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OT: Let's Remember Some Guys

Tangentially related, but of those expensive insider GM tomes, the one I would pay money for would be about the deliberations on the trades in the 90s we all remember, from both teams’ perspective.

Zubov/Nedved for Robitaille/Samuelsson

Ferraro/Norstrom/Laperriere/Lafayette for Kurri/McSorley/Churla

Nemchinov/Noonan for Tikkanen/Courtnall

Patrick/Turcotte for Kypreos/Larmer/Richter

etc, etc, etc
 
I've probably mentioned him before but if the club is looking to honour a player, aside from Henrik, Walt Tkaczuk should be considered. As a standout second line centre behind Ratelle and Espo through the seventies, he killed penalties and excelled in a shutdown and secondary scoring role. He played 1038 regular season and playoff games over 14 seasons, netting 246 goals and 483 assists. He might be a somewhat overlooked, but integral lifetime Rangers player and captain, 1980-81, from the past.
 
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Ratelleitlikeitis said:
I've probably mentioned him before but if the club is looking to honour a player, aside from Henrik, Walt Tkaczuk should be considered. As a standout second line centre behind Ratelle and Espo through the seventies, he killed penalties and excelled in a shutdown and secondary scoring role. He played 1038 regular season and playoff games over 14 seasons, netting 246 goals and 483 assists. He might be a somewhat overlooked, but integral lifetime Rangers player and captain, 1980-81, from the past.
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I had read in the 70's group that Walt also turned down team Canada in 1972 to play in the big series against the Russians . That is how highly he was thought of around the league . Great Ranger .
 
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In those long gone days, teams actually could call up players from junior hockey. Walt made his NHL debut at the old Garden for two games in 67-68. I remember being there for the game. The big question for fans was "how the heck do you pronounce his name?" The prototypical 2nd line center, he was an integral part of the Francis era teams.
 
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Avery16 said:
Tangentially related, but of those expensive insider GM tomes, the one I would pay money for would be about the deliberations on the trades in the 90s we all remember, from both teams’ perspective.

Zubov/Nedved for Robitaille/Samuelsson

Ferraro/Norstrom/Laperriere/Lafayette for Kurri/McSorley/Churla

Nemchinov/Noonan for Tikkanen/Courtnall

Patrick/Turcotte for Kypreos/Larmer/Richter

etc, etc, etc
Click to expand...

1,2, and 4 we reminisce about on this board as PTSD fanbase tales of dread about every 12-15 months. You can also throw the Ridley/Miller for Carpenter into that category. If you'd like tonight when I'm back home, I will write a few paragraphs on each.

3 was essentially Nemchinov had lost his offensive flair and Noonan was an aging vet and the Rangers were thin at wing and needed more depth with Kovalev out for the season. They were banking on Tikkanen waking up for the playoffs, and Courtnall was a decent third line/average second liner. By that point in his career, Tikkanen didn't do much in the regular season but saved it for the playoffs. He was a monster that run and the following year he helped Washington on a Cinderella run to the SCF.
 
Roo Returns said:
1,2, and 4 we reminisce about on this board as PTSD fanbase tales of dread about every 12-15 months. You can also throw the Ridley/Miller for Carpenter into that category. If you'd like tonight when I'm back home, I will write a few paragraphs on each.

3 was essentially Nemchinov had lost his offensive flair and Noonan was an aging vet and the Rangers were thin at wing and needed more depth with Kovalev out for the season. They were banking on Tikkanen waking up for the playoffs, and Courtnall was a decent third line/average second liner. By that point in his career, Tikkanen didn't do much in the regular season but saved it for the playoffs. He was a monster that run and the following year he helped Washington on a Cinderella run to the SCF.
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I read this afternoon that Courtnall and Tikkanen were pending UFAs and got only token offers from the Canucks.

Apparently the whole roster was pretty dissatisfied- Tikkanen told reporters that the whole team wanted to come with them.

Meanwhile, Colin Campbell reportedly said Noonan no longer fit with their program.

Courtnall was also dissatisfied with playing behind Bure and Mogilny, but he wasn’t so hot for us that postseason. If Kovalev were healthy and Sundstrom hadn’t been injured against the Devils, Courtnall likely playing third line for us too.

I’ve come to think that 2 was the most devastating move for the 95-96 and 96-97 teams, even more than losing Zubov.

Does anyone else remember reading a story about Smith and Campbell going to visit a retired Steve Larmer to try to convince him to sign for just the 1997 playoffs?
 
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I was thinking "What is Tanner Glass up to" and I was reminded he works as assistant director of player development for the NYR and I think that is just swell.
 
Curt Ridley also passed away on the weekend ....and also a frequent poster in the 70's Hockey Group I moderate in. He was one of the first pros to join that group . RIP Curt . Any former Ranger pics of him are always appreciated if anybody has them . I think colored ones are as scarce as hen teeth .
 
