This interview, exclusive to Outside the Boxscore, is part of the 21st Century Media Alliance coverage of the release of 100 RANGER GREATS. Russ Cohen of Sportsology and Card Corner Club is one of the co-authors and he provides the answers for these questions.
1 How do you settle on a book like this in the first place? What set the New York Rangers apart as far as having the material to generate something like this?
Well obviously, there are other teams who could generate similar material, but the common thread was we all grew up rooting for the Rangers – so from that standpoint, it was a no-brainer. The one edge that the Rangers have over other teams was the fact that New York has always been the media capital of the world, so there is no shortage of material.
2 Who were some of the biggest characters in Rangers history in terms of being colorful personalities?
Pete Stemkowski, Pat Hickey, Don Murdoch, Vic Hadfield and Davey Kerr come to mind and I’m just scratching the surface here.
3 How did some of the team’s bigger goons and tough guys fare in the rankings?
Very well. Nick Fotiu is #100 and Lou Fontinato is # 96. Vic Hadfield and Barry Beck were tough and they are highly-ranked because of their other gifts.
4 Not long after the Original Six era ended, New York got its second NHL team and by the early ‘80s there were three, making it the only market in Big Four professional sports to be split three ways. Aside from fans that live close to the various arenas, are there any easily definable patterns in terms of hockey fans who stuck with the Rangers and those who chose to follow the newer teams when they materialized?
Well, the fans that moved from Brooklyn into the suburbs like Long Island, like my family, stuck with the Rangers, but fans that were born on the Island became Islanders fans. Unfortunately, the Sabres are on the other side of the state, so there was never any fan crossover and if you want to count the Devils because they are in the metropolitan area, again, Rangers fans who moved to New Jersey help fill their arena whenever the Blueshirts are in town.
5 You’re probably not going to reveal if Mark Messier came in at #1, but walk us through the thought process, the pros and cons as you saw them about slotting him at the top.
Well, I can tell you that he is not #1. He had a terrific career for the Rangers, but a good portion of it was in his later years, and that did count against him. He cornered the market on leadership, intangibles and heart, but the players that were ahead of him just edged him out.
6 Who are the current Rangers with the biggest chances to move up dramatically if this book were to be updated in 10-20 years?
Well, this will be fun to look back at years from now. I’m sure I will be wrong about a few of them. Ryan Callahan, Marc Staal and Brandon Dubinsky all have a chance to be in that group. I can’t think of any other players who could be projected for a list like this right now. Check back in with me at the end of the season.
100 RANGERS GREATS interview
