On June 27 in Rangers history: Pre-dating the Czech-mates

What happened on June 27 in the history of the New York Rangers

June 27 was a quiet day in New York Rangers history with the only event of note occurring in 1998 when the Rangers drafted their first player from the Czech Republic.  With their fifth round pick they selected defenseman Tomas Kloucek 131st overall.

Kloucek played one season in the QMJHL before making his debut with the Rangers in the 2000-01 season.  He played 95 games over two seasons before being traded to the Nashville Predators for goalie Mike Dunham.  He played 46 games for Nashville and Atlanta before heading back to Europe where he played until 2013.

The first Czech player to skate for the Rangers was forward Vaclav Nedomansky who played for the Blueshirts in 1982-83.  The first Czech defenseman was Miloslav Horava who played for the Rangers in 1988.

Kloucek would have fit right in if he had stayed with the Blueshirts as he was traded just before the Rangers loaded up with eight Czech players including Jaromir Jagr, Marek Malik, Petr Prucha, Michael Rozsival, Martin Straka and Petr Sykora.

Included in that trade for Dunham was Ranger draft pick and Czech defenseman Marek Zidlicky who ended up the third highest scoring Czech defenseman in the NHL behind Roman Hamrlik and Tomas Kaberle.

Today’s birthdays

22 NHL players have been born on June 27 including two former Rangers as well as one player who hopes to make the team in the future

The prospect is Riley Hughes, born on this date in 2000.  He is a right winger going into his junior year at Northeastern University. Hughes had six goals and 10 points in 21 games for the Huskies this season.

Don Raleigh was born on this date in 1926 in Kenora, Ontario. A center, he played 10 years in the NHL, all with the Blueshirts. Nicknamed “Bones” he is best remembered for scoring two overtime goals in the 1950 Stanley Cup Final.  He is the youngest player to ever suit up for the Rangers, making his debut when he was 17.  He is the second youngest player to score a goal in the NHL at 17 years, 147 days, behind the Bruins’ Bep Guidolin who scored when was 16 years old.

Eric Cairns was born on this date in 1974 in Oakville, Ontario. Nicknamed “Shorty”, he was a huge defenseman, 6’6″, 230 pounds who was a third round Rangers pick in the 1992 Draft. He was a Ranger for two seasons, playing 79 games before he was claimed on waivers by the Islanders. He played six years on the Island, topping the 100 penalty minute mark each season.  Cairns was known as a fighter and had numerous bouts with the likes of Tie Domi, Donald Brashear and Bob Probert.  Once he joined the Islanders he was in a number of fights whenever the Isles played the Rangers.