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 Corey Locke, Sandis Ozolinsh, James Sheppard, 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, we feature two more guys named Mike.
Mike Mottau, Defenseman
Time with Rangers: 19 games over two seasons with New York (2000-2002)
Probably blessed with the thickest Boston accent I’ve heard a player sport, Mike Mottau was a serviceable defenseman throughout his career, just not with the Rangers. Selected 182nd overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, Mottau carved out a commendable collegiate career with Boston College, ultimately earning recognition with the Hobey Baker Award for best player.
Following a contract standoff and a decision to participate in the World Championships instead of joining the playoff-bound Hartford Wolf Pack, Mottau eventually inked a deal in October of 2000. During his tenure with the Wolf Pack, he proved to be a reliable defenseman, featuring in 141 games (including 15 playoff appearances) and accumulating 94 points over two seasons, along with a combined plus/minus rating of +29.
In his 19 games as a Ranger, Mottau’s performance was mediocre at best, with a total of 3 points and a plus/minus of -6, all transpiring amid challenging times for the Rangers. During his final season with the Rangers organization in 2002-03, Mottau played in 29 games, amassing 19 points and achieving a plus/minus rating of +9.
Subsequently, Mottau experienced a journey through the AHL with stints in Calgary’s farm team, Anaheim’s farm team, and St. Louis. His career found stability in the AHL with the New Jersey Devils, where he served as a serviceable defenseman for the majority of his playing days. Although he had brief tenures with the Islanders, Bruins, and Panthers, Mottau decided to retire after the 2013-14 season.
Interestingly, among Rangers fans, Mottau is perhaps more remembered for his skirmishes with Sean Avery than his on-ice contributions. Nonetheless, for someone like me, without an NHL resume, there’s the consolation of having pulled off a nice deke against Mottau in an NHL video game.
Mike Dunham, Goaltender
Time with Rangers: 100 games for the Rangers throughout two seasons (2002-2004)
Originally chosen by the New Jersey Devils and having played his college hockey at the University of Maine, Mike Dunham was brought in to address the constant goaltending changes during the early 2000s. Amidst the Rangers’ ongoing struggles in the 2003-04 season, which marked the seventh consecutive year of missing the postseason, Dunham provided serviceable performances with a .924 save percentage in his first season and a .896 save percentage in his second season.
Concluding his career with stints at the Islanders and the Thrashers in 2007, Dunham retired from professional hockey. While his time with the Rangers may not have been particularly noteworthy, Dunham proved to be a dependable long-term backup for the Predators. Additionally, he boasts achievements such as winning the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship in 1992-93 and being a Calder Cup champion with the Albany River Rats of the AHL in 1995.
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