Rangers’ history. 

9. Bill Cook

Bill Cook made his NHL debut at 30 after a dominant professional career in Canada, playing in his native Ontario, before venturing west to Saskatchewan (pre-NHL days). Eventually, he came to New York, joining the Rangers upon their inception in 1926. As the first captain in New York history, he also scored the first goal for the franchise on Nov. 16, 1926. 

Interestingly, Cook became one of the first players to surpass 60 points, achieving the feat alongside Frank Boucher in 1929-30. By that time, he had already won a Stanley Cup title (1928) and, within three seasons, would add another ring to his collection. Although he never won awards as a player, he served as Rangers’ head coach from 1951 to 1953, spending his entire NHL career with the Blueshirts. 

8. Ed Giacomin

Long before Mike Richter established a new record for wins by a goalie in 2003, a mark Lundqvist would break later, the winningest netminder for 25 years was franchise icon, Ed Giacomin. As a late bloomer, making his NHL debut at 26, the Canadian netminder would also set a franchise record for wins during the regular season with 38 in 1968-69, a total only surpassed by Richter (42) and Lundqvist (39) decades later.

During his career, Giacomin was a five-time All-Star and won the Vezina Trophy in 1970-71, becoming only the second Rangers goalie (at the time) to win the prestigious award. Although he finished his career with the Detroit Red Wings from 1976 to 1978, New York made him the second player in team history to have his number retired in 1989.

7. Jean Ratelle 

Jean Ratelle was just 20 years old when he put on a Rangers jersey for the first time in 1960-61, going on to forge one of the best statistical careers on Broadway over the next 16 seasons. As the center for the famous GAG line (Goal a Game) with Rod Gilbert and Vic Hadfield, the trio rewrote the team record book and registered the first 100-point seasons in Rangers’ history.

Interestingly, Ratelle set the record at 109 in 1971-72, which stood for 34 years before Jaromir Jagr broke it with 123 points. Although he left town in the famous Phil Esposito trade in 1976, he remains amongst the top three in goals, assists, and points. Meanwhile, he is one of 11 players with their number retired by the club. 

6. Harry Howell

It has been 54 years since Harry Howell last wore a Rangers jersey, skating with the club from 1952 to 1969. And even though the league did not play 82 games in a season, he became the franchise’s leader with 1,160 games, a record that still stands today. 

Of course, there have many big names to patrol the blueline at Madison Square Garden, but no one did it longer than Howell, who won a Norris Trophy and was an All-Star in 1966-67. Even though he played eight seasons with other teams in the NHL and WHA, there’s no denying that he’s forever linked to the Rangers as one of their longest-tenured players. 

5. Frank Boucher

Outside of 24 games with the Ottawa Senators in 1921-22, Boucher was the first true “Mr. Ranger,” playing in 533 games over 13 seasons. Additionally, he served as New York’s coach from 1939 to 1949, with another season in 1953-54, compiling a 181-263-83 record behind the bench. Ultimately, he was a part of the Rangers organization in one capacity or another for 1,060 games. 

Statistically, at the time of his retirement in 1944, Boucher ranked as one of the franchise’s top scorers with 424 points. Furthermore, he won two Stanley Cup titles as a player in 1928 and 1933 and served as head coach of the 1940-winning team. As of 2023, he remains the only player in NHL history to win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy seven times, claiming the award from 1928-1931 and 1933-1935. 

4. Mark Messier

There’s no denying that by the time Mark Messier came to New York in 1991, he was already a Hall of Famer. Five Stanley Cup championships during his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers will do that for a player. Additionally, he had already won the Conn Smythe (playoff MVP) and Hart Trophies (league MVP). 

However, Messier will forever be associated with the Rangers for one historical playoff run in 1994, ending a 54-year championship drought. Whether it was guaranteeing a victory in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final and scoring a hat trick or scoring the Cup-clinching goal a few weeks later, those two iconic moments are the crown jewels of his Hall of Fame career.

Messier ended his career with 1,887 points which ranks third all-time. While many will argue that he should be higher on this list, we took into account the majority of his points and accomplishments were in Edmonton.

