Big Apple Sports Birthday for July 1

Today’s featured Big Apple Sports Birthday is New York Ranger Hall of Fame right winger, Rod Gilbert, born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1941

Long time Ranger fans will tell you that the greatest era in Ranger hockey was the late sixties-early seventies and especially the years 1970 through 1973 when New York and the Bruins of Boston skated perhaps the greatest teams in the history of their respective franchises.

During that era, New York was famous for its GAG (goal a game) line featuring Vic Hadfield, Jean Ratelle, and today’s birthday boy. It was one of the most respected lines in the history of the. It was Gilbert who convinced the Rangers to sign his boyhood friend, Ratelle. In 1971, the GAG line became the first in league history to each score more than 40 goals.

I always felt that Gilbert was the Rangers Mickey Mantle, a superstar when in uniform and a patron of Big Apple nightlife when the games were over. He even wore Mickey’s number 7 and a severe back injury suffered during his junior hockey forced Gilbert to play in pain throughout his Ranger career.

In all, Gilbert played 18 seasons for New York, playing in 1,065 regular season games, scoring 406 goals and amassing 615 career assists. He was also a wonderful playoff performer and beginning in 1966, the Rangers made postseason play for ten straight seasons. That would not have been possible without Rod Gilbert.

I also need to wish my daughter Marissa a very happy birthday. I love you Rissie.
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