Tag Archives: Hockey
Neil Smith
Neil Smith (Executive. Born, Toronto, Ont., Jan. 9, 1954.) An all-America defenseman at Western Michigan, Neil Smith played two seasons in the Islanders farm system before becoming a scout for the team. He moved to the Detroit Red Wings as director of professional scouting in 1982 and then became the director of scouting. He also served […]
Alex Shibicky
Alex Shibicky (Hockey. Born, Winnipeg, Man., May 19, 1914; died, South Surrey, B.C., July 9, 2005.) During the Great Depression, which began with the stock market crash of 1929, the unemployed often lined up for government handouts of food, which were referred to as “bread lines.” During the late 1930s, the Rangers had a “Bread Line” […]
Bill Jennings
Bill Jennings (Hockey, golf. Born, New York, NY, Dec. 14, 1920; died, Byram, CT, Aug. 17, 1981.) Distinguished by steel-gray hair and a suave demeanor, William Mitchell Jennings was the legal mastermind behind the acquisition of the controlling interest in Madison Square Garden by Graham-Paige Corp. from James D. Norris in 1960. Jennings later served as […]
Mike Keenan
Mike Keenan (Hockey. Born, Whitby, Ont., Oct. 21, 1949.) In their long and not always illustrious history dating from 1926, only once have the Rangers finished with the N.H.L.’s best regular season record and then gone on to win the Stanley Cup. That year was 1993-94 and their coach that year – and only that […]
Harry Howell
Harry Howell (Hockey. Born, Hamilton, Ont., Dec. 28, 1932.) The career leader in games played for the Rangers (1,160), Henry Vernon Howell was a solid, stay-at-home defenseman who only once scored more than seven goals in his 17 seasons with the team. Howell came to the Rangers in 1952 from Cincinnati (A.H.L.) as a product […]
Bobby Nystrom
Bobby Nystrom (Hockey. Born, Stockholm, Sweden, Oct. 10, 1952.) Among skaters, no one logged more years with the Islanders from their inception than Robert Thore Nystrom. A third-round draft pick (33rd overall) in 1972, Nystrom played 14 seasons with the club, retiring in 1986. In 900 regular-season games, he scored 235 goals with a high […]
Mark Messier
Mark Messier (Hockey. Born, Edmonton, Alta., Jan. 18, 1961.) Even though he helped the Oilers of his native Edmonton to five Stanley Cup championships from 1984-90, Mark Douglas Messier “came home” when signed as a free agent with the Rangers July 13, 2000. Almost three years earlier, he had left the Rangers, whom he had […]
Lorne Henning
Lorne Henning (Hockey. Born, Melfort, Sask., Feb. 22, 1952.) When Al Arbour retired (for the second time) as coach of the Islanders, Lorne Edward Henning was chosen as his successor June 20, 1994. Henning earlier was the Isles’ second-round draft pick in 1972, the 17th overall choice, and played center for nine years, retiring in 1981. […]
Doug Harvey
Doug Harvey (Hockey. Born, Montreal, P.Q., Dec. 19, 1924; died, Montreal, P.Q., Dec. 26, 1989.) After earning his status as the best defenseman of his era with Montreal (1947-61), Douglas Norman Harvey decided to become a playing coach for the Rangers. On May 30, 1961, Harvey agreed to a contract that made him the franchise’s […]
