When looking at the most iconic trio of linemates in New York Rangers history, there are a few that come to mind, but it is clear which group clearly stands out, in this case actually hangs, above all the rest.
More recently, the “Kid” line from the Rangers Letter 1.0 retrool a few years ago, featured Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafrenière and Filip Chytil. There was also the "KZB" line, with Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Pavel Buchnevich.
But, nothing can compare to the “GAG line” featuring Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert and Vic Hadfield.
The iconic trio that defined an era of Rangers hockey
Ratelle, Gilbert, and Hadfield all have their respective jerseys hanging from the rafters of Madison Square Garden. The trio was a force to be reckoned with in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and in particular, the 1971-72 season.
During that magical season, the "goal-a-game" line lived up to their nickname in full. Each of the three forwards found themselves potting the puck in the back of the net at an alarming rate, and the Rangers had one of their best seasons of all-time.
Hadfield led the bunch with 50 goals, which included an astounding 23 of them on the power play. Ratelle followed behind with 46 goals, and then Gilbert also eclipsed the 40-goal mark with 43 goals that season.
Ratelle set a new franchise record for points at 109, Hadfield was just behind him with 106 points, and Gilbert had 97 points in 73 games. Boy would it have been something to have a line in which all three players had 100 points or more, but what they did accomplish is still quite remarkable.
Unfortunately, that magical season could not lead a to a Stanley Cup, as that incredible squad lost in the Stanley Cup final to the Boston Bruins, 4-2. Ratelle would only play in six games in that playoff run, which was a big factor in why the Blueshirts were unsuccessful in snapping their drought.
The "GAG" line is one of the most recognizable line combinations in Rangers history, and also amongst the rest of the NHL. There have been some dominant groups, but very few have proved themselves to be more of an X-factor in a game than those three Blueshirts.
To have all three of them have their jerseys retired and hanging above MSG is a spectacular and appreciative gesture. They changed the way the game was played, and their records as a trio still stand to today. It is very rare to see a first-line grouping like that play that consistently and still dominate, as today's game has so little of that. Opposing defenses figure out how to shut down top talent, eventually.
It is unclear if there will ever be another group of skaters that could match the "GAG" lines aura in the future. The Rangers have a talent group of prospects that could tandem up in the future and make a mark like this, but only time will tell.
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