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Christian Dube is trending.
 
leetch99 said:
Curt Ridley also passed away on the weekend ....and also a frequent poster in the 70's Hockey Group I moderate in. He was one of the first pros to join that group . RIP Curt . Any former Ranger pics of him are always appreciated if anybody has them . I think colored ones are as scarce as hen teeth .
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Him and Peter McDuffe….two goalies that couldn’t break in with us
 
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my son sent me this today as a 'quiz'
date ~2006
i got 5 but needed online help to confirm 1 guy

upload_2021-12-30_16-16-23.png
 
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cwede said:
Mark Tinordi didn't suck.
As NYR rookie, played 24 games at age 21
Was most proven player in package for a then-recent 1stOA
NHL Career totals of >650RS games and 70 postseason
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Ill never forget Tinordi standing up to Bob Probert. He fared really well against the baddest Mofo to ever lace em up. He was sort of replaced by Michel Petit. Petit had a go with Probert the next season. He got clobbered! Petit was gone the next season. Both had decent careers. Looking back, I think the Rangers should have kept Tinordi.




 
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Names from the 1964-1965 Ranger Blue Book (it was always a highlight to get the Ranger yearbook, still have it): Dick Duff, Rod Gilbert, Phil Goyette, Vic Hadfield, Camille Henry, Harry Howell, Earl Ingerfield, Donnie Marshall, Jim Neilson, Bob Nevin, Arnie Brown, Val Fonteyne, Jim Mikol, Marcel Paille, Jacques Plante, Jean Ratelle, Rod Seiling, Gilles Villemure (all merited full page spreads). Half page spreads: Lou Angotti, Don Johns. Smaller spreads: Larry Cahan, Billy Collins, Bryan Hextall, Jr., Ron Ingram, Gordon Laboissiere, Sandy McGregor, Mike McMahon, Dick Meissner, Dave Richardson, Kenny Schinkel, Ted Taylor, Bill Taylor.

Have not thought of some of these guys in years. This was a "bad hockey team. " Record for the year: 20-38-12.
 
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alkurtz said:
Names from the 1964-1965 Ranger Blue Book (it was always a highlight to get the Ranger yearbook, still have it): Dick Duff, Rod Gilbert, Phil Goyette, Vic Hadfield, Camille Henry, Harry Howell, Earl Ingerfield, Donnie Marshall, Jim Neilson, Bob Nevin, Arnie Brown, Val Fonteyne, Jim Mikol, Marcel Paille, Jacques Plante, Jean Ratelle, Rod Seiling, Gilles Villemure (all merited full page spreads). Half page spreads: Lou Angotti, Don Johns. Smaller spreads: Larry Cahan, Billy Collins, Bryan Hextall, Jr., Ron Ingram, Gordon Laboissiere, Sandy McGregor, Mike McMahon, Dick Meissner, Dave Richardson, Kenny Schinkel, Ted Taylor, Bill Taylor.

Have not thought of some of these guys in years. This was a "bad hockey team. " Record for the year: 20-38-12.
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I started following the Rangers in the initial expansion season. It's interesting to see how little turnover there was from that roster until 1967. Let's find the next Ratelle, mix with Laf and Kakko and pour out the next GAG line! We already have Fox as the new Park, and Igor playing the role of Eddie.
 
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Those early 60s teams were simply terrible. We generally played on Saturday nights in either Montreal or Toronto and got beaten pretty badly. The Habs and Leafs were at the height of their powers. Then, we would play the same team on Sunday night at the old Garden. Sometimes, we'd even manage a tie! I imagined the teams took the train from Canada into NYC. sleeping on the train, and the teams might have gone directly to the Garden. A different world, for sure.

The last year of the Original Six before expansion, when we finally emerged as an up and coming team, was one of my most exciting, To finally make the playoffs after years of horror was incredibly exciting. Many core players from 65-65 were still there: Ratelle, Gilbert, Hadfield, Goyette, Marshall, Nevin, Howell, Neilson, Brown.

One of the strange things about that year, and one that will sound familiar to today's team, was that there was a real attempt to get "tougher" and harder to play against. We had acquired Reggie Fleming I think the year before. Orland Kurtenbach, a really hard-nosed center, was acquired. Bob Plager, then a "tough tough" D prospect was slated for a regular role. And, to make us a more "emotional" team, Boom Boom Geoffrion came out of retirement. In those crazy days, it was thought that if you wanted to become a more emotional team, you brought in French-Canadians, who were thought to bring intensity as well as emotion.

I have a distinct memory of standing on the platform of the #7 train at Grand Central waiting to go to Shea Stadium to see one of my other pathetic teams (yeah, the Mets). It must have been September. I recall reading a hockey magazine with the headline "Boomer and the Shock Troops are Coming!"

Yeah, the current team in certainly exciting, with many parallels to 66-67. We are an "emerging team," and there is few things as rewarding as becoming "good" after years of frustration.
 
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cwede said:
Mark Tinordi didn't suck.
As NYR rookie, played 24 games at age 21
Was most proven player in package for a then-recent 1stOA
NHL Career totals of >650RS games and 70 postseason
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Sucking is relative.

Mark Tinordi had a career, sure. But not as anything more than a depth D who could fight in a fighting era.
 
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