Corporate Event Scheduled

New York, August 21, 2008 -- New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the organization will retire jersey No. 9 in honor of Rangers great Adam Graves in an on-ice ceremony prior to the Rangers – Atlanta Thrashers game on Tuesday, February 3, 2009. This will be the last number retired from the 1994 Stanley Cup Championship team.

"Adam Graves is one of the most beloved players to ever don a New York Rangers sweater," stated Sather. "Off the ice, there isn’t a finer person. His effort and production as a hockey player was nothing short of triumphant and, even today, his dedication to the community is incomparable. We are proud to have Adam join his fellow 1994 Stanley Cup Champion teammates Mike Richter, Mark Messier and Brian Leetch, as well as legends Rod Gilbert and Eddie Giacomin, as his number is raised to the rafters of Madison Square Garden."

And the Rangers blow another chance to properly honour a hero, instead going for a money grabbing midweek guaranteed sell-out against a terrible team. So predictable. So sad.

EDIT: Apparently I closed my e-mail too fast to post this because they also anounced the Bathgate/Howell event:

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the organization will retire jersey No. 9 and jersey No. 3 in honor of Rangers greats Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell, respectively, in an on-ice ceremony prior to the Rangers – Toronto Maple Leafs game on Sunday, February 22, 2009.
"Rangers history is enriched by players like Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell, who laid the foundation for what a Rangers player should be," stated Sather. "They will now take their rightful place in The Garden rafters alongside those players who have carried their tradition throughout the years."

I guess one out of two ain't bad ...