Leetch Was Cornerstone Component In Rangers’ Cup-Winning Season
New York Rangers’ star defenseman Brian Leetch was banged up in the 1992-93 season, but he rebounded the next season in a major way during the club’s Stanley Cup run.
In recent memory, few NHL defensemen have been as all-around terrific as longtime New York Rangers blueliner Brian Leetch.
In this feature story from The Hockey News’ Dec. 24, 1993 edition (Vol. 47, Issue 15), then-THN writer Mike Brophy analyzed the impact Leetch had on the Blueshirts and the NHL in the same season the Rangers would win the Stanley Cup.
Leetch had already won his first of two Norris Trophies as the league’s top D-man when the story was published. Although he had ongoing health issues that limited him to just 36 games in 1992-93, many acknowledged him as the NHL’s best defenseman the following year, posting 23 goals and 79 points in 84 games.
“There’s no question,” said Leetch’s teammate and Rangers captain Mark Messier, “he’s the best defenseman in the league today.”
Leetch’s patience and sky-high panic threshold were two of the reasons he stood out as one of the best-ever defensemen, and he told Brophy he plays a smart game that minimizes the risks he takes away from and with the puck.
“I don’t try to beat the first forechecker when I’m the last man back,” Leetch said. “And I don’t try low-percentage passes up the middle that could be intercepted. Basically, I’m playing a low-risk game.”
Leetch had his best offensive season in 1991-92 when he generated 80 assists and 102 points. But one of the reasons the Rangers won the Cup in 1994 – and why Leetch was named the first American-born Conn Smythe Trophy winner – was his play in his own end. He may have been banged up on the physical front, but Leetch pushed himself to his limits, and the Cup landed in Manhattan because of it.
“The best thing about Brian this season is he’s playing exceptionally well defensively,” Rangers coach Mike Keenan said. “That’s what brought his game to the next level. He has natural instincts for offense and demonstrates them on a nightly basis. He’s playing as well as any defenseman in the league. He’s thinking the game through.
LEETCH BACK AFTER SCREWY SEASON
Vo. 47, No. 15, Dec. 24, 1993
By Mike Brophy
The team that has failed to capture the NHL’s most prized piece of hardware for the longest time is relying heavily on a guy with more screws and metal plates in his ankles than a hardware store.
Because of serious breaks, New York Rangers’ defenseman Brian Leetch has a plate with nine screws in his right ankle and another with six screws in his left. He hasn’t set off airport alarms yet, but his inspired play has set off a Norris Trophy watch.
“There’s no question,” said Leetch’s teammate and captain Mark Messier, “he’s the best defenseman in the league today.”
Yesterday, he was the most injured. Two major ailments – a pinched nerve in his shoulder and broken right ankle – limited him to 36 games last season. He still managed to lead Ranger defensemen in scoring with six goals and 36 points. The ankle, screws and all, is fine. His shoulder, however, is operating at about 80 per-cent capacity. He broke his left ankle in 1990.
Fatalists point to Leetch’s injuries as more proof of the Rangers’ curse. The last time the Rangers won a championship was 1940, 28 years before Leetch was born in Corpus Christi, Tex. He was introduced to the game as a youngster after his family moved to Connecticut.
There is no question Mike Keenan’s arrival as coach has been paramount (or Paramount) to the Rangers’ rise. But the game is still played on the ice and even with its star-studded cast, New York wouldn’t stand a chance without a healthy Leetch.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound defenseman has been sensational and the Rangers have re-established themselves as Cup contenders. Some wondered if the 1991-92 Norris winner would be effective this season, never mind spectacular. But the 25-year-old has been atop or among the leading defenseman scorers all season. More importantly, he is developing into a solid two-way contributor.
Unlike previous seasons when he sacrificed defensive play for goals, attacking with reckless abandon, Leetch is more cognizant of his responsibilities in his team’s end. He’s aware he can still pile up the points on the power play. He’s on pace for about 80 power-play points, which would become the NHL’s new standard for defensemen.
“I don’t try to beat the first forechecker when I’m the last man back,” Leetch said. “And I don’t try low-percentage passes up the middle that could be intercepted. Basically, I’m playing a low-risk game.”
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