New York rangers Retired Numbers

[pappyline]

Interesting to see that Rangers retired Messier's number (because they won cup in 94 is spite of all the other losing years). Was quite surprised to see how few numbers they had retired compared to other teams. All their retired numbers are from relatively recent times: Gibert, Giacomin, Richter, Messier, What about their great players of the early years-Bill Cook, Frank Boucher etc. How about Andy Bathgate who had his greatest years as a Ranger. Does anyone else see this as odd?

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[Leaf Lander]

Andrew James (Andy) Bathgate
Douglas Wagner (Doug) Bentley
Maxwell Herbert Lloyd Bentley
Francois X. (Frank) Boucher
John William (Johnny) Bower
Neil McNeil Colville
William (Bill) Cook
Frederick Joseph (Bun) Cook
Arthur Edmund (Art) Coulter
Marcel Elphege Dionne
Philip Anthony (Phil) Esposito
William Alexander (Bill) Gadsby
Michael Alfred Gartner
Bernard Joseph Andre (Boom Boom) Geoffrion
Edward (Eddie, Fast Eddie) Giacomin
Rodrigue Gabriel (Rod) Gilbert
Wayne Douglas Gretzky
Douglas Norman Harvey
Bryan Aldwyn Hextall
Miles Gilbert (Tim) Horton
Henry Vernon (Harry) Howell
Robert Marvin (Bobby) Hull
Ivan Wilfred (Ching) Johnson
Jari Pekka Kurri
Guy Damien Lafleur
Pat LaFontaine
Edgar Louis Laprade
Harry (Apple Cheeks) Lumley
Howarth William (Howie) Morenz
Herbert William (Buddy) O'Connor
Douglas Bradford (Brad) Park
Lester Patrick
Jospeph Lynn Patrick
Joseph Jacques (Jake the Snake) Plante
Walter (Babe) Pratt
Joseph Gilbert Yvon (Jean) Ratelle
Claude Earl (Chuck) Rayner
Terrance Gordon (Terry) Sawchuk
Earl Walter Seibert
Albert Charles (Babe) Siebert
Clinton James Smith
Allan Herbert Stanley
Lorne John (Gump) Worsley


http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080...egendsPlayersByTeam.jsp?team=New+York+Rangers

 

[pappyline]

I think you have listed Ny Rangers in the HOF. However the Rangers have only retired 4 numbers.

 

[Leaf Lander]

there 2 ahead of the leafs

 

[pappyline]

there 2 ahead of the leafs

I thought the leafs had a lot more retired numbers (they should). but they have something called honoured numbers which are comsiderable. Surorised original 6 don't honor their history more. Mind you Boston does it to the extreme.

 

[GKJ]

I thought the leafs had a lot more retired numbers (they should). but they have something called honoured numbers which are comsiderable. Surorised original 6 don't honor their history more. Mind you Boston does it to the extreme.

The Leafs only retire numbers if their careers end under tragic circumstances.

 

[Blueshirt Yankee]

The Leafs only retire numbers if their careers end under tragic circumstances.

really??? I didn't know that.

 

[shoothepuck]

One would have to figure that NY is very selective in the retirement of #'s. While many of the Rangers listed are deserving, NY just didn't retire their #'s. The last two are cup winners and this might be the added criteria, but one also has to remember what # 11 was to this team, after all the loosing years.

 

[BM67]

Bill Cook captained the Rangers for their first 11 seasons. The team only missed the playoffs once and won two Stanley Cups under his leadership. He scored the franchises 1st goal and the first ever OT Stanley Cup winning goal, both came in 1-0 wins. He led the NHL in goals 3 times, and the Rangers 6 times, as well as winning two NHL scoring titles.

I don't expect the Rangers to retire Bill Cook's number, but his resume as a Rangers is far and away better than Messier's.

 

[Heat McManus]

I would imagine Brian Leetch's #2 will be going up once he retires.

 

[pappyline]

You are probly right. But Bill Cook's number belongs up here first.

 

[arrbez]

really??? I didn't know that.

Bill Barilko and Ace Bailey are the only retired numbers in Toronto. All the greats have their numbers "honoured" in the rafters though

 

[reckoning]

You would think that Bill Cook and Frank Boucher are more than deserving of the honour, not sure how common retiring numbers was back in that era though I know Boston retired Shore`s and Hitchman`s. Let`s face it: they`re not going to have a Messier-style ceremony for two guys who 99% of today`s fans never saw, but it would be nice if siomething was done.

They had some great players in the Original 6 era (`42-`43- `66-`67) but the team was absolutely horrible then. Their record in that 6 team league in that 25 year span was:

1st place- 0 times
2nd place- 1 time
3rd place- 1 time
4th place- 5 times
5th place- 10 times
6th place- 8 times

0 Stanley Cups and only one appearance in the Final. Probably not an era the fans remember with fondness.

They improved from `68 to `75. No Cups but consistently one of the NHL`s top teams and the sport grew in popularity among New Yorkers. That`s where Gilbert and Giacomin get honoured, though in reality the two best Rangers of that era were Brad Park and Jean Ratelle. Maybe honouring those two is something the organization should consider. Strangely enough, Giacomin`s number wasn`t retired until more than 10 years after he retired; Espo had a lot to do with finally getting it done when he became GM.

What the 1994 Cup meant to Ranger fans after all the years of mediocrity (especially after watching the hated Islanders dynasty) cannot be over-emphasized. That`s why Richter, Messier and Leetch (when he retires) get the honour.

Sure, Mess stayed too long and the last few years were brutal, but that doesn`t take away from the past. If he retired 5 years earlier, it wouldn`t have made him a better player.

 

[EventHorizon]

You would think that Bill Cook and Frank Boucher

I've been saying for years that if you're going to put Giacomin and Gilbert's numbers up there, you've got to retire Cook's and Boucher's. Not taking anything away from the other two, but I really think that Cook and Boucher are the two greatest Rangers of all time. Granted, that's hard to say all these years later, but they did put up great numbers.

 

[pappyline]

I've been saying for years that if you're going to put Giacomin and Gilbert's numbers up there, you've got to retire Cook's and Boucher's. Not taking anything away from the other two, but I really think that Cook and Boucher are the two greatest Rangers of all time. Granted, that's hard to say all these years later, but they did put up great numbers.

Agree. It would be a class act for the Rangers to retire Cook & Boucher numbers but itwouldn't be a media event so they won't do it.

 

[GKJ]

really??? I didn't know that.

Yes...everyone else is only honored. I've been to Maple Leaf Gardens once they have #7 hung up there like 4 times.