We’ve been a little caught up in the site upgrade, so things have been busy around here for the last few days. I know we’re late on this, but I just wanted to drop in and say a few things about Brian Leetch’s recent induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
To me, the most impressive part of Leetch’s Ranger tenure isn’t the almost 1,000 points, the 100-point season, the two Norris Trophies – it’s the Conn Smythe. I’ve always felt that the Conn Smythe was the greatest individual trophy in all of professional sports – better than MVPs, scoring titles, even the Finals MVP awards in basketball or baseball. The Conn Smythe means you were at your best, when it mattered the most, for an extended period of time – which in the NHL playoffs, is usually two months or more.
In a Cup-winning campaign that featured some legendary performances from the likes of Mark Messier and Mike Richter, and some huge contributions from others (like K…K…K….K…can’t say it), Leetch was the best. The now legendary first goal of Game 7 in the Finals symbolizes it all. For sure, some great work by Messier and Zubov to set up the play, but Leetch gets the puck, then waits, waits, waits, for the perfect opening, and bam. Roofs it. As the great Jack Buck used to say, before that plagiarist on ESPN/ABC stole his calls, Leetch was as cool as the other side of the pillow, in the biggest game in franchise history.
With very few exceptions, the list of Conn Smythe winners represents the all-time greats of the game, and now another Hall of Famer. Cheers Brian, and congratulations.
I still get chills watching that goal – I remember vaulting my couch and running around my apartment’s living room screaming when he scored that goal.
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