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New York Rangers forgotten players A-Z: The A’s

By Michael DeRosa

INGLEWOOD, CA - JANUARY 1: Tony Amonte #33 of the New York Rangers on January 1, 1994 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CA - JANUARY 1: Tony Amonte #33 of the New York Rangers on January 1, 1994 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images) /
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INGLEWOOD, CA – JANUARY 1: Tony Amonte #33 of the New York Rangers and Alexei Zhitnik #2 of the Los Angeles Kings on January 1, 1994 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CA – JANUARY 1: Tony Amonte #33 of the New York Rangers and Alexei Zhitnik #2 of the Los Angeles Kings on January 1, 1994 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images) /

Tony Amonte RW

Most hockey fans remember Tony Amonte for his very strong tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks. That’s where he cemented himself as a star in this league. In 627 games over nine seasons with the team, Amonte had 268 goals, 273 assists and 541 points. He had at least 30 goals in six seasons there and also had three 40-goal campaigns. He also was their captain for the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.

Yet, Amonte’s NHL career started with the Rangers when he was drafted 68th overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. After two seasons with Boston University, Amonte would make his debut with the Rangers during the 1991 NHL postseason. In two games, he had just as many assists.

He then had a very solid rookie campaign during the 1991-92 season, as he scored 35 goals and had 69 points in 79 games. This made him finish third in the Calder Memorial Trophy race. He followed that up with a fantastic 76 points in 83 games. However, Amonte struggled in new head coach Mike Keenan’s system and had just 16 goals and 38 points in 72 games during the 1993-94 season.

His struggles and notably being in Keenan’s doghouse led the Rangers to trade him along with Matt Oates in exchange for Stéphane Matteau and Brian Noonan. Matteau and Noonan would each play big parts in the Rangers’ 1994 Stanley Cup win, so it’s a move that did work out for the Rangers. Matteau of course scored the 2OT goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final to make them get to the Stanley Cup Finals, too. However, it is interesting to think about how the Rangers could have done in the long-term if they kept Amonte around during his prime years.

In 234 regular season games with the Rangers, Amonte had 84 goals, 99 assists and 183 points.

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