Blueshirts By the Numbers: Number 9 - Adam Graves
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Aug 5, 2010 7:00 AM EDT
in Ranger Legends
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After a few days break, we are ready to get back to our Blueshirts By the Numbers selections, and today is the one
I've been looking forward to most, because although JD, Pierre Larouche, and Ron Greschner will always be near the top, my favorite Ranger of all time will always be Adam Graves.
Signed as a free agent in September of 1991, "Gravy" gave his heart and soul to the Rangers both on and off the ice for ten seasons, most of them spent perched on
In that magical 1993-94 season, Adam became just the second Ranger in
During his Ranger tenure Graves won many league and
In 2000, Graves was honored with the NHL Player Foundation award, "recognizing the NHL player who applies the core values of hockey - -commitment, perseverance and teamwork - to enrich the lives of people in his community."
The Professional Hockey Writer`s Association awarded Graves the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2001 as the "NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."
Graves was also named Rangers
In February of 2009, Number 9 took its rightful place in the Garden rafters, when the Rangers retired it.
And if I ever catch up with the guy who stole my authentic Adam Graves jersey out of the back seat of my car way back when, there's going to be some havoc.
Here is part one of a series of videos chronicling Adam Graves Night at MSG. I just love it for the final two or three minutes, when he is with all the fans.
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The greatest Ranger ever. Some of the stuff he has do off the ice is just as impressive.
Since the face been revealed the game got real
My ALL-TIME favorite also...
Aside from his on ice heroics and his off ice accolades, I have had the opportunity to meet and speak with Adam on several occasions. My son skated in several clinics and a summer camp hosted by Adam and following each we had a chance to speak one on one. I was pleased to see he knew many of the kids by name, remembered my son and our family from clinic to clinic and was a true pleasure to have known.
I’m friendly with Ron Greschner also, and he too is an all-time great Ranger, but I give the nod to Adam.
Great player, outstanding leader, model citizen – set the standard for all professional atheletes, not just our boys. No Graves = no cup.
by schwartzy on Aug 5, 2010 7:49 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Graves is my all time favorite
I still remember being glued to my tv looking for him on the ice during the cup run.
no argument about all graves meant to the team
and he was and is one of my favorites, but #9 needs to be split between graves & andy bathgate
realistically graves shouldn’t have been allowed to wear the number when he got to new york for all andy bathgate was to the rangers during the dark days of the 50s and early 60s
I am personally placing a hundred-dollar bounty on the head of Tim McCracken. He's the head coach and chief punk on that Syracuse team.
by joereiter on Aug 5, 2010 9:29 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I have had the privlliage to go to
Richter, Messier, Leetch and Grave’s retiernment games. Graves is just a superstar, it’s amazing to see how the fanbase reacts to him.
Honestly it says a lot about a Rangers fanbase to love a guy who loves everyone lol
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I generally think jersey retirements are boring and kinda dopey…but Graves was the only one where I really felt emotional. Just a guy who came to work, worked hard, and gave back when he wasnt working.
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Agreed
He was having a tough time keeping it together.
The fact that the biggest roar at Brian Leetch’s jersey retirement was when he announced Graves was going up too, just tells how much he is loved and respected.
Nobody does
Jersey Retirements like the New York Rangers… I mean common, the attention that Messier, Leetch, Graves got was incredible… I’ve watched a bunch of Jersey Retirements, and nothing is as great as a New York Ranger being retired… Maybe forbes should calculate that into their fan support rating system… bastards
Meeting pros has often been a disappointment, but I must say Graves is the exact opposite, he is in a class all by himself.
He is the nicest player I’ve ever encountered. He always has time for the fans and always treats everyone respectfully. He just gets “it.”
Great guy, great hockey player.
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Not even a mention of Andy Bathgate?
Over 700 games, 250 goals, Rangers captain 61-64. Damn he at the VERY least deserves a mention and I agree with joereiter, as much as I love Gravey he probably shouldn’t have ever put on the #9 sweater.
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You guys get worked up too fast…..I have something planned for Bathgate tomorrow.
Relaxxxxxxxx everyone.
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Aug 5, 2010 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions
Relaxign would have been easier had you mentioned that
haha
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Sometimes you just gotta let things unfold :)
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Aug 5, 2010 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I was there!
I’ve been lucky enough to be present at Gretzky’s last game played, along with the retirement games for Messier, Leetch and Graves. I’ll say that Graves’ was the best one for me, just because of all the reasons we love him – a true warrior and loyal teammate, charity work and all around one of the most decent athletes, let alone human beings on the planet. I guess I just enjoyed it more when he was up there giving his thank you speech, when compared to Mess who was overemotional and Leetchy who rarely showed any emotion. Graves’ was right there in the middle and you could feel how humbled he was. I have no delusions of grandeur when I lace up for my men’s league play, but damn I’d give anything to be Adam Graves.
The Loneliest Ranger fan living in Philadelphia.
Best thing I’ve ever heard about Graves was in the piece on MSG Network about him. One of the guys on there said “you want your son to grow up to be Adam Graves” – not much bigger compliment you can pay a man.
if they stuck the microphone in my face that would've been my quote too haha
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Cook was a modern day player?