3. Rod Gilbert

There’s no denying some highly talented players have skated in a Rangers jersey, but there will be one that always stands out more than any other: Gilbert. Even though his franchise record for games played has fallen since his retirement in 1978, he remains the only player in team history to score 400 goals (406) and collect 1,000 points (1,021). 

The No. 7 is a beloved one around here.

A look behind the very first retired number in #NYR history and the legendary Rod Gilbert. 💙 https://t.co/WZtNPMZoE4 pic.twitter.com/98md4eJttx

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) June 7, 2023

Known as “Mr. Ranger,” Gilbert spent his 18-year career on Broadway and was very active in the community serving as the Rangers’ alumni association president until he died in 2021. Additionally, he played a significant role in the team’s charity Garden of Dream Foundation, engaging with countless fans who never saw him in action. Ultimately, no one represented the Rangers like he did, leaving behind a legacy that may go unmatched forever.

2. Henrik Lundqvist

Lundqvist is the greatest goalie to play for the Rangers and, without a doubt, only second to Martin Brodeur in accomplishments amongst the three NY/NJ area franchises. Unfortunately, the Swedish netminder never won a Stanley Cup; but instead rewrote the team’s record book and was one of his generation’s best statistical goalies with 459 wins. 

Welcome to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Henrik Lundqvist.#HHOF2023 | #HHOF pic.twitter.com/jeS2Gds8Dw

— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) June 21, 2023

Although there is an argument that Lundqvist is ranked too high on this list, he spent his entire career in the Big Apple. Ultimately, many Rangers fans will remember his acrobatic saves in those Lady Liberty pads, backstopping his team to another win in the World’s Most Famous Arena.

1. Brian Leetch

Although the Rangers have four Stanley Cup championships, the team has only one Conn Smythe winner, Brian Leetch. As a two-time Norris Trophy winner and Rookie of the Year in 1989, the American-born defenseman played the first 17 years of his career in New York, helping the team to a championship in 1994. 

Statistically, Leetch came just 40 points shy of the franchise record (1,021) and was only 39 games away (1,160) from becoming the all-time leader in appearances in a Rangers jersey. Unfortunately, the team traded away a franchise icon in 2004, who finished his career with brief stops in Toronto and Boston. Moreover, he was the last defenseman to score 100 points in a season, with 102 in 1991-92, until Erik Karlsson scored 101 in 2022-23. 

At the end of the day, these lists are subjective as to ranking, but it’s hard to argue with the place these names hold in New York Rangers history.

Eddie Giacomin and Mike Richter played over 600 games for the Rangers (608 & 666 respectively). Eddie finished with 289 wins in his career and Richter with 301.

Now that Henrik Lundqvist has officially retired, his name and iconic No. 30 will join them in a ceremony this upcoming season.

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and celebrate these great netminders.

Rangers Great: Mike Richter; slayer of curses

Mike Richter never won a Vezina Trophy or Olympic Gold, what he did win was the Stanley Cup. Something only 4 other Ranger goalies in franchise history won before him. In 1928 Lorne Chabot was the man until an eye injury in the finals made Lester Patrick don the pads for the franchise’s first ever Championship. Then Andy Aitkenhead and Dave Kerr won it 1933 and 1940 respectively.

It took 54 years for someone that special to come along and Richter did it in grand fashion. At the age of 27, Richter amassed a record of 42-12-6, with a 2.57 GAA and .910 save percentage. Along the way he would win MVP of the 1994 All-Star game, held at MSG. He topped that regular season with a 16-7 record, 2.07 GAA and .921 save percentage in the playoffs to win the Stanley Cup. He also notched what may be the greatest moment in NYR history when he stopped Pavel Bure on a penalty shot in game 4.

Mike Richter had just done the impossible and was poised to do more. In 1996 versus the heavily favored Canadians, he would backstop Team USA to a World Cup Championship and then an Olympic Silver in 2002. Sadly, his career was hampered by a devastating knee injury and a concussion that ended his career after only 13 games in 2002. Yet, he finished with 301 wins, 2.89 GAA and a .904 save percentage in the regular season. His playoff totals were 41 wins, 2.68 GAA and a .909 save percentage, but that giant silver Cup looms biggest.

