A Charity That All Fans Should Embrace Started By A Friendly Foe

The myth theory in Rangerville is that Blueshirt fans should dislike – some would call it hate – all foes but that's far from the case.

Exhibit A would be Ken Daneyko the 20-year Devils defenseman who, I dare say, earned respect in the Land of The Blue Shirt because he played the game the way it was meant to be played.

"Dano was respected by all," says The Old Scout, "because any team -- especially the Rangers – would have loved him on their blue line."

More recently Ken has earned kudos as MSG Networks Devils TV Analyst as well as endless work on the hockey networks.

In his own way, Dano has become a philanthropist of sorts with golf clubs in hand. Here's his admirable story:

Ken Daneyko, known affectionately as "Mr. Devil" to the Devils' fanbase, was a hard-hitting defenseman during the team's early years, and then during its rise to winning three Cups in eight years.

For the past 21 years, Daneyko has hosted his "Ken Daneyko Golf Classic" event in partnership with the Center for Great Expectations, whose mission is to help women and children with substance use disorders. That sentence may oversimplify what they do, so make sure to check out their website at https://www.cge-nj.org/.

The Night Blueshirt Defenseman Lou Fontinato Got Himself A Red Smith Column During the late 1950's – with Phiery Phil Watson coaching the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers" target="_blank">Rangers</a> – games against the Canadiens at the Old Garden were epic; without fail.

Daneyko first got involved in the mission when his friend Gerry Cooney -- the famous boxer – asked him to take part in a charity golf outing long before the event ever bore his name. The cause also hits close to home for Daneyko as he himself struggled with sobriety during his playing days. (He has successfully been sober for many years now).

On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, the 21st annual "Ken Daneyko Golf Classic" took place at Fiddler's Elbow Country Club in New Jersey and was a huge success -- as per usual. Peg Wright, the President and CEO of the Center for Great Expectations said they hoped to raise $200,000 during the event to help the center after much of its funding has been cut due to current government decisions.

To hear what Daneyko, Wright and guests such as Scott Clark (longtime WABC sportscaster) and Matt Loughlin (longtime radio voice of the Devils) had to say about the cause and the event, you can check out Matthew Blittner and Russ Cohen's coverage of the event onsportsology.com, https://www.sportsology.com/the-ken-daneyko-golf-classic-interviews/.