An alternate title to this could have been "How Radek Dvorak Turned Into the Best Player the Rangers Have Had in a Decade."
Radek Dvorak and Cory Cross (bad memories!) were traded to Edmonton for Anson Carter (and Ales Pisa, who never quite fit in the NHL). Ten months, 54 games, and 22 disappointing points later, Carter was dealt straight up for Jaromir Jagr. At first, I was angry at the trade, saying the Rangers didn't need another aging superstar.
Then, the decision was made to buyout Bobby Holik's contract the summer before the NHL re-started operations and to build the team around JJ. History was made.
Jagr's first and last games as a Ranger were bad. The first game happened in Ottawa and the Rangers lost 9-1, causing someone I was friends with at the time - who had no knowledge of hockey - to say, "What was that, baseball? I didn't know hockey scores got that high." Especially pre-lockout! (Hey, Jussi Markkanen and Jason LaBarbera were in goal that night.) His last game was Game 5 in Pittsburgh (fittingly), where the Rangers lost in overtime, 3-2. Also fittingly, he took two hooking penalties in the game.
I happened to be at the Garden for his first and last home games, as well. His first home game was against the Panthers, and the Rangers won 5-2. Jagr assisted on Brian Leetch's goal, then scored the game winner, then got an assist on Matthew Barnaby's empty-netter. One goal, two assists on his first night in NY. It was a great game in a dark season and it drew his first standing ovation from the Garden faithful.
His last game at MSG was Game 4, where the Rangers shut-out Pittsburgh 3-0. This time, the statline was reversed. He had 2 goals - the game winner and an empty netter - and
assisted on Brandon Dubinsky's goal. He clapped at the crowd as we chanted "Jag-er! Jag-er!" (Editor's Note: Glen Sather must have forgotten about this game.) (Editor's Note 2: The "Re-sign Av'ry!" chants were also forgotten.)Besides those 2 games, I was there in October 2006 when he was introduced as Captain, then scored 29 seconds into the game with a still-injured shoulder. I was there in March 2006 at the Nassau Coliseum when he had 4 first period assists (with one incorrectly given to his as a goal for a short time) to break Jean Ratelle's Rangers record for points. I was there in March 2007 when he scored in a shootout in the turning point of the season for the Rangers. If he didn't score, they would have lost, and he was getting heat for not participating in shootouts. So he came out, did a move, scored, and they wound up winning on a Marcel Hossa goal in the 4th round of a game there were down 2-0 with 9 minutes left.
Anyway, there's not much that I can say that hasn't been said by every newspaper and online outlet out there. Yes, he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he was much more than that. He was an extremely nice and vulnerable man. He would sign autographs for every kid there was, but if there was an autograph hound looking for one to sell, he wouldn't sign a thing for him.
He got a bad rap from the crowd at the Garden when he slumped. He bought into Tom Renney's defense-first system, which severely hampered his goal-scoring. However, he was still a beast when he could. He played injured ever since 2005 with hip flexor problems, yet he never complained and he didn't miss one regular season game as a Ranger (his last full season before 05-06 was 95-96). He did miss one game as a Ranger, and that was Game 3 against the Devils in the 2006 playoffs. He came back for Game 4, but got crushed against the boards and couldn't return.
He was a great Ranger in his time in New York. I remember during the lockout, he said that if he wasn't a Ranger, he wouldn't come back to the NHL. So it doesn't surprise me that he is playing in Russia this year instead of signing with another team in the NHL. But can you imagine if he signed in the Western Conference? With all that open ice, he could have put up another 100-point season.
I wish him luck in Russia, and wonder what Petr Prucha is going to do without him.
L-R: Mario Lemieux, Jagr, Mark Messier, Brendan Shanahan.
Jagr and Shanahan being honored at MSG for scoring their 600th NHL goals.
You know I hate the Rangers, but when motivated, Jagr was as good a Ranger as you could want. He was great during the playoffs, both with his play and with the media. You have to wonder where that quality of play was in November, but still. Just be happy that your last memories were of him playing at a high level and that you never had to see him get washed-up.
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