The number 35 was raised high to the rafters on February 4th, 2004, almost as high the spirits of Rangers fans on June 14th, 1994. That night Richter said “Over this last year, any sense of loss has been replaced with feelings of gratitude and joy, and the realization that this time spent here was nothing short of an amazing gift.”

Rangers Great: Eddie Giacomin

Eddie Giacomin is still adored by the Rangers’ faithful. His number 1 hangs proudly in the Garden rafters. A Hall of Famer, Giacomin finished with a 2.82 GAA and 54 shutouts. Eddie won the Vezina Trophy in 1971 but never captured the Stanley Cup.

The highlight of his career may very well be his tearful return to the Garden as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. Rangers fans rained down boos at their own team while chanting “Ed-die! Ed-die!” Giacomin would win that game for the Red Wings, but he never lost the hearts of the Garden Faithful. In a biography video, Giacomin looked back on his return and recalled “That was one heck of an experience that will never go away. The New York Rangers crest is buried in Eddie Giacomin’s heart.”

Long Live the King

Henrik Lundqvist belongs high in the Garden’s ceiling. I don’t care to debate if he is the greatest of all New York Rangers goalies, he simply is one of the best players to ever pull the sweater over his head. His Gold and Silver medals prove his international greatness. Lundqvist capturing the 2012 Vezina Trophy, along with every heart-stopping save in his 15 year NHL playing career is enough for me.

The 39 year-old goalie ends his NHL career with a record of 459-310-96, a .916 SV% and a GAA of 2.43 with 64 shutouts. Simply remarkable numbers. Lundqvist will forever be remembered for carrying the team on numerous occasions, in particular the 2014 Stanley Cup run that fell short. He is and always will be one of the best Blueshirts of all-time.

The King finishes his career leading the Rangers in the following categories for goalies:

• Most game played 887
• Most wins 459
• Best GAA (min 325 starts) 2.43
• Best SV% (min 100 starts) .918
• Shutouts 64
• Most points 27
• Playoff games 130
• Playoff wins 61
• Most playoff shutouts 10

Lundqvist was close to a comeback

Find out just how close and what derailed it. Read here.

You’d think a franchise that has housed a plethora of fantastic goaltenders will have more than just a few winners of the award named in honor of Georges Vezina. The goaltender of the Montreal Canadiens died suddenly and tragically in 1926 of tuberculosis. But, only two Ranger goalies have been selected by the powers-that-be as the finest in their sport for a given season. With the caveat being prior to 1981 the Vezina Trophy was simply awarded to the team that surrendered the fewest amount of goals.

In today’s piece, we will profile the Ranger goalies that have had the distinction of being a Vezina Trophy award winner.

Dave Kerr 1939-40

Kerr, the only Ranger goalie to capture the Vezina during the Original Six era and the netminder who back-stopped the team to the 1940 Stanley Cup, won the coveted award by giving up just 77 goals in 48 regular season games. One would assume that even if the Vezina winners were voted on back in that championship season, Kerr would have received the majority of the votes by posting an eye-popping 27-11-10 record with eight shutouts and a sparkling 1.54 GAA.

Ed Giacomin/Gilles Villemure 1970-71

No, that is not a typo: Prior to 1981, it was somewhat common for a goaltending tandem to share the award. Giacomin and Villemure, the talented twosome that were rock solid for so many years during the Emile Francis era of Ranger hockey, were named co-recipients of the Vezina because of a minutes played stipulation. They combined to give up a league-low 177 goals, leading the Blueshirts to a 109 point season which stood as a franchise record until it was eclipsed in that magical season of 1994.

