On this day in Rangers History: The first ever jersey was retired by the organization
On this day, 45 years ago the New York Rangers made the decision to retire Rod Gilbert's jersey in Madison Square Garden.
Mr. Ranger's #7 hangs in the rafters, and remains iconic due to the multiple, and significant contributions he's made to the original six franchise.
Why did the Rangers hang Mr. Ranger's number in the rafters?
Well, to start Rod Gilbert was the first New York Ranger to score 1000 points in the Blueshirt, along with tallying 400 goals as a Ranger too.
Gilbert would find his way into the lineup with the Ranger squad, after cracking one game year, during 1960-1961, and 1961-1962. He would eventually get a chance at a full-time position in the NHL, replacing Ken Schinkel in the lineup during the 1962 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Dave Balon and Johnny Wilson
He'd play alongside Dave Balon and Johnny Wilson. Gilbert helped the team win Game 3 over the Maple Leafs with an assist, and in Game 4 showed up big time as he potted two goals and an assist, in the Rangers' victory over the Leafs, 4-2 in Game 4. That night began a career-long love with the MSG faithful and Gilbert.
Leading the Rangers in scoring
During 1973-1974 Gilbert would pass his idol Andy Bathgate in two categories for the Rangers. He'd become the leader in goals and points, setting a record of 400 goals scored with the Blueshirts, and accumulating 1000 points during his career on Broadway.
Gilbert retired in 1977, and when he did he held the Rangers record in all-time assists, with 615 but in 2000-2001, Brian Leetch would pass him on the record books.
The G-A-G Line
Rod Gilbert, Jean Ratelle, and winger Vic Hadfield all played for the Rangers in the 60s. But the G-A-G lineup wouldn't be assembled until 1967-1968, and with Gilbert and Ratellle playing together as kids in Quebec, the line came with prebuilt chemistry.
The line reached its apex during the 1971-72 season. During that campaign, each player scored at least 40 goals, becoming the first line in NHL history to have all three players register 40 or more goals in the same season. Ratelle, despite missing the final month of the regular season after suffering a broken ankle, set the Rangers' single-season record for points with 109, while Hadfield became the first player in franchise history to score 50 goals in a season.
Gilbert, meanwhile, was named to the NHL's First All-Star Team at right wing, as he established career-highs with 43 goals, 97 points, and a plus-50 plus/minus rating. In addition, the success of the �G-A-G Line' helped the team have a successful season, as the Rangers advanced to the 1972 Stanley Cup Final.
Post-career
Gilbert would continue his contributions with the Rangers off-ice, as he remained with the Rangers for over 32 years. He'd serve as the Director, Special Projects, and Community relations representative for the team. He helped lead the growth of the New York Rangers alumni association, assisted in many community areas, picked up a role as a goodwill ambassador for Madison Square Garden, and was committed to the Garden of Dreams Foundation.
Gilbert became a Hockey Hall of Famer when he was inducted in 1982, but the title he earned and is known for is «Mr. Ranger». It is a fitting title for a person who was the definition of excellence on and off the ice and who loved nothing more than the Rangers and New York City.
As Adam Graves once said, «Rod represents everything that everyone else who wore that Rangers jersey after him wants to be.»
| POLL | ||
Is anyone going to surpass Rod Gilbert in the Rangers record books in goals and points? | ||
| Maybe Chris Kreider | 70 | 57.9 % |
| Yes | 41 | 33.9 % |
| No | 10 | 8.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