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by George E. Ays on Aug 5, 2010 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Harry Howell was a Modern Day Blueshirt?
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Aug 5, 2010 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions
So far in two instances when there has been an old vs. new Rangers (Beck and Graves), you’ve chosen the new player. Don’t get me wrong this is completely understandable. Most of us haven’t seen the old-timers plays and the Rangers as an organization are pitiful in honoring anything that wasn’t 1994.
The Graves things just bugs me (going back to the Jersey retirement, which I still don’t think he deserved) b/c Graves was a fine player, but nothing great. Bathgate is a Hall-of-Famer and generally considered one of the premier NHL players of all-time. It shouldn’t even be a debate, but since everyone loved Graves and he’s genuinely a tremendous person, he gets elevated to grandiose proportions.
by NTB on Aug 5, 2010 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions
-1
“b/c Graves was a fine player, but nothing great.”
Blasphemy.
by WalkerNYRanger on Aug 5, 2010 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Graves had more goals as a Ranger than Bathgate, played in three times as many playoff games than Bathgate, played in more regular season games than Bathgate, had more thirty goal seasons than Bathgate,set a single season goal scoring record, and helped the Rangers win a Stanley Cup.
I’ve got nothing against Bathgate, he was great, but I just don’t see how you can say Bathgate was that much better than Graves.
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Aug 5, 2010 9:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Straight up total comparisons are meaningless. Graves played 12 more games a season and you could only play 12 playoffs games max in Bathgate’s time. If Bathgate had 12 more games, he probably has 4 additional 30 goal years. And even so, Bathgate still had only 10 less goals and 217 more points in 91 fewer games.
Listen, I didn’t see Bathgate play, so I just go by the numbers and the historians. Numerous people talk about how Bathgate was one of the best, but completely overshadowed because of Richard and Howe. Bathgate is a Hall of Famer and was the first Ranger on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Now, I saw Graves play. I loved what he did for the Rangers. A pure heart and soul guy and by all accounts he is a true humanitarian, but he not one of the all-time great LWs; he is not a Hall of Famer.
The broader point though, is that the Rangers as an organization are pitiful in honoring their past. All I ever hear about is, Remember 1994, 1994, 1994. The Rangers have such a great history and have had some all-time greats wear the Blueshirt sweater; it’s a shame the folks who run the Rangers are oblivious to it.
I hate to say it but I was silently thinking the same thing as NTB but not wanting to deflate the euphoria. In terms of all time greats, I would have chosen Bathgate hands down.
Loving a player is one thing, honestly assessing them is another. Without Messier and Leetch, graves was a second or third liner. He was a puzzle piece that fit perfectly into a very well constructed hockey club. No diss to Graves, he helped get us the cup and we love him. But I was actually shocked when they raised his number to the banners.
Okay, thank goodness I’m out of the line of fire…
d
not to turn this into a numbers comparison thing but....
andy bathgate is the 4th leading scorer in franchise history in an era when, like ntb says, they played 14 fewer games than graves’ era
in terms of all time scoring, graves is 8 points in front of bathgate on the strength of playing in 52 more games
bathgate was also the face of the franchise during one of the darker periods in franchise history….i didn’t see him play either but i’ve been a long time historian of this team and always wondered why bathgate & howell weren’t honored before last year
for that matter lester patrick should’ve had something to honor him, but the odds of that are slim to none….blame a lack of intelligent ownership who have any knowledge or caring of the franchise’s place in history for that one
I am personally placing a hundred-dollar bounty on the head of Tim McCracken. He's the head coach and chief punk on that Syracuse team.
I’m not disagreeing with you guys, but I chose Graves, and Bathgate will be honorably mentioned with a story of his own later today.
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Aug 6, 2010 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Leetch Announcing Graves # Being Retired
This really affected me when I saw it. The look of humble shock on Gravys face was incredibly endearing.
One of my fondest memories
him watching in disbelief and then wanting the focus back on Leetch was a thing of beauty.
Check out my pic a day for a year project-
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how many people remember
graves wore #11 in the season opener in boston in october 1991 in honor of messier
after they lost to the bruins the messier trade happened october 4th
on october 5th messier joined the team in montreal, they skated to a tie and graves had switched to #9
I am personally placing a hundred-dollar bounty on the head of Tim McCracken. He's the head coach and chief punk on that Syracuse team.
I remember playing NHLPA hockey on the SNES, and the only time Gravey would play was on the PK line. There were no line changes in the game, so i remember taking deliberate penalties just to get him out there. One of my all-time favorite Rangers, and there’s no doubt he should have retired a Ranger.
I was having this weird discussion at work a number of years back about who we’d like our kids (current or if we did have any) to grow up to be like.
I remember people picking well-known celebrities, some others famous actors, and a few athletes known around the world. There were a few that suggested a parent/grandparent.
Without much thinking I blurted out “Adam Graves”. Then I actually thought about it…and for the life of me couldn’t think of a better choice.
Ah dude. Someone stole a replica Graves jersey of yours? That sucks. Like your car was broken into? What happened?
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Need to correct myself here, I could’ve sworn I read “replica”. Don’t know why… Authentic ;)
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Yeah, broke into my car, stole it out of the back seat.
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Aug 6, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
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