I guess its true what they say, hockey players are a superstitious lot. What other reason could there be for only six players in New York Rangers history having worn the number thirteen? Some were good, like Bob Brooke, some were not so good, like Valeri Kamensky, some are still a hot topic of debate, like Nikolai Zherdev, and some most of you have probably never heard of, like Jack Stoddard, a big winger in the early 50's. There was also Richard Scott, who played just ten games for the Rangers in the early 90's.

But no one wore the number longer, or better, than Sergei Nemchinov. The Rangers drafted Nemchinov in the 1990 NHL Draft, hoping to somehow get him released from his commitments in Russia. In 1991, they got their wish, and Nemchinov burst onto the scene by scoring 30 goals his rookie season, and helping the Rangers win the President's Trophy.

Nemchinov took on more of a defensive role as his career with the Rangers moved along, and was an integral part of the Rangers 1994 Stanley Cup Champion team.

Along with Alexei Kovalev, Alexander Karpotsev, and Sergei Zubov, Nemchinov was one of the first Russian players to have his name engraved on Lord Stanley's Cup