Freddie the Fog, J.D., and “Potvin S**ks!”
The Rangers changed coaches after the 1977-78 season after winning just 30 times in 80 tries.
Out was Jean-Guy Talbot – the only coach in NHL history known to have worn a track suit on the bench during games. In was Fred Shero, a former Rangers’ minor league coach who guided the Philadelphia Flyers to back-to-back Cups as their bench boss in the mid-1970s.
Nicknamed “the Fog” because of his penchant for drifting off into his own world, Shero oversaw quite the cast of characters during his first season on Broadway.
Swedish standouts Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg combined for 60 goals. Pat Hickey scored 34. Staten Island’s tenacious Nick Fotiu kept opponents in check and had 190 penalty minutes. Ron Duguay notched 27 markers between commercial shoots for Sasson jeans.
Phil Esposito, Walt Tkaczuk, Steve Vickers and Carol Vadnais gave the Rangers plenty of battle-tested leadership, while youngsters Ron Greschner, Dave Maloney, Mike McEwen, Don Maloney and Don Murdoch contributed on the blue line and the score sheet.
The affable John Davidson (listed at 6 feet-3 inches) stood tall with a respectable 20-12-5 record and 3.53 goals-against average during the season, and then won 11 of 18 playoff matches with a 2.28 GAA and .921 save percentage.