Dan's Thoughts on a Jagr Lost

I was only 7 years old when the Rangers won their first Stanley Cup in 54 years, but I remember staying up late that night to watch game 7, seeing my favorite player Adam Graves score a goal, and Mike Richter make some amazing saves.  Those were the glory days, and I couldnt imagine the New York Rangers any other way:  Messier, Leetch, Kovalev, all those guys will be imbedded in my brain forever.

Then as I grew up things changed and the team sputtered to a grinding halt after Wayne Gretzky played his last NHL game, and from then on the Garden was only hoppin for the Knicks.

Leading up to the 2004 lockout, the Rangers aquired Jaromir Jagr from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Anson Carter.  This was a trade that would turn the history of the franchise around forever.  Glenn Sather finally made a trade that benefited the Rangers.

In his first full season as a New York Ranger Jagr sparked a ressurgence in the team scoring 54 goals, the most ever by a Ranger in a single season.  After a crusing first round playoff loss to the arch rival Devils, Jagr and his comrades, Martin Straka, Michael Nylander, and Brenden Shanahan took the team to the next level and made it to the semi finals the next year only to come up short again at the hands of the incredibly speedy Buffalo Sabres.

And then there was this season,m the 2007-2008 NHL season, where Jagr once again led his team in points and goals scored, and showed his heroics and passion in the playoffs.  He lost a few teeth, killed a few brain cells and took an awful lot of hits as a New York Ranger over those few seasons, and I watched every moment of them in awe.  This guy deserves to be celebrated.  If he is to ever come back to Madison Square Garden and watch a basketball game or a hockey game, he should get a standing ovation for turning New Yorks favorite hockey team around and in the right direction. 

The Rangers have so much hope and such a bright future, and it is largely due to Jaromir Jagrs presence on this team.  Hopefully young players like Brandon Dubinsky and Nigel Dawes, fellow Czech Petr Prucha, and Dan Girardi have learned from Jagr and will use what they have learned to their advantage.

New York owes Jaromir Jagr a hug and a handshake.  He came here and handled himself very well and he should be commended.  I hope the Rangers organization has enough sense to show their appreciation for his efforts both on and off the ice.

Thanks for the memories Jaromir, I will truly miss you as our captain.