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Rangers to raise Ratelle's #19 sweater to rafters, now do Brad Park's also |
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The Rangers are finally righting a long-standing wrong. Larry Brooks reported today that Jean Ratelle will finally rightly have his #19 sweater raised to the rafters next year. When that is done, Ratelle’ will become the ninth player in franchise history to be so recognized. It will be Ratelle with Rod Gilbert and Ed Giacomin from the Emile Francis generation, joining Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell from the ’50s and ’60s and Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter and Adam Graves from the ’94 Cup winners.
Brooks notes that the ceremony will feature the first reunion of the celebrated GAG Line — Ratelle, Gilbert and Vic Hadfield — since the trio was together at the Rangers’ 75th anniversary celebration that marked the opener of the 2000-01 season. Think about that. Messier, Leetch, Richter and Graves each had their banners raised since then, as did Bathgate and Howell, but the GAG line wasn't together for any of them.
Ratelle made his debut Match 4, 1961 as a 20-year old and spent 15 years as Ranger. During that stretch he posted numbers that clearly warranted a place in the rafters. He is second all time in goals (336); third in points (817); third in assists (481) and sixth in games played (817). Maybe the lack of Cup clouded the Rangers judgment, but in 1971-72, Ratelle recorded 109 points (46-63) in 63 games before going down for the year with a broken ankle he sustained on March 1 when struck by teammate Dale Rolfe’s shot from the point. That injury likely prevented the Rangers from winning the Stanley Cup instead of losing a six-game final to the Bruins, which extended the organization's drought and made 1994 even sweeter.
On November 7, 1975, New York deal Ratelle, Brad Park and Joe Zanussi to Boston for Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais. I was a kid at the time, but hated that trade and grew to hate it even more as time went on. A big portion of that hated is probably due to the Rangers doubling-down on that trade to make Esposito happy, dealing Rick Middleton for Ken Hodge on May 26, 1976; a trade that still is one of the worst in the organization's history.
Ratelle played five-plus years in Boston, helping lead the Bruins to the Cup Finals in '77 and '78. He recorded 450 points (155 goals and 295 points) in 419 games after the trade. Ratelle finished his stellar career with 491 goals and 776 assists in 1281 games and rightly was awarded a place on the NHL Top-100 of all-Time named All-Star weekend a few weeks ago.
Brooks put it best: "Ratelle’s numbers in New York speak for themselves. But he was and is beloved because of the style, élan and class with which he graced the franchise. He is the Blueshirts’ Beliveau, a man of elegance for whom everyone has always had the utmost respect."
Now that Ratelle will be honored, the Rangers should also raise Park's #2 to the rafters. The team took forever to contact Ratelle and bury a hatchet that should have been buried ages ago, now do the same with Park. Don't wait as long as it took for Bathgate and Howell to be honored.
Park was Leetch before there was Leetch. He posted 278 points in 465 games as Ranger before the trade, finished second in the Norris behind Bobby Orr four times in New York. Park also had a third place finish behind Orr while part of the Rangers. In Boston, Park posted 417 points in 501 games with two second place Norris Trophy finishes. he closed out his career playing two years in Detroit, where he tallied 101 points in 147 games. Overall, Park scored 213 goals and added 683 assists in 1113 games with six runner-up finishes in the Norris.
Raise the #2 sweater of Brad Park to the rafters. It would be great if it was done at the same as Ratelle. But if not, then have a separate day shortly thereafter Ratelle and right another wrong.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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