Rod Gilbert

I knew if I lived long enough I was going to start reading the obituaries of the players I used to watch in what would be my golden age of sports: the '70s.

I was pretty much a die hard New York Rangers fan, having season seats from the late '60s through 1978, I think. I was a Ranger fan ever since my father took me to a Saturday afternoon game. There were always two on the schedule at the Old Madison Square Garden on 8th Avenue and 49th-50th Streets. And Pat Doyle always announced a welcome to the 'young hockey fans' at the games.

All through high school I went to games having spent the $1.50 or $2.00 to sit in the balcony. The team was never great, maybe not even good, but I loved watching hockey. I was there the night the goaltender Cesare Maniago stopped Bobby Hull from getting his historic 50th goal (Channel 9 was televising the mid-week game) We chanted Cesare's name constantly, even leaving the arena. Hull of course later got his 50th goal, but not that evening against the Rangers.

So certainly I saw Rod Gilbert play. I don't think I had a favorite Ranger, maybe Jean Ratelle, the stoic center who with Vic Hadfield on the left and Rod on the right would comprise the famous GAG line, the goal-a-game line that clicked effortlessly during the early '70s, pumping goals in like clockwork.

My season seats were in the green seats, the 300 series, row M, just below a press box, at about the blue line, looking over the zone where the Rangers were on the offense twice. I saw a lot of Ranger goals scored by that line.

Their passing was amazing. The puck seemed to be magnetically attracted to their sticks when they passed among themselves. In that era, left handed shots played left wing, right-handed shots played right wing, and the center could he either a left or right shot.

Ratelle as a center was the tallest of the three, and seemed to slide into the slot area with ease, passing the puck when needed to his wingers. I once read that his stick had a "lie" that in effect allowed Ratelle the stretch his stick out further to make plays. The lie is the angle of the blade to the shaft. Ratelle's angle was a bit shallower than others. He was a consummate playmaker.

Gilbert of course didn't always need a pass from Ratelle to score. He raced down the right side, avoided a defenseman. and shot, a blistering slap shot. I used to laugh a bit to myself when Rod would take the big windup, fake the shot, and move in closer. He never seemed to score with that maneuver, however.

It's funny to read in the obituary, and Gerald Eskenazi's NYT tribute that Gilbert was known as 'Mr. Ranger.' I never heard that name applied to him. Gordie Howe was Mr. Hockey, but Gilbert didn't have a nickname that I was aware of.

Ezkenazi in his piece tells the story that the Ranger publicist, John Halligan, came up with the name GAG line—goal-a-game. Halligan had to be the greatest publicist on earth because even as bad as the Rangers were for many years the reports from John were always sunny.

You have to have been a fan from my era to remember how annually Halligan would tell the Ranger fan base that Alan Hamilton, a right-handed defenseman, was learning the ropes in the minors, and would be soon making a notable addition to Ranger backliners. Alan Hamilton never made it to the parent club. He never made it to the NHL.

It was noted that Gilbert's idol was 'Boom Boom' Bernie Geoffrion, the rugged Montreal Canadian winger who earned the nickname because his shots sounded like cannon fire when they missed the net and hit the boards. Ironically, Geoffrion would become a Ranger in his later years and play with Gilbert. Emile Francis got Geoffrion in a deal for Boom Boom's shot from the point on power plays. He was a worthwhile addition, even later becoming one of the many Ranger coaches, albeit briefly. 

Gilbert was of course from the helmetless era, and Rod's matinee looks were always on display. My theory has always been that any guy who parts their hair on the right side is always a good-looking guy, like Cary Grant.

When airlines advertised their appeal with their stewardesses' looks there was Judy from Eastern Airlines, urging you to fly Eastern. Urging you to fly Judy. And decades ago Rod succumbed to the ad and married Judy. It was interesting and nice to read that he was still with Judy when he passed away at 80 in his Manhattan apartment.

Rob was hockey's version of Joe Namath, the bachelor who made Manhattan their home. He was part owner of a bar on the Upper East Side, Mr. Laff's I believe. I was there once, but never saw Rod.

Gilbert of course never was on a Cup team for the Rangers. It was nice to read he was in the Garden when the Rangers finally did win their first cup since 1940 when they beat the Vancouver Canucks in seven games, a series that should have never gone seven games. The Rangers always did things the hard way.

The teams in the early '70s, when the GAG line was at its peak were great Ranger teams. They always seemed to beat the prior year's Cup champs to advance in the playoffs. I think it was the '70-'71 season where the Rangers lost only two games at home. Of course there were ties then, but with only two losses and you knew they were good. 

The Cup series in 1972 against the Bruins was their chance to bring the silverware home. But Boston was also great club, and as Emile Francis said afterward, 'Bobby Orr killed us." I still think there was a point in that series that Boston score two short-handed goals on the same Ranger power play. Boston's penalty killing was the best.

After the late '70s I've only ever seen a few Ranger games. I wasn't there for the retiring of Rod's number, or any of the other numbers. and I was only in attendance on TV when they won the Cup.

I don't follow the Rangers as much anymore, and don't even watch a lot of hockey on TV, but I have my Garden memories of Rod streaking down the right side and winding up and seeing the goal twines bulge when the shot went in.

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