Ratelle should be in rafters
THE Great Jean Ratelle turned 75 two weeks ago. I know because my email box was filled with notes from Rangers fans imploring me to petition the organization to honor the GAG Line center by retiring his No. 19.
And, no disrespect to Jesper Fast, Brad Richards, Blair Betts or any of the guys who have worn that numeral since that traumatic trade with the Bruins 40 years ago this coming Nov. 2, No. 19 is Ratelle’s and nobody else’s.
You’re telling me there are two Billy Joel banners hanging from the rafters at the Garden but none for Jean Ratelle?
The Piano Man can play, but nobody has made sweeter music in that building than Gentleman Jean and no Rangers line has ever been more magical than the one with Ratelle centering Rod Gilbert and Vic Hadfield.
I get it. This is a now society. We Boomers have had our day. If you were born after 1965 you likely have no memory of Ratelle as a Ranger; may have no knowledge of him. That is your loss and that is why it is the Rangers’ duty and should be the Rangers’ honor to inform you of Ratelle’s greatness wearing the Blueshirt.
There are others overlooked and overshadowed by 1994. Hadfield is one. Brad Park is another and so is Ron Greschner. And of course all of the Hall of Famers from the preWorld War II Era in which the Rangers won three Stanley Cups from 1928 to 1940. No lie! The Rangers once won three Cups in 13 years. You could look it up.
Ratelle is renowned as a private man. I have talked to several members of the Rangers’ Alumni Association who report there may have been a longago breach between him and the organization. If so, more’s the pity.
If so, it is time to put the full force of the franchise into repairing it. There was magic when Ratelle was on the ice and it would be magical to have him back on Broadway, in the spotlight, one more time.
Not only it is time, there is no time to lose, either.
Jean Ratelle turned 75 two weeks ago.
Again: Best defenseman never to win the Norris: A) Park; B) Scott Stevens; C) Mark Howe?
By the way, did you know Park played more games as Bruin (501) than he did as a Ranger (465)? Thanks, Emile.
AllTime NHL No. 19s: 1. Bryan Trottier; 2. Joe Sakic; 3. Steve Yzerman; 4. Larry Robinson; 5. Ratelle.
No good team in the NHL can afford or rationalize losing a home game to the barren Devils. If you ask me, that is why a surprisingly uptight Alain Vigneault is not giving Antti Raanta his first start of the year Sunday afternoon at the Garden against the Devils.
Overhyped, the Blue Jackets do not have a true firstpair defenseman but do have a former Vezina winner in nets named Sergei Bobrovsky who hasn’t made a save all season.
And yep, it is true, the 05 start Columbus toted into Chicago on Saturday has created much credible chatter throughout the industry that John Tortorella may be next up behind what is now Todd Richards’ bench.
You’d think club president John Davidson would be better off waiting for the Bruins to dismiss Claude Julien, whose future is behind him in Boston, but you do know what they say desperate times call for, and these are desperate times in Columbus.