John Vanbiesbrouck 1985-86

The “Beezer” was as beloved and adored as any Ranger player of the last 40 years. The diminutive, but solid and sharp and durable goaltender was the first Blueshirt netminder to be voted in as the best goalie of the year. HIs legendary 1985-86 season endeared him to the Garden Faithful for decades to come. Not only did Beezer post 31 wins in that memorable season, he also posted a 3.32 GAA in an era in which double-digit goal scoring was the norm and not the anomaly that it is today. Beezer helped to carry his Cinderella squad to the 1986 Whales Conference Finals before bowing out to Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadians.

Henrik Lundqvist 2011-12

Never in my over 40 years of following the New York Rangers did I witness an exhibition of goaltending like what was displayed by Henrik Lundqvist in the 2011-12 season. “The King” single handedly carried his hark-working, but marginally talented team to a division championship and number one seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Lundqvist’s stat line from the 11-12 season is nothing short of stellar. 39 wins. 1.97 GAA. 930 save percentage and eight shutouts. Lundqvist continued his brilliance and excellence in the playoffs that spring, carrying his exhausted and beat up squad to just two wins short of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Rangerstown would love to see the current number one goalie, the aforementioned Shesterkin, join this exclusive list of Vezina Trophy award winners some day. Igor’s game has been a bit erratic at times as the young Russian continues to adapt and assimilate to North American life. As #31 gets more comfortable and confident and as the team around him gets better with more experience, I would not be the least bit surprised to see the Moscow native in the Vezina discussion in the coming seasons.

Check out the listings below for full programming schedule starting tonight!

Starting in goal, number 1 Eddie Giacomin

Edd-ie Edd-ie Edd-ie!

There are three sure things in life, my friends. Death, taxes and that Pavlovian chant from Rangerstown each time the Sudbury, Ontario native takes the ice or is shown in the Garden Vision scoreboard. Giacomin’s 267 regular season wins and 49 shutouts were Ranger records at the time of his retirement in 1978. The Hall-of-Famer was the 2nd player in franchise history to have his jersey raised to the Garden rafters making Giacomin a perfect fit to tend goal for our Canadian born team

On defense, number 3 Harry Howell

The Norris Trophy winner and eventual Hall-of -Famer spent 17 years patrolling the blue line at both MSG III and MSG IV. Even though it’s been more than 50 years since Howell last donned the red, while and blue colors of your beloved hockey team, the native of Hamilton, Ontario is still the team’s all time leader in games played with 1160. Howell’s jersey was belatedly raised to the Garden rafters in a dual ceremony with Andy Bathgate in February of 2009. The late Howell is true Ranger royalty and very much deserving to make our list.

His defense partner, number 4 Ron Greschner

The Goodsoil, Saskatchewan native played all of his 16 seasons and 981 regular season games wearing his familiar #4, that, in all honesty, should be among the retired banners dangling from the iconic Garden roof. “Gresch” could do it all. He was big, strong, skilled and man was he tough! In 1977-78, Gresch scored 24 goals, tallied 72 points and amassed 100 PIM. Gresch may never have won an individual award and he may not be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. However, he is very much qualified of being Harry Howell’s defense partner on our hypothetical Ranger team.

On left wing, number 11 Vic Hadfield

The first player in franchise history to reach the 50-goal plateau and one of just six Blueshirts to top 100 points in a single season, Hadfield was the left wing on the famed Goal-A-Game line. Hadfield also served as Ranger captain from 1971-1974. The native of Oakville, Ontario was a fearless leader who could light the lamp on one shift and beat the tar out of an opponent the next, Hadfield’s number 11 jersey was retired last season joining his legendary GAG line-mates in Ranger lore forever.

At center, number 11 “The Messiah” Mark Messier

The man who engineered his ouster from his home town of Edmonton, Alberta to New York City in October of 1991 on a supreme mission to defeat the daunting, intimidating and seemingly unbeatable 1940 monster.
The man who guaranteed victory in game 6 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals and then scored a now iconic third period hat trick to facilitate the unthinkable.

The man who raised that silver chalice towards the heavens on the unforgettable evening of June 14th, 1994 to, in fact, permanently put to rest that dreaded “1940” chant. On a personal note, Mark Messier is a hero of mine and it is my own belief that every Ranger fan should own his #11 jersey to pay homage to the only player in 80 years to captain a Ranger team to a Stanley Cup Championship.

