As always, be sure to check out this week's edition of Buccigross, which contained an interesting nugget in John's mailbag that made me see red:
I have asked a number of people if they think the Rangers will ever retire Adam Graves' No. 9. I find that most Islanders fans say yes, while many Rangers fans surprisingly say no. I'm thinking that Islander fans are more accustomed to blue-collar, hard-working players rewarded for their efforts (Nystrom, Gillies), where Rangers fans hold higher standards for jerseys they retire. What's your take? I have a steak dinner on your response.
Now, I've gotten over the mindless Rangers hatred that ruled my psyche into my late 20s, but it's letters like this that make it all flood back. I still clearly remember how Rangers fans would continue to insist that their team was the best in the NHL, even as the Isles went to five straight Stanley Cup Finals, winning four (and beating the Rangers in the playoffs each time) and 19 straight playoff series.
As for Clark Gillies and Bobby Nystrom, last time I checked, they had 8 Stanley Cup rings between them. Gillies, by dint of his physical presence on a line with Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy, now has his bust in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
As for Nystrom, he was only an Islander for his entire career, and you might remember him scoring the OT goal against the Flyers that gave the Islanders their first Stanley Cup in 1980. And for those of you who still doubt their value to that squad, here's how former Boston Bruins defenseman and soon to be ex-Isles GM Mike Milbury remembers a second round playoff series with the Isles in 1980, the year of the first Cup:
There was no reason to be overly concerned from our vantage point in Boston. Since my first full season in 76-77, we had averaged 106 points per year. Entering this playoff series, we had reached the Stanley Cup finals twice and lost in the seventh game of the semi-finals in overtime in the previous three seasons. Only Montreal had checked our aspirations to win a Cup. And just barely at that...What we didn't know was that our upcoming opponent was well-prepared to meet the physical challenge.
Of course, I didn't know this until much later but the Islanders were spending the evening getting ready. You have to understand that you just don't get ready to play in places like Philadelphia and Boston in that era. You had to be prepared to be hit and bruised and punched if you wanted to win.
Somewhere in a Boston hotel room, Bob Nystrom was doing just that. Over a soft drink and cookies...yeah, right...Nystrom was meeting with Clark Gillies...
The Rangers. Have. Higher. Standards?
Please.
BTW -- Gravy belongs in the rafters at MSG. They don't get that Cup in 1994 without him. Any standard that would preclude the franchise honoring Graves is not a standard worth enforcing.
The “higher standards” phrases confuses the crap out of me. Where would these so-called standards even come from and how are they higher?
Adam Graves had a handful of good years on the Rangers and helped them to one Stanley Cup. His numbers were more like Derek Lowe than Cy Young by the end and his physical game wasn’t anything like it used to be. IMO that doesn’t get your jersey retired.
But if the Avs can retire Bourque’s 77, the Rangers can retire my number and I don’t think you can question it much.
If the Rangers can retire Messier’s number, then they can retire Graves’ number as well. There would not have been a Cup win without either Messier or Graves. Both players had good career starts in Edmonton, both helped NY win a Cup, and both went on to end their careers playing far from their best. Off the ice, Graves was VERY involved in community efforts, as well as suffering through the loss of (I think) a parent and child in the same season, all while continuing to play. I love Messier, but as far as human beings go, he’s no Adam Graves.
Of course, I also think they should retire Jeff Beukeboom’s number, simply because of his name. Beukeboom. Heh. Imagine looking up and seeing that hanging from the rafters…
(Late to the party…)
I read this letter writer’s words and think almost the opposite. If he actually asked, “_Will_ the Rangers retire Graves’ No. 9?” then I’d expect Islanders diehards to say yes (“sure, win one Cup, retire Richter, Messier, Leetch, Graves, Matteau, Zubov, Corey Hirsch…”), and Rangers fans to say no (“see the way Sather pushed Graves out the door, then had the temerity to hand No. 9 to Bure, yeah, next he’ll retire it”).
If he asked “should” they retire No. 9, and Rangers fans said no? He’s hanging out with very different Rangers fans than I am.