The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly: New York Rangers: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments from New York Rangers History [Hardcover]

Steve Zipay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008 | Series: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

This book is about the players, games, and moments that have made the New York Rangers organization what it is today. Frank Boucher and the first Stanley Cup. Mark Messier's Game 6 miracle. Rod Gilbert. Emile Francis. Mike Richter. Brian Leetch. The stories behind all these famous names come alive on the pages of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: New York Rangers. More than just a tribute to success, this book offers the warts-and-all tales from the insider's viewpoint that real fans want. As they relive these memories, Rangers fans--young and old, bandwagon jumpers, and New York natives--will be reminded why they're proud to support one of the NHL's great franchises.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Game 6 was an incredible individual feat by Mark [Messier]. Historically, among the greatest ever." --Rangers coach Mike Keenan, on the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals

"I believe fundamentally we are the worst team in the National Hockey League." --Bobby Holik, in January 2004

The greatest disappointment of my career was not winning a Stanley Cup for the fans of New York. That's why I was so happy to be there when they finally did win it in 1994." --Emile Francis

From the Inside Flap

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: New York Rangers celebrates many of the famous and infamous players, coaches, and moments throughout the team's history. One of the NHL's famed "Original Six" franchises, the Rangers' colorful history can be traced back to their founding in 1925. New York was good almost from the start, winning a Stanley Cup in its second season and three over the team's first 15 years. But the franchise endured a half-century championship drought before finally breaking through with another Cup win in 1994. Along the way the Broadway Blueshirts have featured some of the greatest coaches and players in NHL history, and have provided endless entertainment for New York hockey fans.

Learn how the Rangers became the first U.S.-based squad to win the Stanley Cup and how the team remained a dominant squad during the NHL's early years. Get the inside story on how the team climbed out of its decades-long funk in the late 1960s and thrilled crowds in the new-and-improved Madison Square Garden. Enjoy classic tales about the great rivalries (with the Flyers, Islanders, and Devils), about the great coaches (including Lester Patrick, Emile Francis, and Herb Brooks), and countless great players: Boucher, Gilbert, Leetch, Richter, Messier, Ratelle, Gretzky, Jagr, and so many more.

But as the title suggests, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: New York Rangers also touches on some of the organization's low points, especially the "cursed" years of futility during the Original Six era. Other forgettable memories are also recalled: the boneheaded trade of Rick Middleton for Ken Hodge; 12 free-agent signings that never panned out; and gambling, partying, and other off-ice excesses that derailed promising careers and embarrassed the team.

If you're a through-thick-and-thin Rangers fan, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: New York Rangers is especially for you. It will remind you of the great times and bring a knowing smile to your face when recounting the bad times. Championships and close losses; Hall of Fame players and big-time busts; on-the-ice triumphs and off-the-ice tragedies--all the best stories from Rangers history are here.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572439653
• ISBN-13: 978-1572439658
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #368,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shoots and Scores, November 11, 2008

By 

James Mulvaney (Long Beach, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly: New York Rangers: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments from New York Rangers History (Hardcover)

I go back to the six team league. My first hero was Red Sullivan, I remember Andy Bathgate and the first curve bladed stick and Jacques Plante without a mask. Zipay portrays the old days so vividly that I can smell cigar smoke in the 50th Street Garden and taste the Nedicks orange and grilled hot dogs my dad bought me in the mezzanine.
Zipay brings it all to life: from Harry Howell, Worsley, Giacomin, Gilbert, Stemkowski, Messier and Lundquist.
This book now proudly sits beside the autobiography of of Andy Bathgate in my library.
We already knew that Zipay is THE hockey writer in New York. In a year when the other NY papers used wire services to cover the season opener, Zipay was the only writer in Prague covering the game.
This is the Good, the Bad, The Ugly and it is The Best; a must read for anyone who claims to be a hockey fan.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Guide to the New York Rangers, October 20, 2008

By 

Timothy E. Clifford "tcliff96" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly: New York Rangers: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments from New York Rangers History (Hardcover)

Steve Zipay has written the essential guide to everything you want to know the New York Rangers. Always entertaining and filled with fascinating facts, "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" is the most fun a hockey fan can have without skates and a stick.

An award-wining Newsday reporter(whose blog is one of the best anywhere in hockey -- http://blogs.trb.com/sports/hockey/rangers/blog/), Zipay brings the sure touch of a real student of the game to such Rangers lore as The Stanley Cups, The Worst Trades, The Brawls, The Gardens, The Rivalries and All-Time Rangers Roster. Every story is told with great writing, and the easy-to-read format makes the book convenient for browsing.

Just reading a few pages proves that Zipay is a lifelong Rangers fan. He brings the Rangers players, coaches, general managers and broadcasters alive, with telling quotes and deft word pictures. How can anybody resist onetime Rangers coach Fred "The Fog" Shero, intoning: "Commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken makes a contribution. The pig makes a commitment." And when it comes to classy, just read Zipay's tribute to "The Great One" about Gretsky's years with the team.

"The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" earns my coveted "five pucks" rating. Whether for a veteran, young or new fan, this is the perfect holiday gift for your favorite hockey-lover. Enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must For Any Ranger Fan, January 21, 2010

By 

A. Viscardi (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly: New York Rangers: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments from New York Rangers History (Hardcover)

My husband got this book for Christmas and says it's a must for any Ranger fan.