New York Rangers to Retire Leetch's #2

If you were to vote for the greatest New York Rangers player of all time, who would you choose? Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Ron "Donkey Schlong" DuGuay? Wayne Gretzky, even with his short tenure?

All good players, yes, but none of them could possibly compare to Brian Leetch, who easily gets my pick as THE #1 player in Gotham's history. Not only was Leetch one of the best defensemen of all-time, but he was the classy face of the league's prime-time franchise. While Messier, and his massive ego, got the press, it was Leetch's fine play the drove the Rangers' Stanley Cup machine.

So, it was pretty much a no-brainer for the Rangers to announce that they are going to be retiring Brian Leetch's #2.

When we talk about what it means to be a New York Ranger, Brian Leetch is the player who exemplifies that model," Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather said. "There is no higher honor to grant Brian than to have his number raised to the rafters of Madison Square Garden."

Now, I really have to disagree with Sather about Leetch being the 'model' of the Rangers franchise. Given the Rangers' 50+ year Stanley Cup drought prior to their big win in 1994, and their long playoff drought not long afterward, Leetch is anything, in my opinion, like the 'typical' New York Rangers player. While Leetch worked his ass off and carried himself with class and dignity, the modern New York Rangers have been sullied by divas like Jaromir Jagr, or well-paid under-performing dudes like Chris Drury, Bobby Holik, and Eric Lindros.

No, Brian Leetch was the rare New York Ranger that wasn't blinded by the bright lights of Broadway, and the Rangers' players ought to look up at Leetch's #2 and try to emulate the former Rangers great.