The New York Rangers were making a playoff run during the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs. At the time, the team was putting on an event called “RangersTown Square,” where fans could attend a fan-fest located at the building that is now the “Pennsy” next to Madison Square Garden. I still remember the excitement around the Broadway Blueshirts during 2017. Longtime Rangers goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist was at the top of his game and the Rangers were a Cinderella team making a surprise run at the Stanley Cup.
During the spring of 2017, I ran into some famous former Rangers at Rangerstown, like Nick Fotiu, a tough guy who played during the late-1970s and 80s. It did not matter that I wasn’t old enough to see Fotiu play, because I was with my dad that day and he told me about him. Nick even allowed me to shake his hand and take a picture with him!
I still remember how exciting it was to meet two former Rangers, who I was not even old enough to see play. I got around to talking to Nick about what the Rangers needed to win. Unsurprisingly, the former Rangers tough guy who accumulated over 1,000 penalty minutes during his career said the they needed “size and toughness” to go further in the playoffs that year.
Meeting Nick Fotiu was a lot of fun, but then an even more special memory I have from RangersTown was meeting Glenn Anderson, who was a big part of the Rangers 1994 cup-winning team.
Glenn was standing around talking with a friend, when I mustered up some courage, and walked up to him. At first, Glenn and his friend looked surprise that I had interrupted their conversation to ask for an autograph and I was definitely a bit nervous. However, after I told Glenn the story my dad always tells me that, while he watched the Rangers win the Stanley Cup, he would celebrate every goal that our team scored by helping me wave my little hockey stick inside my crib. Glenn smiled and said, “is that right?” when I told him that deeply corny story, but at the end of the day, I got an autograph and picture with a member of the National Hockey League (NHL) Hall of Fame, and I will never forget it!
I was very fortunate to meet two great former Rangers that day in Nick Fotiu and Glenn Anderson, but for this 24-year-old from New Jersey, the fun was far from over. The Rangers had set up a small tent that contained a large projection screen and on the screen was Henrik Lundqvist who the fans had a chance to shoot on.
When I walked up to grab a hockey stick, guess who was standing right there? Glenn Anderson! He handed me a stick and watched as I went up and tried to impress him. Evidently, I did impress Glenn, because I was able to put four goals past a virtual Henrik Lundqvist. I still remember, shooting one right underneath the crossbar and Anderson said, “Wow, top shelf…on Lundqvist too!”
My experience at RangersTown Square in 2017 was the most special, but through the years I have attended several of these events. In total, I have been lucky enough to meet such Rangers players as Nick Fotiu, Glenn Anderson, Chris Kostopoulos, Ron Greschner, and Ron Duguay. Each former Ranger that I have met has been very fun to be around and has either signed an autograph for me or taken a picture with me. I still have the life-size Mats Zuccarello poster taped to the wall of my bedroom.
What the Rangers Future Holds
Rangerstown was a great idea, because it gave Ranger fans a chance to get together and enjoy the festivities but also to meet the men who have represented New York City’s oldest NHL team, that was one of the NHL’s “original six”. For a die-hard Rangers fan like myself, watching this team play over the years has been very special. Special because I have enjoyed every minute of watching the Rangers compete in the playoffs during recent years, but also because of experiences like RangersTown, where I have been able to meet and chat with the legendary players who have represented an original six franchise like the Rangers, for five decades.
The Rangers will pick second in the upcoming NHL draft and should get a great young player who can contribute next year. With a strong foundation in good coaching and player development, the Rangers will return to the playoffs soon. It would be nice to see “Rangers Town” open again near the Garden again, so new Rangers fans can once again experience the joy that I did back in 2017.
Anthony Paradiso 