00:00Let's take a look back to honor and pay our respects to Rangers and hockey legend Eddie Jockerman with senior hockey columnist and Rangers writer for the New York Post, Larry Brooks. Larry, you've been covering the Rangers for a long time, just New York sports in general. You've seen legends on the court, the field, the rink. What's Eddie Jockerman's legacy here in New York City? How special of a Ranger was he?
00:24Unique, one of a kind. There is one night and one night only in which a fan base rose up and rooted against the home team, rooting for Eddie Jockerman when he came back as a Detroit Red Wing, two days after he was weighed by the Rangers.
00:44I was in the stands then. I was a season ticket holder. People know that I was a blue seater. I was in section 419. And it was probably, you know, as memorable a night that I've ever been in the arena, both as a fan and in the press box.
01:01It was unique. You know, you can talk about fan favorites, but there was a connection between Eddie Jockerman and the Garden fans and the New York fans that is manifest.
01:16And people recognize now how popular Henrik Lundqvist has been with the fan base. People know how popular Mike Richter was with the fan base. There was nothing like Eddie Jockerman. Honestly, there was nothing like Eddie Jockerman back in the late 60s and early 70s with those Rangers teams, you know, with Emil Francis.
01:41It was a romantic time. These were beloved teams that came so close but didn't win it. And, you know, the pillars of that team, you know, the Jockerman, Roger Bear, Jean Rattel, Vic Hadfield, Brad Park, they are venerated in New York sports history.
02:03But Jockerman is on a pedestal. There's no question about that. His popularity and we shouldn't, you know, and I have to make the point that his popularity sometimes overshadows his greatness.
02:19You know, that distinct night, that distinct night, sometimes camouflages how great of a goaltender he was and how important he was to the Rangers' rise to prominence.
02:32Before he got here in 65, the Rangers were a joke franchise. They were, you know, they were a punching bag franchise.
02:39They had made the playoffs only once since 1959 before he got here. And he was the pillar of that team that rose to prominence, went to the cup final in 72, went to the semifinals a few years.
02:57He was the essential piece of that puzzle.
03:01What made him so likable and popular to all the old school Rangers fans? And how do we make sure to keep his legacy going with the newer generation of blue shirt fans?
03:14He wore his heart on his sleeve. He didn't wear a mask. So you could see all his emotions. He played with fire.
03:21He was a swashbuckling goaltender. As swashbuckling goaltender, as you see, he was one of the first to roam out of the net and play the puck.
03:34You know, his first year, it didn't go all that well. You know, he actually was sent back to the minors that first season.
03:42And then even the start of the second year, he gave up like he had a bad night.
03:48He was booed. And, you know, but but Emil Francis, the general manager and the coach and the architect believed in him.
03:59And so he told Jackeman, you're my goalie. Don't worry about what anybody says.
04:06And Jackeman then became a Hall of Fame goaltender.
04:09I mean, he was just so emotional. He he was the emotional epicenter of that team.
04:15And as and as I've talked to his teammates over the years, he was a special teammate.
04:23Also, I I talked to John Davidson on Monday and J.D. was acquired from St.
04:32Louis the previous summer to become the goaltender of the future.
04:36Jackeman was still there. Backup goaltender, Gilles Villamur, also a veteran, was still there.
04:43But they had traded for J.D. to become the goaltender of the future.
04:48And, you know, you know, Jackeman had had had had been ensconced as the number one forever.
04:54And J.D. told me that he could not have been better to him as a young goaltender, as a young teammate than he was.
05:04So and Brad Park was telling me yesterday also about what a great teammate he was.
05:09So there there is a lot of substance to Ed Jackeman as a as a goaltender and as a teammate and as a Rangers icon.
05:19Hall of Famer, great teammate, swashbucket goalie, his number one jersey was hired by the franchise back in 1989.
05:28So where does Ed Jackeman rank on your all time list of Rangers goalies and NHL goalies as well?
05:35Well, you know, the the Rangers lineage of goaltenders is is the thread that binds the franchise.
05:42And they're they're celebrating their 100th anniversary this season is the centennial year.
05:50They are devoting a night to the goaltending lineage.
05:55Now, you have Henrik Lundqvist, you have Mike Richter.
05:58That's that's the great debate.
05:59Who ranks higher, Richter or Lundqvist?
06:02We know that Lundqvist did over his career.
06:05We know that he has every all time Rangers record.
06:08We also know that Mike Richter made the save on Pavel Bure on the penalty shot.
06:15We know that Mike Richter won game six at the Meadowlands.
06:19We know that he won game seven against the Devils.
06:22We know that he won the Stanley Cup.
06:24But so, you know, so there is a great debate about Lundqvist and Richter.
06:30And I will delve into that during this season because I think I'm going to be writing a number of pieces about the 100 year anniversary.
06:37So we can, you know, we can talk about that at different times.
06:43But but Jockerman is right there.
06:47You know, if it's you know, if it's one A, one B, one C, I'm fine with that.
06:52Rest in power to a legend.
06:54Larry, thanks for hopping on with us and keeping Ed Jockerman's legacy alive.
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