NYR TODAY Monday 10/2: Alumni Birthdays, Today in Rangers History

NYR Alumni Birthdays October 2: 

Glenn Anderson RW (1993-1994) Stu Bickel D (2011-2012) Myles Lane D (1928-1929) Don Luce C (1969-1970) Bil Moe D (1944-1949) Ralph Taylor D (1929-1930) Vladmir Korobiev RW (1997-1998)

Today in NYR History October 2, 1981:

Rangers acquire Mike Rogers and future considerations from the Hartford Whalers in exchange for Chris Kotsopoulos, Doug Sulliman, and Gerry McDonald.

Before Mike Rogers came to the Rangers in 1981, only two players in the team`s history — Jean Ratelle and Vic Hadfield — had managed to score 100 points in a season.

So when Rogers, coming off two consecutive 105-point seasons in Hartford, found his way to New York in a four-player trade during the week before the 1981-82 season began, there was a sense that Ratelle and Hadfield might have company in the Rangers` century club.

Rogers did not disappoint, and he had a magical year in racking up 103 points on 38 goals and 65 assists. The highlight of the season was a remarkable 16-game stretch in February and March 1982 in which he scored at least one point in every game. His 16-game streak was a Rangers record that stood for nearly 10 years until broken by Brian Leetch in 1991-92.

By registering 100 points in 1981-82, Rogers became only the third player in NHL history to score 100 points in his first three NHL seasons (joining Wayne Gretzky and Peter Stastny). Only one other player — Mario Lemieux — has managed to do it since. Rogers` 1981-82 performance also enabled the Rangers to join four of the other five Original Six teams in claiming at least one 100-point scorer in their respective histories.

The 100th point came in the 78th game of the season on an unassisted goal at 6:16 of the first period in Chicago. The Rangers went on to win the game 4-1 with Rogers` historic goal standing up as the game-winner.

Rogers remained with the Rangers for three more full seasons and posted totals of 76, 61 and 64 points during that time. Although these numbers were strong, Rogers had raised the bar so high as to make them look like subpar seasons. Nevertheless, over the course of his 316 games with the Rangers, he averaged nearly a point per game, and will be remembered as one of the slickest centers the franchise has ever known.