On May 28 in NYR history : Their first college players drafted

What happened on May 28 in the history of the New York Rangers

On this date in 1974, the New York Rangers drafted the first college players in franchise history.  The two players were picked in the NHL Amateur draft within two slots of each other.

Drafted first was forward Jim Mayer, the 239th pick in the 20th round, who had played two seasons for Michigan Tech.  Mayer, an Ontario native,  played four years at the college before turning pro.  He signed with the WHA and played for the Calgary Cowboys, New England Whalers and Edmonton Oilers before being signed by the Rangers.  He played four games in New York in 1979-80 before returning to the minor leagues where he finished out his career.

Just two slots later, the Rangers drafted forward Warren Miller with the 241st selection in the 21st round.  He was enrolled at the University of Minnesota and played four years there under coach Herb Brooks.

He also signed with the WHA and played five years in that league before joining the Rangers in 1979-80, the same year as Mayer.  That was the year of the merger of the two leagues and the Rangers reclaimed their draft pick. Miller played 55 games that season with seven goals and 13 points.  He had a more successful NHL career than Mayer, scoring 22 goals the next season for the Hartford Whalers and playing four seasons in the NHL.

Drafting college players is a rarity since most NHL prospects are drafted while still in high school or a developmental league.  The best Ranger who was a college player has to be Brian Leetch who played one year at Boston College.

The best Ranger draft pick selected while in college has to be Doug Weight who was picked after his first year at Lake Superior State University. Of course, Weight made his mark with Edmonton and St. Louis after being traded for Esa Tikkanen.

Today’s birthdays

34 NHL players have been born on May 28, but only one wore a Rangers jersey, but he was known for an NHL milestone.

Clarence Abel was born on this date in 1900 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.  He was a defenseman who was a member of the first New York Rangers team in the 1926-27 season and was  a Stanley Cup champion with the team in 1928.  He was sold to the Chicago Black Hawks after three seasons in New York, winning another cup with the Hawk in 1934 . Nicknamed “Taffy,” Abel was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as he was the first player born in the United States to become a regular for an NHL team.

The numbers

The Rangers have never played a game on May 28 so their meeting with the Carolina Hurricanes will be the first in their history.