As time passes, and we avidly follow our favorite sports teams, many 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.” In this edition, we feature someone who was supposed to help with toughness and another guy who was supposed to replace Carl Hagelin.
Erik Reitz, Defenseman
Time with Rangers – 11 games, 24 Penalty Minutes, somehow.
Back in early 2009, the Rangers were notably lacking in toughness, particularly on the defensive front. To address this, they traded Center Dan Fritsche to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Defenseman Erik Reitz, who earned praise from former Rangers coach Tom Renney for his tough and resilient playing style.
“He’s got some toughness, he’s got an edge to him. I don’t know if that’s his forte, quite honestly, but…he can take care of himself, stand up for his teammates,” the coach said of Reitz, who had a goal, an assist and 41 penalty minutes for the Wild this season. “What we think we’ve done is we’ve added a dimension to our team with respect to his edge that we can use on the back end.” Michael Obernauer/ NY Daily News
In his impactful 11 games with the Rangers, Reitz managed a less-than-stellar plus/minus rating of -4 and accumulated an impressive 24 penalty minutes. However, the seismic shock came just two months later when, in a move that reverberated through Rangers town, he was waived by the team and claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Unfortunately, I wish I could provide more memorable details about his time with the Rangers, but nothing distinct or noteworthy stands out in my memory. After all, I’m just a guy behind a computer, and he’s a former NHL player.
However, Reitz’s stint with Toronto was cut short due to an ankle injury that ended his season. He went on to play one season in the KHL, followed by another season in the Austrian Hockey League before deciding to hang up his skates in 2012.
Emerson Etem, Right Wing
Time with Rangers: 19 Games in 2015-2016
In the summer following the Rangers’ defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2015 Eastern Conference Final, the team maintained a resilient spirit despite the injuries they faced. Despite winning the President’s Trophy and possessing a playoff-ready core, a looming salary cap challenge presented itself. Many key Rangers players were in line for salary increases, including fan-favorite Carl Hagelin.
Facing this financial dilemma, Hagelin was traded, alongside two draft picks, to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Emerson Etem and a second-round draft pick. On paper, the trade seemed logical for the Rangers, aiming to acquire a younger, faster, and more cost-effective player with a high potential. The team hoped Etem’s speed would seamlessly integrate into AV’s fast-paced system, much like Hagelin. Unfortunately, that expectation did not materialize.
Despite making the team out of training camp, Etem failed to leave a notable impact. With only 3 assists in 19 games, he became a non-factor, often going unnoticed on the ice. Despite his promising draft history, Etem’s performance with the Rangers did not reflect the talent showcased in his junior days. This led to another trade, with the Rangers sending him to Vancouver on January 8th, 2016, in exchange for Forward Nicklas Jensen and a 6th-round pick.
After struggling to secure a spot with Vancouver, Etem faced further setbacks. On January 2, 2018, the Coyotes terminated his contract at his request. He then signed with Lugano in the Swiss National League until the end of the 2017–18 season, where he went scoreless in 5 regular-season games and made 1 post-season appearance.
In the summer of 2018, Etem returned to North America, joining the Los Angeles Kings’ training camp on a professional tryout contract. Despite impressing, he narrowly missed the opening night roster and accepted a reassignment to the AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on October 3, 2018.
Unfortunately, Etem failed to capitalize on this opportunity, scoring just 1 goal in 9 games before being released from his tryout on November 3, 2018. He ultimately retired in 2020.
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