On right wing, number 7 Rod Gilbert

The unofficial ambassador of the Garden and the New York Rangers, Gilbert is simply put, unequivocal Ranger royalty. The Montreal, PQ native continues to be the franchise’s all time leader in goals with 406 and points with 1021. Gilbert is enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame and his #7 was the first jersey to be retired by the only NHL team he had ever played for. Gilbert has become synonymous with Ranger hockey and you’ll never meet a classier individual.

Honorable mention: Jean Ratelle, Adam Graves, Andy Bathgate, Dave Kerr, James Patrick, Walt Tkaczuk, Brad Park, and Mike Gartner.

One of the biggest things we as fans can do is buy a jersey and proudly support OUR team. While Herb Brooks said that “the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back”, fans also show their loyalty to their favorite player or players by getting their names and numbers put on their backs. Not many fans put their own names on their jerseys. Go to a Rangers game and you will see Messier, Leetch, Graves & Richter jerseys even though they haven’t played for the team in almost 10-20 years!

So this got me thinking. For each number that has been worn in Rangers history, which player “wore it the best?” So in a new feature here on FullTilt Rangers, we will look at the players that wore each number and narrow it down to the top 3 and then conclude with the player who wore it the best.

In some cases there might be only one player who wore a number; in other cases there may be dozens. The best one might not be the one who has the best statistics as a Ranger. The best may be chosen simply because of a particular game or season. That’s the fun part of this. Everyone will have their own take, their own list. We want you all to express your opinions both positive and negative. Most of all though, let’s have some fun and open debate doing this! So without further ado, let’s get this rolling with Rangers #1.

Who Has Worn #1?

Through the conclusion of the 2013-14 season, there has been a total of 38 players who have worn the New York Rangers # 1 jersey. Unless the Rangers pull a Vancouver Canucks Mark Messier / Wayne Maki blunder (whereby the Canucks un-retired Maki’s jersey #11 to give to Messier to wear when he signed with them in the summer of 1997), that number will stay at 38.

The Rangers retired Number 1 for Ed Giacomin on March 15, 1989 becoming the second number retired in Rangers history after Rod Gilbert’s #7. Another thing about the Number 1 that may or may not be surprising is that every player that has worn it was a goalie. Some of the names you may have heard of; some you may not. Still there are others that you might scratch your head and ask, “Did he play for the Rangers?” or “Oh Yeah! I remember him!” Regardless of your take the list boast several Hall of Famers

The list of players that have worn Number 1 are:

*courtesy of newyorkrangers.com
A quick view of the names and you will see some that stand out; Hall of Famers even! Some were legends of the NHL; others only legends in their own household. Regardless, they wore the Blue, Red & White of the New York Rangers and they had the opportunity to play in the NHL which is not something to be taken lightly.

As with all lists like this, subjectivity always comes into play and that’s where the fun lies. In my opinion, the 3 best “who wore it well” were Doug Soetaert, Wayne Thomas and of course, Eddie Giacomin.

Doug Soetaert (1975-81, 1986-87)

Doug Soetaert was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on April 21, 1956. He was drafted by the New York Rangers in 1975 in the 2nd Round (30th overall) in the NHL Amateur Draft. He made his debut with the Rangers during the 1975-76 season; appearing in 8 games and posting 2-2 record with a 5.27 GAA & .859 save percentage. He would spend parts of the next 5 seasons with the Rangers, appearing in a career high 39 games in 1980-81 sporting a record of 16-16-7 with a GAA of 3.93.

He was traded to the Winnipeg Jets for a 1983 3rd round draft pick and played there for 3 seasons. The Jets then shipped him to the Montreal Canadiens (for Mark Holden) where he manned the pipes for 2 seasons. Soetaert played his final NHL season with a return to Broadway for the Rangers in 1986-7, appearing in 13 games with a record of 2-7-2 and GAA 5.16.

