As time passes, and we avidly follow our favorite sports teams, a multitude of players come and go. While we may recall them during their time with the team, some slip through the crevices of our memory, only to resurface through a nostalgic memory or an old piece of media, causing us to reconnect their faces and names with the iconic Rangers uniform.
Among the hallowed names like Messier, Leetch, Giacomin, Lundqvist, and others, there are those more unknown Rangers, such as Pascal Dupuis and Ilkka Heikkinen, Enver Lisin, and others who may have faded from our recollection. As we traverse the regular season, we’ll delve into a few of these “Forgotten Rangers.”
On this edition of Forgotten Rangers, one of the greatest scorers in hockey, but in Russia and a guy who skated, or seemed like he skated with concrete in his skates.
Nigel Dawes, Forward
Time with Rangers: 121 games for New York spread out through three seasons, with time in Hartford in between.
My feelings on this one are somewhat conflicted. Nigel Dawes, while not a prolific scorer, displayed the qualities of a reliable bottom-line winger. Despite his small stature, Dawes possessed solid puck-handling skills and occasionally showcased his hockey finesse, as evidenced by a memorable goal where he outwitted the Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger.
He, alongside Petr Prucha, stood as two of my favorites, and I relished watching them play together (though I believe Prucha had the potential to achieve even more, especially considering his impressive rookie season).
After impressing with the Kootenay Ice in the WHL and the Hartford Wolf Pack, Dawes joined the Rangers as a bottom-line scoring winger. In his first full season with New York, he appeared poised to maintain that role, tallying 29 points in 61 games during the 2007-08 season. However, his production declined the following season, with 19 points in 52 games.
Seeking an extra push for the playoffs, the Rangers traded Dawes, Petr Prucha, and Dimitri Kalinin to Phoenix in exchange for Derek Morris. While I personally felt the Rangers gave up on him, I understood the reasoning behind the trade.
Dawes went on to play for various teams, including Phoenix, Calgary, Atlanta, and Montreal, before embarking on a journey to the KHL, where he suited up for Barys Astana. Surprisingly, Dawes seemed to undergo a transformation in the KHL, consistently producing over 30 points in each season, achieving 40+ points on five occasions, and even reaching 60+ points during the 2016-17 campaign. Dawes led the KHL in goals with 35 during the 2017-18 season and earned four selections to KHL All-Star Games. Clearly, Dawes was establishing a noteworthy career for himself in Russia.
While it’s understandable that the Rangers weren’t prepared to wait for six seasons, Nigel Dawes appeared to have unlocked something within himself, allowing him to harness his skill set and make a name for himself. Dawes continued to thrive and became one of the greatest scorers in KHL history. Then, on June 11, 2021, Dawes inked a two-year contract with Adler Mannheim in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Upon the conclusion of his contract with Adler Mannheim and hindered by injury, Dawes announced his retirement after a 17-season-long professional career. Who knows what could have happened if only the Rangers had stuck with him a little longer?
Roman Hamrlik, Defenseman
Time with Rangers: 12 regular season games and 2 playoff games during the 2012-13 season.
Selected as the first overall pick in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by Tampa Bay, Roman Hamrlik established himself as a highly-skilled defenseman in the league, embarking on a career that spanned multiple teams, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, and Montreal Canadiens. Over the course of his career, he graced the ice in more than 1,300 games and earned the honor of participating in three NHL All-Star Games, making appearances in 1996, 1999, and 2003.
Hamrlik also donned the colors of the Czech Republic in international competitions, notably contributing to the 1998 Winter Olympics gold medal victory. His international journey extended to the 2002 Winter Olympics and two IIHF World Championships, held in 1994 and 2004, as well as his involvement in two World Cup of Hockey tournaments in 1996 and 2004.
Following four seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Hamrlik decided to take his talents to the Washington Capitals in the summer of 2011. However, during the lockout-shortened season of 2012-13, Hamrlik’s role on the ice dwindled, leading to his placement on waivers by the Capitals on March 5th. The Rangers swiftly claimed him off waivers in the hope of infusing some veteran experience and defensive prowess, especially in the absence of the injured Marc Staal.
Unfortunately, Hamrlik’s tenure as a Ranger was brief, spanning just 12 games in which he failed to record any points and maintained a plus/minus rating of -3. It became evident that Hamrlik was experiencing a decline in performance, characterized by diminished speed on the ice and even a two-game benching for issues related to physical condition under the guidance of then-coach John Tortorella.
John Moore, a recent addition to the team, took Hamrlik’s spot in the lineup, while Hamrlik found himself watching games from the press box. He did make a brief appearance in two postseason games that year, registering a single assist, but that marked the end of his time as a Ranger.
On October 21st, 2013, Roman Hamrlik officially announced his retirement from the world of professional hockey.
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