I don't post often but when I do, I sometimes say the same thing: my Ranger memories go back to 1958, I became a hardcore fan circa 1963, and I was a season ticket holder in the old blue seats through the Francis era. I saw all of the players with retired numbers play and I have no issue at all with any of them. So perhaps I can bring some perspective. Let me also say, by way of analogy, that when it comes to induction in the baseball HOF, I am a "big hall guy" I also don't believe that you need to win a Cup to have your number retired. How many of those "up there" have?
First, Hadfield. Team captain, wing on the GAG line, 50 goal scorer, feared fighter, one the key cogs in the emergence of the team after years of mediocrity. No, no problem at all.
Walt Tkaczuk: nobody thought of him as a European player just because he was born there. Does anyone thing of HOFer Stan Mikita as a European player? Both were Canadian through and through. In the old days, teams could bring up their junior players for brief trials and WT made his debut at the old Garden. When he first came up, the big discussion about him was "how do we pronounce his name?" Prototypical 2nd line center, extremely strong on his skates. Just a solid guy who had a fine career...but should he have his number retired? No. WT is almost one month older than me, to give you some idea of my age.
Ron Greschner: honestly, I just never was a big fan of his. He was always lacking that "something" that to me, made him worthy of retiring his number. Fine player, fine career, but, no,
Brad Park: absolutely.
The guys of the Cup team: while I don't think you need a Cup to have your number retired, winning a Cup is special (and one of the highlights of my life), so yes to all of them there, including Graves. There are so many parallels with Hadfield.
Current guys:
Kreider: absolutely, positively. Leader, mentor, example, 50 goal scorer, one of my favorite all time players, in so many ways, he is the "Mr. Ranger" of the current era. Hope he gets to stay here until he retires. I only think of him in superlatives.
Mika: interesting how this has just come up with him. Just a few weeks ago, when there was discussion of CK's achievements, I was kind of shocked to realize how quickly MZ is rising through the ranks of all time Ranger stats. If he stays here for many more years with some high end years included, and ends up at or near the top of Ranger stats, how could you not include him?
Fox: absolutely on a HOF track. I do worry about how he will age given is smaller size and his lack of above average foot speed. What will he look like at age 30 having lost a step and accumulated some injuries? But right now, I can see, well in the future, his number retired.
When are the Rangers going to do something for the real older guys (players even before my time that I heard of from my Dad)? The Cooks, Boucher, etc. I have always felt that, perhaps, a joint banner with all their names on it, should be raised to the roof.