While certainly never a star for the Rangers, Soetaert was a favorite of mine growing up for some reason (maybe the uniqueness of his name?). In parts of 7 seasons for the Blueshirts, Soetaert appeared in 103 games with a record of 35-40-15 and a GAA of 4.03.

Soetaert would go on to become the asst coach/GM of the Colorado Rangers & Denver Rangers (both at one time the Rangers top minor league affiliate) and he spent 1990-91 to 2000-01 seasons as the GM and Senior VP of hockey Operations of the Kansas City Blades of the IHL. He also served in the same capacity for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL from 2002-03 through 2011-12. He had a brief stint in 2005-6 as the President of the Omaha Ak-Sar Ben Knights of the AHL He also had 2 brief stints in the NHL; first as a scout for the Rangers in 1989-90 & then as asst GM for the Calgary Flames in 2005-06. Last season he plied his trade as Director of Scouting for EC Salzburg in Austria.

Wayne Thomas (1977-81)

Wayne Thomas was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Oct. 9, 1947. He was drafted originally by the Los Angeles Kings but was traded to the Montreal Canadiens where he made his NHL debut during the 1972-73 season. In his first NHL start, he shutout the Vancouver Canucks 3-0 on January 14, 1973 which was quite an impressive feat.

He played in only 10 games that season as he was the backup behind Hall of Famer Ken Dryden. The Canadiens won the Stanley Cup but Thomas did not play a single minute during the playoffs. He did however receive a Stanley Cup ring but because he did not play enough games during the year, his name is not on the Stanley Cup.

He became the Canadiens starting goalie during the 1973-74 season and recorded a record of 23-12-5 in 42 games with a GAA 2.76. The Canadiens were not sold on him however, and he did not play a single game for them in 1974-75 despite being on the active roster the entire season.

The Habs traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs and over 2 seasons he appeared in 97 games with a record of 38-37-19 and GAA 3.57. The New York Rangers claimed him off waivers on Oct. 10, 1977 and he made his Rangers debut five days later against his former team, the Canadiens in Montreal. In parts of 4 seasons with the Blueshirts, Thomas appeared in 94 games fashioning a record of 34-43-11 with a 3.63 GAA. He appeared in 1 playoff game (loss) and gave up 4 goals.

Since retiring from the Rangers he has remained in the game. From 1981-82 thru 1984-85 he was an assistant coach with the Rangers. He then went on to the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the IHL where he was head coach and won a championship in 1986-87. He was an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1987-88 and head coach of the Peoria Rivermen of the IHL for the following 2 seasons.

In 1991-92 & 1992-93 he was an assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues. Since 1993-94 he has been a part of the San Jose Sharks organization in various capacities. He has served as an assistant coach, assistant GM & VP of Hockey Operations. He has also served as the general Manager of the Sharks top minor league affiliate in the AHL (Kentucky Thoroughbreds, Cleveland Barons & Worchester Sharks).

Ed Giacomin (1965-75)

Ed Giacomin was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on June 6, 1939. His rights were acquired by the Rangers on May 18, 1965 from Providence of the AHL for Marcel Paille, Aldo Guidolin, Sandy MacGregor & Jim Mikol. He made his Rangers debut on October 24, 1965 against the Montreal Canadiens. Simply put, he went on to become – at the time of his retirement – the single greatest goalie in Rangers history.

In between, there were some marvelous times and great memories. Some highlights of his career were winning the Vezina Trophy (co-shared with teammate Gilles Villemure), being named to the NHL 1st All-Star teams in 1966-67 * 1970-71, the 2nd team in 1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70 7 playing in the All-Star game 6 times (1968-71, 1973). He also backstopped a powerhouse Rangers team to the Finals in 1971-72 against the Boston Bruins and along with Villemure was the backbone of the Rangers teams in the late 60’s & early 70’s.

