Classic Rangers – And Others – One-Liners
1. "In hockey, a goalie does nothing that other people do. Except for his sweater, he even dresses differently, right down to his skates." Muzz Patrick, ex-Rangers defenseman and later coach and manager.
2. "Trying to get him to make a first move is like pushing over the Washington Monument. Lester Patrick when he was Rangers coach, talking about hot Boston goalie Frankie (Mister Zero) Brimsek.
3. "He's gutless, chicken – and print it!" Rangers coach Phil Watson after Chicago rookie Hec Lalonde scored a hat trick against his club. (Phil often was tongue-tied after a loss.)
4. "He hit me on the head with his stick. And he didn't apologize." Rangers right wing and Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert on why he fought Bill Lesuk.
5. "I would have bled all over him." Rangers right wing Wally Hergesheimer after clinching with Boston's tough defenseman Bob Armstrong, and being asked what would have happened had they fought.
6. "My decision to make goaltending a career must have something to do with it." Rangers goalie Ed Giacomin, on having gray hair at the age of 19,
7. "I guess if I let in a bad goal, I can shake it off by saying the Devil made me do it." Goalie Glenn (Chico) Resch, on the Colorado Rockies moving to New Jersey and calling themselves the Devils.
8. "We weren't wrapped up with agents and all that business. Frankly, I don't know whether it was dedication to the sport or that we were just damned fools." Rangers manager Frank Boucher on hockey in the old days.
Remembering Another Hockey Writing Legend; Joe Nichols
There once was a superior hockey writer named Joseph Nichols, although that wasn't his real name.
9. "The Maple Leafs will never catch us." Rangers coach Phil Watson to reporters a week before the end of the 1958-59 season with his team leading the Leafs for the last playoff spot. "Punch Imlach is dreaming if he thinks his club can catch us."
10. "We made it!" Toronto's GM-coach Punch Imlach after his team clinched a playoff berth on the last night of the 1958-59 season.