Yahoo! Sports' Series "The Essentials" Covers the Rangers
Player: Mark Messier
This one was hotly contested. Some said Messier, others said Rod Gilbert. Gilbert is definitely worthy of this title. He spent his entire career with the Rangers, has the most goals and points in Rangers history and is still a huge part of the organization. The fact remains, Messier won The Cup, and Gilbert did not.
On top of that, the Rangers have had almost a thousand players and many captains. But only Messier is "The Captain."
- Rod Gilbert does deserve some recognition. He was the franchise for so many years and still does a tremendous amount of work for them. However, fans only care about championships, and Mark Messier did what Rod Gilbert and countless other before him couldn't do: bring a Stanley Cup home to The Garden.
- Props for inclduing the Dan Cloutier/Tommy Salo goalie fight, which outside of the Cup in 94, might be the best moment in franchise history.
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Pretty good picks but I have to disagree with the fight choice. The Cloutier fight was great b/c it was a goalie fight and against the Islanders, but let's face it -- it wasn't even really a "fight." The essential fight is Domi v. Probert I, where Domi claims the belt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBmGDZZdwiM
Love Leetch, love Richter, love Bukeboom but Messier was my childhood idol above all others. Mess delivered the cup. I'll never forget his game 6 guarantee that he backed up with a hat trick! Besides, he was one of the greatest leaders in all of sports.
@HJB91 Have to mention also love Adam Graves. He is an incredible human being who's dedicated so much of his life to helping children and charitable causes.
@TheNYRBlog Leetch was the essential player in '94 cup run. But Leetch was wi. @thenyrangers team that didn't win UNTIL Messier got there.
@TheNYRBlog @thenyrangers And Leetch is my favorite Ranger in 35 years of watching. He's the best in our history. Doesn't change the point.
@jrromman @thenyrangers Despite everything Mess did I still see Leerch as the essential Ranger. Just my opinion.
All i want to know is why Eric Roitman didn't poll any writers from nyrangersblog before writing this article!? Talk about losing some credability right off the bat..
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@KyleHoffman Eric does a great job at 5-hole, but he left out some great bloggers including Scotty Hockey, Rangers Pundit and Rangers Tribune.
Hard to argue with Messier or Gilbert. But I've got Leetch. Homegrown, greatest American defenseman ever. Norris and Conn Smyth winner. There might be no 1994 without Messier, but there probably wasn't one without Leetch either.