Over 11 seasons in net for the Blueshirts, Giacomin captured the imaginations of Rangers fans with his charismatic and acrobatic style. In the 11 seasons, he played in 538 games posting 266-172-89 record with a 2.73 GAA along with 49 SHO. The GP, Wins & Shutouts were all Rangers franchise records at the time of his retirement. Giacomin was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987. He received the ultimate team honor when his number 1 was retired on March 15, 1989 joining former teammate Rod Gilbert as the only 2 –at that time – Rangers to have that honor bestowed upon them.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of Giacomin, however, came as an opponent at MSG. The Rangers were rebuilding and on October 31, 1975, the Rangers released the long time veteran netminder. The Detroit Red Wings claimed Giacomin on waivers and on November 2, 1975 in an emotional return to Garden ice, Giacomin backstopped the Red Wings to victory. At the beginning of the game, during the National Anthem, Ranger fans honored Giacomin by chanting the familiar “EDDIE!! EDDIE!!, EDDIE!!” chant drowning out the music.

A visibly moved Giacomin was shown on TV wiping away the tears as he struggled with his emotions. For the first time in forever, the Rangers seemed to be the “visiting” team on Garden ice that night. It was a night to remember and one that went down in Garden history.

Conclusion

When compiling lists like this it is always a very subjective process. A lot goes into deciding who should be ranked where and why. Emotion plays a lot into it. For some, statistics are the “be all, end all.” For this particular endeavor, choosing who “Wore Number 1 the Best”, the first spot was fairly easy.

Giacomin is an All-time great. The choosing of Thomas & Soetaert was a personal choosing of mine and I thank you for indulging me. There were several other worthy candidates; Glen Hanlon, Gump Worsley & Jacques Plante to name a few.

I never did see either Worsley or Plante play and I was never a big fan of Hanlon. Thomas & Soetaert were part of my youth growing up as a Rangers fan watching them on TV. Usually it was a road game as I lived in the Bronx and cable had not yet made its way to our side of the river yet! (Hard to believe in this day and age, huh?) Do you agree with my list? Or do you have your own? So who’s your #1? 2? 3? Give us a shout and let us know what you think!

Coming off of two huge wins over Ottawa (8-4) and Columbus (3-1), the New York Rangers got themselves right back where they want to be in terms of playoff position. The Rangers needed to win last night because at this moment in the season every point counts, and you can’t afford to botch games this late because teams behind you and ahead of you will always find ways to win.

That’s exactly what the Philadelphia Flyers are doing right now. The team that the Rangers need to catch in order to take second place in the division, if nothing else goes wrong however. But the Flyers are playing tremendous hockey right now, there’s no other way around it. Remember all those goals they were giving up early in the season? That just isn’t happening anymore. The Flyers better cool off or the Rangers might find themselves a little bit further down in the standings come playoff time.

Enough about the Flyers though, last night was all about Henrik Lundqvist. Throughout the game, he didn’t have to do much, the defensive effort was there, positioning was good for the most part, Raphael Diaz also looked very good in his Rangers debut due to John Moore being out. There were a ton of positives to take from last night’s contest. It was one of those “feel-good” wins that when you look at the score you can do nothing but smile. But, when Lundqvist was called on to make that big save to keep his team in it, he pulled through and made that save.

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKGzXqO9jWc”]Game Seven Highlights – [/su_youtube]

That’s what earned him his passage into the history books, for the second time. Shortly after getting win #302 to pass legend Mike Richter on the Rangers all-time wins list, he notched his 50th career shutout last night to pass Ed Giacomin on that all-time list as well. Lundqvist seems to be doing it all at the moment, and the Rangers are going to need him if they want to have a shot at making a deep playoff run this year.

A Rick Nash shot from a tight-angle which went top-shelf on Martin Brodeur is all the Rangers would need essentially. From there on the Rangers locked down and played solid hockey to pick up the two points. Ranger fans thought they would see Martin St. Louis’ first goal as a Ranger, the empty net was waiting for him! But right as he took the shot a Devils defense-man came in and blocked it. Looks like we will have to wait a little bit longer.

The Rangers celebrated in joy as they sent the Devils fans home disappointed, while the away fans in attendance would have something to cheer about.

