On June 24 in Rangers history: Happy birthday Torts!

What happened on June 24 in the history of the New York Rangers

June 24 is a quiet day in the history of the New York Rangers, but it is the birthday of one of the most memorable coaches in franchise history.   John Tortorella was born on this date in 1958 in Boston, Massachusetts.

He is one of the most successful coaches in NHL history, winning the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 .  He spent just over four years as coach of the Rangers, taking the team to the playoff four times and getting as far as the Eastern Conference Finals.

Ironically, Tortorella got his first experience as coach when he guided the Rangers for four games at the end of the 2000 season.  He was an assistant coach with the team under John Muckler and he took over when Muckler was fired before the end of the season. As part of the staff hired by Neil Smith he was let go when Glen Sather was hired to replace Smith.

His four game stint was undistinguished as he lost three of four with one tie. The next season he was hired mid-year to coach the Lightning and he had his greatest success in his seven years in Tampa.

In 2008 he was hired by Sather to coach the Rangers, replacing Tom Renney and he had five tumultuous years in New York, riding Henrik Lundqvist into the playoffs every year except 2010.  He was well known for his battles with the press, particularly Larry Brooks of the New York Post, and for his outspoken description of his team.   He was suspended for one game in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs for throwing a water bottle at a fan, then trying to spear him with a stick.

He wore out his welcome in New York and was fired after the 2013 playoffs.

Tortorella is a two time winner of the Jack Adams Award and has been runner up three times.  Fired by the Columbus Blue Jackets after this season, he is tied with Peter Laviolette for most wins (673) by a U.S. born coach.  He needs a job if he wants to keep up with the Capitals’ coach.

A first from Latvia

On this date in 2001, the Rangers drafted their first player from Latvia.  In the ninth round with the 269th overall pick, the Rangers selected Latvian left winger Juris Stals.  Although from Latvia, he played his junior hockey in the OHL and signed an Entry Level Contract with the Rangers and played two seasons in the Rangers’ minor league system.

When he didn’t make it to the NHL he returned to Europe where he played until 2019.  The Rangers did have one Latvian player suit up for them and is probably the best known NHLer from that nation.   Defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh spent two seasons in New York in his 15-year NHL career.

Ozolinsh was a First Team All-Star in 1997 and was a member of the Avalanche 1996 Stanley Cup championships team. He was traded from Anaheim to the Rangers at the deadline in 2006 and he helped the Rangers make the playoffs for the first time in a decade with 14 points in 19 games. The next season was a different story as he played only 21 games before being placed on waivers. Unclaimed he was sent to Hartford, but didn’t play there as he had injured his knee, then he was arrested for drunk driving and he had to go into the NHL’s substance abuse program.  he later finished his career in Tampa.

Today’s birthdays

Besides John Tortorella, 22 NHL players have been born on June 24 and six of them were New York Rangers.

Bernie Nicholls was born on this date in 1961 in Haliburton, Ontario.  He was a prolific scorer for the Los Angeles Kings hitting his peak with a 70 goal, 150 point season in 1988-89.  That got him traded to the Rangers for Tony Granato and Tomas Sandstrom, a huge deal a that the time.  The Blueshirts used “Broadway Bernie” as bait in their deal to get Mark Messier from the Oilers in 1991. In his one full season in New York the center scored 25 goals and 73 points, a far cry from his best in Los Angeles.

Michael Del Zotto was a defenseman and first round pick of the New York Rangers, born on this date in 1990 in Stouffville, Ontario.   He made the All-Rookie team at age 19 in 2009-10 when he scored nine goals and 37 points. He played four years for the Rangers before being traded to the Nashville Predators for Kevin Klein in 2014. He has stuck around in the NHL, having played 12 seasons for seven different teams, the latest this season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Marek Malik was born on this date in 1975 in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia.  He was one of the “Czechmates” on the Jaromir Jagr-led Rangers in 2005-06.   Signed that season as a free agent by the Rangers, he was a solid stay-at-home defenseman who played three seasons for the Rangers. He is best known for his between the legs shot to win a 15 round shootout over the Washington Capitals. If you didn’t see it, here it is.

Shane Churla was born on this date in 1965 in Fernie, British Columbia.  The right winger was a physical player better known for his fisticuffs  that his goal scoring.  He topped 200 penalty minutes six times in his 11 year NHL career. He came to the Rangers in 1996 in the disastrous trade for Jari Kurri.  Of Kurri, Marty McSorley and Churla, it was Churla who played the most games (55) of the trio for the Rangers though he didn’t score a single goal.

Jarret Stoll was born on this date in 1982 in Melville, Saskatchewan.  A center, he played 12 years for Edmonton and Los Angeles, coming to the Rangers as a free agent.  He won two Stanley Cups for the Kings and was on the team that beat the Rangers in 2014.  An outstanding faceoff man and penalty killer, he played only 29 games in New York before being waived and going to the Minnesota Wild. Stoll was best known for dating model Rachel Hunter and marrying sportscaster Erin Andrews. His signing with the Blueshirts was controversial as he had been arrested and pleaded guilty to drug possession before signing.

Dave Creighton was born on this date in 1930 in Port Arthur, Ontario. A center, he played 12 years in the NHL for the Bruins, Maple Leafs, Black Hawks and Rangers.  He was a solid center in his three years in New York scoring 20, 18 and17 goals. In 1958 he was claimed by Toronto in the intra-league draft and he played two seasons there before playing out his career in the AHL.