The New York Rangers are a storied franchise that dates back to 1926-27, and over the years there have been many talented players who have made their debut with the organization but few have the success that 1980 Olympian Mark Pavelich had.
The gold medal winning center made a name for himself originally at the University of Minnesota-Duluth where he amassed 142 points in 110 games. After playing a season in Switzerland after the Olympics, Pavelich made his way to Broadway for the 1981-82 season.
In many ways it was a big reunion for Pavelich as the head coach of the Rangers was Herb Brooks, and the general manager was Craig Patrick, both of whom were part of the 1980 squad who won gold for the United States in Lake Placid.
Pavelich made a significant impact for the Blueshirts in his first season as a pro and finished the season with 33 goals and 43 assists for 76 points in 79 games. That year he finished third on the team in scoring behind Ron Duguay (76 points in 72 games) and Mike Rogers (103 points in 80 games).
Pavelich's 76 points remain the most a Rangers rookie has tallied in a single season to date, and it's a mark that a couple rookies got close to beating in subsequent seasons.
Brian Leetch tallied 71 points, which was quite impressive considering he was a defenseman, but only appeared in 68 games during his rookie campaign. Had he appeared in more games he likely shatters Pavelich's record.
There was also an attempt by Tony Amonte, a brilliant offensive winger eventually dealt to help bolster the 1994 Cup team, and he finished with 35 goals and 69 points in 79 games during the 1991-92 season. There was also Darren Turcotte, and during the 1989-90 season he tallied 66 points in 76 games played.
All of these rookie campaigns were remarkable in their own way, but all fall short of Pavelich. Pavelich was a great Ranger under Brooks, and he followed up his rookie season with a 37 goal and 75 point campaign in 1982-83, and a 29 goal and 82 point season in 1983-84.
The 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons saw Pavelich finish with 45 points in 48 games and 40 points in 59 games respectively, and he would only appear in 12 games with the Minnesota North Stars during the 1986-87 season during which he tallied 10 points.
Pavelich would return overseas to play some hockey in Italy and Switzerland and ended his NHL career with two games for the San Jose Sharks during the 1991-92 season.