New York Rangers issues special announcement regarding former legend
Photo credit: NY Hockey Online
The New York Rangers are celebrating a legend's birthday, on October 3rd, 2024.
That day is the birthday of Center Jean Ratelle, who joined the Rangers in the early '60s. He'd play with the Rangers up until he was shipped to the Boston Bruins in 1975 and not before becoming a part of a legendary line of Rangers forwards.
Prior to his time in New York ending, he'd spend time on a line called the "GAG" line, the goal-a-game line, with Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert.
Ratelle played in three Stanley Cup finals, one with the Rangers in 1972, and two with the Boston Bruins in 1977, and 1978.
He would eventually retire from the NHL in 1981 and never won a Cup, unfortunately, but his tenure with the Rangers saw him play great hockey during his time here.
But that didn't change his contributions to the club, as one of his records from 1971-1972 wasn't broken until Jaromir Jagr's arrival on Broadway in 2006.
If you are too young to remember Jean Ratelle, he was one of the terrifying Goal-A-Game line back in the 1960s and 70s alongside the late great Rod Gilbert and Vic Hadfield. Ratelle scored 109 points in 1971-72. That was a Rangers record that stood until 2006, when Jaromir Jagr broke it. That's all good, but he did it in just 63 games. He missed almost a quarter of the season with an injury. He could have sailed past the 130-point mark easily.
Today Jean Ratelle celebrates his 84th Birthday and should be remembered for his contributions to the Rangers, and the game of hockey.
In 2017 he was named one of the 100 greatest players in NHL history.
Ratelle enjoyed a 21 career in the NHL playing 1,281 games, and scoring 1,267 points( 491 G, 776 A).
He was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy in the 1970-1971 season, The Lady Byng & Lester Pearson Trophies in 1971-1972, and the Lady Byng Trophy again in 1975-1976.
Happy Birthday to Jean Ratelle!
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