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow starts a new week for the boys in blue, as they come home to MSG to play the Phoenix Coyotes (7pm start), then on Wednesday they have a huge match-up with the Flyers (8pm start) at home, which will be featured on the NBC Sports Network. Then they close out the week on Friday with a game on the road against the Calgary Flames (9pm start).

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When you stop and think of Ranger goalie greats, two names come up and coincidently rise to the rafters. Eddie Giacomin and Mike Richter played over 600 games for the Rangers (608 & 666 respectively). Eddie finished with 289 wins in his career and Richter with 301. Yesterday, Henrik Lundqvist shutout the Detroit Red Wings to earn his 49th career shutout and 300th win.

Those milestones tie him with Eddie Giacomin for the all-time lead in NYR shutouts and leaves him 1 behind Mike Richter in all time wins (301). What is truly staggering is the fact that Lundqvist is still in the prime of his career and getting better. Just where will Hank finish? 500 wins looks promising, 600 may be a stretch, but no matter what number he finishes with, it’ll be more than any other Rangers net minder in history.

“ED-DIE, ED-DIE, ED-DIE”

Eddie Giacomin is adored by the Rangers’ faithful. His number 1 hangs proudly in the Garden rafters. A Hall of Famer, Giacomin finished with a 2.82 GAA and 54 shutouts. Eddie won the Vezina Trophy in 1971 but never captured the Stanley Cup. The highlight of his career may very well be his tearful return to the Garden as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. Rangers fans rained down boos at their own team while chanting “Ed-die! Ed-die!” Giacomin would win that game for the Red Wings, but he never lost the hearts of the Garden Faithful. In a biography video, Giacomin looked back on his return and recalled “That was one heck of an experience that will never go away. The New York Rangers crest is buried in Eddie Giacomin’s heart.”

A 10 ON THE RICHTER SCALE

Mike Richter never won a Vezina Trophy or Olympic Gold, what he did win was the Stanley Cup. Something only 4 other Ranger goalies out of 82 in franchise history won before him. In 1928 Lorne Chabot was the man until an eye injury in the finals made Lester Patrick don the pads for the franchise’s first ever Championship. Then Andy Aitkenhead and Dave Kerr won it 1933 and 1940 respectively.

It took 54 years for someone that special to come along and Richter did it in grand fashion. At the age of 27, Richter amassed a record of 42-12-6, with a 2.57 GAA and .910 save percentage. Along the way he would win MVP of the 1994 All-Star game, held at MSG. He topped that regular season with a 16-7 record, 2.07 GAA and .921 save percentage in the playoffs to win the Stanley Cup. He also notched what may be the greatest moment in NYR history when he stopped Pavel Bure on a penalty shot in game 4.

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ7NEPvh52c”]Game Seven Highlights – [/su_youtube]

Mike Richter had just done the impossible and was poised to do more. In 1996 versus the heavily favored Canadians, he would backstop Team USA to a World Cup Championship and then an Olympic Silver in 2002. Sadly, his career was hampered by a devastating knee injury and a concussion that ended his career after only 13 games in 2002. Yet, he finished with 301 wins, 2.89 GAA and a .904 save percentage in the regular season. His playoff totals were 41 wins, 2.68 GAA and a .909 save percentage, but that giant silver Cup looms biggest.

The number 35 was raised high to the rafters on February 4th, 2004, almost as high the spirits of Rangers fans on June 14th, 1994. That night Richter said “Over this last year, any sense of loss has been replaced with feelings of gratitude and joy, and the realization that this time spent here was nothing short of an amazing gift.”

THE KING’S PLACE

If it all ended for Hank today, his number 30 would share space in the Garden rafters without question. His Gold and Silver medals are accolades enough and when you add in his 2012 Vezina trophy he is Hall of Fame bound. However, if he wants to be the greatest of all time in NY, he needs to win the Cup.

Currently, Lundqvist has a 30-37 record in the playoffs. Although he took the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2012 it was still a far cry from winning the Stanley Cup. Mike Richter did just that in 1994 and I believe Henrik Lundqvist can as well. If he does, the moment he raises that Cup over his head, he will truly be the Rangers greatest goalie ever. A prize truly befitting the King.

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