New York Rangers forgotten players A-Z: The G's

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1990: Forward Tony Granato of the New York Rangers. Mandatory Credit: Allsport /Allsport /

In our last forgotten New York Rangers piece, we looked at a few players with last names that started with F. Now, we are going to take a gander at the G’s.

These players are a pretty intriguing bunch, as they differed in overall skill levels. However, one thing for certain is not many hockey fans think of their times with the Blueshirts immediately. They each would have their best days in the league while sporting different NHL jerseys.

The first player that will be focused on was a skilled forward who found success in the league after being traded from the Rangers. Next, we will be looking at a Hockey Hall of Famer who is among the most historical figures of another Original Six franchise. From here, we will discuss a player who is known for his time with the Islanders. However, he would set an interesting record because of his tenure with the Blueshirts, too. Finally, we will finish with a player who the Rangers may have given up on a bit too quickly.

LANDOVER, MD – APRIL 3: Dave Gagner #15 of the Dallas Stars skates with the puck during a hockey game against the Washington Capitals on April 3, 1994 at USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland. The Stars won 6-3. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Dave Gagner C

Dave Gagner is remembered most for his time with the Minnesota North Stars, and that is entirely justifiable. The best days of his NHL career occurred there, as he had two 40-goal campaigns and five seasons where he had at least 70 points. He also recorded 82 points in 73 games during the 1990-91 season.

However, what many hockey fans may not realize is that Gagner actually began his career with the Rangers. The Blueshirts selected him 12th overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. Yet, his time with the Rangers would be nowhere as dominant as his days with the North Stars and Stars. In 80 total games over three seasons, he had 11 goals, 16 assists and 27 points. He was never able to secure himself a permanent spot on their roster.

In October of 1987, the Rangers would set him free and trade him to the North Stars. The rest would be history. Gagner would play nine seasons with the organization, including three after they relocated to Dallas, before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. From here, he would briefly play for the Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks. In 946 career games over 15 seasons, he had 318 goals, 401 assists and 719 points.

MONTREAL- NOVEMBER 22: The scoreboard at the Bell Centre displays images of Patrick Roy with Stanley Cup banners and retired numbers in the background before the game between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on November 22, 2008 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Bruins defeated the Canadiens 3-2 in a shootout.(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images) /

Bernie Geoffrion RW

Bernie Geoffrion is one of the most iconic players in the history of the Montreal Canadiens. In 766 games over 14 seasons with the Canadiens, he had 371 goals, 388 assists and 759 points. With that, he would win six Stanley Cups, the Art Ross Trophy twice, the Calder Memorial Trophy and the Hart Memorial Trophy. He played in 11 NHL All-Star games as well. Thus, it’s not surprising that he’s in the Hockey Hall of Fame and his No. 5 was retired by Montreal, as you can see in the photo above.

Yet, even with all of this, it’s important to remember that he did not finish his career with the Canadiens. That’s right, the right winger would play his final two seasons in the NHL with the Rangers after taking two years off from the league. In 117 games with the Blueshirts, he had 22 goals, 41 assists and 63 points. At this point of his career, he was no longer a star anymore, but still produced well enough.

Geoffrion is another one of those former Rangers who is certainly remembered most for his time with another organization. His tenure with Montreal was enough for him to be named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players by NHL.com in 2017. It’s a shame that the Rangers landed him so late in his career.

Geoffrion also would become the head coach of the Rangers after he retired in 1968. However, he would only hold the position for 43 games because he developed stomach ulcers.

Greg Gilbert LW

Greg Gilbert is remembered most for his time with the New York Islanders. During his tenure there, he would go on to win two Stanley Cups. He also had his best individual season there, too, as he scored 31 goals and recorded 66 points in 79 games as a 22-year-old. His offensive numbers would never come close to that again, but he was still very solid at the end of the day. In 425 games over eight seasons with the Islanders, he had 93 goals, 138 assists and 231 points.

He would end up being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1988-89 season and played there for five total seasons. From here, he would join the New York Rangers during the 1993-94 season. In 76 regular season games with the Blueshirts, he had four goals and 15 points. During the postseason, he recorded four points in 23 games and won his final Stanley Cup. Interesting fact – he’s the only NHL player ever to win a Stanley Cup with both the Islanders and Rangers.

This would be Gilbert’s lone season with the Rangers, as he would play his final two seasons with the St. Louis Blues before calling it a career. In 837 career games, he had 150 goals, 228 assists and 378 points.

Tony Granato RW

The Rangers drafted Tony Granato with the 120th overall pick of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. However, it took him until the 1988-89 season to make his NHL debut with the team. This came after a very solid collegiate career with the University of Wisconsin. He left a great first impression with the Blueshirts in his rookie season, as he scored 36 goals, the most by any Rangers’ rookie, and recorded 63 points in 78 games.

The following season, he had seven goals and 25 points in 37 games before being traded with Tomas Sandstrom to the Los Angeles Kings for Bernie Nicholls. This would mark a quick end to Granato’s tenure with the Rangers, but it ultimately would work out for him. He would go on to play seven seasons in LA. In 380 total games, he had 148 goals, 157 assists and and 305 points.

His time with the Kings ended after the 1995-96 season and he would play his last five NHL seasons with the San Jose Sharks. In 773 career NHL games, Granato had 248 goals, 244 assists, 492 points and a notable 1,425 penalty minutes. Overall, he had himself a pretty solid career.

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