New York Rangers decision makers are key part of Cup finals
The 2019 Stanley Cup Final is underway between the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues. We remind ourselves that many of the contest’s key players are there because of New York Rangers management.
As we await the most important NHL Entry Draft in New York Rangers history, as well as what promises to be an action-packed free agent market, there is only radio silence to close out the month of May at MSG.
Meanwhile, the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals between the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues has commenced. It should be a classic – two teams with size, depth, and quality goaltending. However, the sequel to 1970’s Boston sweep over St. Louis (that ended with the game’s all-time most famous goal) isn’t brought to us without the men currently working in Madison Square Garden.
An abundance of players who took the ice in Monday night’s Game 1 were there because of decisions that New York Rangers President, John Davidson, and General Manager, Jeff Gorton, made in their respective previous front office careers before joining the Blueshirts.
Davidson, drafted to the Blues in 1973, later served as the team’s president from 2006 through 2012. In that span, he was responsible for the acquisitions of Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Pietrangelo, Jordan Binnington, Colton Parayko, David Perron, Jaden Schwartz, Joel Edmundson, and Jake Allen.
All of these players essentially make up the core of the current Western Conference Champions. Binnington, who served in the minors for the last several years, was the major reason they have accomplished what they have. He came out of nowhere midway through this season to spell a shaky Allen in the Blue net, and both he and St. Louis haven’t looked back.
More from New York Rangers
- New York Rangers Buy-Out Henrik Lundqvist’s Contract
- New York Rangers: Forget Alexis Lafreniere for now, just win
- New York Rangers will have to wait a year for Nils Lundkvist, that’s okay
- New York Rangers: Former Blueshirts defenseman Kevin Lowe elected to HOF
- New York Rangers: All to gain and nothing to lose against Canes
Gorton, on the other hand, served as the Bruins assistant GM for seven seasons and the interim GM for less than a year. Following his dismissal in 2007, Rangers president Glen Sather brought him to New York.
In that fraction of a year, Gorton drafted Brad Marchand, traded Andrew Raycroft for Tuukka Rask and signed Zdeno Chara as a free agent. All not only key players this year, but team staples throughout the decade. He also drafted NHL stalwarts Phil Kessel and Milan Lucic.
Between Davidson and Gorton, no matter who wins this championship, the Stanley Cup will be engraved with some of the player’s the names mentioned above. Lest we not forget, current New York Rangers bench boss David Quinn coached Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk at Boston University.
While none of this has any direct meaning with the actual Rangers or its coming fortunes, it is an encouraging fun fact that speaks to much more than most other organization’s decision makers.
Next. Nets 2019 mock draft – Spread the floor. dark
As Kenny Albert said, the Rangers “have fingerprints all over the Stanley Cup Finals.” This year’s champions will owe much to the Blueshirts current regime in a theoretical sense, but with things looking up in a way never before, perhaps they are succeeding literal sense too.