The Gretzky Years and what we learned
The 1996/97 season was a transition year for the New York Ranger. Three years removed from their Stanley Cup win and after a disappointing second round loss in the 1995/96 playoff the Rangers were informed that The Great One, Wayne Gretzky wished to sign with the club.
The Ranger had no former connection to Wayne yet they felt obligated to grant his wish of playing in New York City and being reunited with his friend and former team-mate Mark Messier and so it was decided to kick the rebuild/retool can down the road and attempt a win now mode.
In 1996/97 despite having a top 5 forward group of Messier, Gretzky, Graves, Robitaille and Alexi Kovalev the Rangers finished four games above .500 and lost in the conference finals to the Philadelphia Flyers.
The following season despite there being no salary cap in the NHL the club let Mark Messier walk. It was reported then that President Dave Checketts said he wasn’t going to keep paying Messier for the cup win back in 94.
It was determined that the reason they had lost to the Flyers and failed to make It to the cup finals that year was because the team lacked the role/trench players the grit/sandpaper players that are required to go all the way. So that is exactly what they did, signing former captains from other teams Brian Skrudland and Mike Keane, adding Tim Sweeny, Kevin Stevens, Mike Eastwood and to replace the void Messier had left the organization the club attempted and failed offer sheet to sign Colorado Avalanche Joe Sakic (Colorado matched) leading to the infamous “Plan B” signing of concussion prone Pat LaFontaine.
The plan was a total failure, Skrudland, Keane and Eastwood were gone by the deadline and the Rangers finished out of the playoffs with a record of 25-39-18.
What we learned and lost
It was determined by the front office staff after that failed year that you can’t buy or trade for established role/grit players. That they had to be developed as prospects within the organization that these players would have to be drafted or acquired prior to them becoming major leaguers with years of experience on other clubs. That these in house system players will grow with each other and show more of a willingness to sacrifice themselves, more loyal and stand up for themselves and their team-mates. To be willing to do the dirty work that is required to win in the NHL. To be proud to be New York Rangers.
Wayne Gretzky played one more year with the Rangers and it became a farewell tour throughout the NHL with the team once again missing the playoffs.
Neil Smith was fired after Gretzky retired and the plan was laid to rest; to be forgotten. Glen Sather took control and had a different approach and who wanted to oppose a man that had constructed teams that won five Stanley Cups much to the dismay of the fanbase.
An Anecdotical Story and the Tale of Two Brandons
I will end with an anecdotical story. There was a game being played by the Rangers during the Glen Sather Rangers G.M. years. Brandon Prust was on the ice as well as Brandon Dubinsky. Dubinsky was involved with a much larger known enforcer from the opposing team. Prust could have stepped in before it escalated but chose not to. Prust was miked up at the time and was heard to say he didn’t wish to help Dubinsky for fear of being suspended by the league just before the Winter Classic that the Rangers were scheduled to play in. The altercation led to a fight in which Dubinsky showed poorly. Anyone who has been following this team for sometime knows that if Brandon Dubinsky was on ice and a team-mate was being placed in a harmful situation, he would not have wasted a second to come to that players aid, regardless of the outcome to his own safety or loss of a prize. What was the difference between the two Brandon’s, one was a home grown within the organization and the other was a player that had bounced around between Calgary and Phoenix then back to Calgary before being acquired by the Rangers via trade.
The 1996/97 season was a transition year for the New York Ranger. Three years removed from their Stanley Cup win and after a disappointing second round loss in the 1995/96 playoff the Rangers were informed that The Great One, Wayne Gretzky wished to sign with the club.
The Ranger had no former connection to Wayne yet they felt obligated to grant his wish of playing in New York City and being reunited with his friend and former team-mate Mark Messier and so it was decided to kick the rebuild/retool can down the road and attempt a win now mode.
In 1996/97 despite having a top 5 forward group of Messier, Gretzky, Graves, Robitaille and Alexi Kovalev the Rangers finished four games above .500 and lost in the conference finals to the Philadelphia Flyers.
The following season despite there being no salary cap in the NHL the club let Mark Messier walk. It was reported then that President Dave Checketts said he wasn’t going to keep paying Messier for the cup win back in 94.
It was determined that the reason they had lost to the Flyers and failed to make It to the cup finals that year was because the team lacked the role/trench players the grit/sandpaper players that are required to go all the way. So that is exactly what they did, signing former captains from other teams Brian Skrudland and Mike Keane, adding Tim Sweeny, Kevin Stevens, Mike Eastwood and to replace the void Messier had left the organization the club attempted and failed offer sheet to sign Colorado Avalanche Joe Sakic (Colorado matched) leading to the infamous “Plan B” signing of concussion prone Pat LaFontaine.
The plan was a total failure, Skrudland, Keane and Eastwood were gone by the deadline and the Rangers finished out of the playoffs with a record of 25-39-18.
What we learned and lost
It was determined by the front office staff after that failed year that you can’t buy or trade for established role/grit players. That they had to be developed as prospects within the organization that these players would have to be drafted or acquired prior to them becoming major leaguers with years of experience on other clubs. That these in house system players will grow with each other and show more of a willingness to sacrifice themselves, more loyal and stand up for themselves and their team-mates. To be willing to do the dirty work that is required to win in the NHL. To be proud to be New York Rangers.
Wayne Gretzky played one more year with the Rangers and it became a farewell tour throughout the NHL with the team once again missing the playoffs.
Neil Smith was fired after Gretzky retired and the plan was laid to rest; to be forgotten. Glen Sather took control and had a different approach and who wanted to oppose a man that had constructed teams that won five Stanley Cups much to the dismay of the fanbase.
An Anecdotical Story and the Tale of Two Brandons
I will end with an anecdotical story. There was a game being played by the Rangers during the Glen Sather Rangers G.M. years. Brandon Prust was on the ice as well as Brandon Dubinsky. Dubinsky was involved with a much larger known enforcer from the opposing team. Prust could have stepped in before it escalated but chose not to. Prust was miked up at the time and was heard to say he didn’t wish to help Dubinsky for fear of being suspended by the league just before the Winter Classic that the Rangers were scheduled to play in. The altercation led to a fight in which Dubinsky showed poorly. Anyone who has been following this team for sometime knows that if Brandon Dubinsky was on ice and a team-mate was being placed in a harmful situation, he would not have wasted a second to come to that players aid, regardless of the outcome to his own safety or loss of a prize. What was the difference between the two Brandon’s, one was a home grown within the organization and the other was a player that had bounced around between Calgary and Phoenix then back to Calgary before being acquired by the Rangers via trade.
