Number retirements for Rangers’ Ratelle, Flyers’ Lindros
New York Rangers Hall of Famer Jean Ratelle will finally get his No. 19 raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden, the same season Eric Lindros will have his No. 88 retired by the Philadelphia Flyers. Lindros will take another step toward rebuilding his relationship with the Flyers when he’s honoured before their Jan. 18 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ratelle will have his night Feb. 25 before the Rangers face the Detroit Red Wings.
Ratelle, who played parts of 16 of his 21 NHL seasons with the Rangers, entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985 and is second on their franchise goals list with 336 and third in assists with 481 and points with 817.
“Jean Ratelle is truly one of the greatest players to have ever played for the New York Rangers,” said team president Glen Sather, who played with Ratelle. “Few players have demonstrated the class, dignity, and gracefulness that Jean possessed throughout his career, both on and off the ice.” Named one of the league’s 100 greatest players earlier this year, Ratelle had 491 goals, 776 assists and 1,267 points with the Rangers and Boston Bruins. He’ll be the ninth Rangers player to have his number retired, following Rod Gilbert, Ed Giacomin, Mike Richter, Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Adam Graves, Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell.
Lindros is the sixth Flyers player to have his number retired after Bernie Parent, Mark Howe, Barry Ashbee, Bill Barber and Bobby Clarke, but he’s the most unlikely of that group. “The Big E” won the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1995 and was one of the most dominant players of his era, but injuries cut his career short and he and his family often feuded with Clarke and Philadelphia management.