Rod Gilbert – The first Ranger to have his number retired

3. The GAG ​​line

Gilbert, center Jean Ratelle and left winger Vic Hadfield made their NHL debuts with the Rangers in the early 1960s, but it wasn’t until the 1967-68 season that the three players were used together as regular starters for the Blueshirts. Gilbert and Ratelle had played together as kids growing up in Quebec (they were scouted and signed by Rangers scout Yvon Prud’homme), and their games complemented each other perfectly. With the addition of Hadfield, each player’s game reached new heights in the late 1960s and early 1970s and the trio became known as the “GAG Line” (short for Goal-A-Game Line).

The line reached its peak in the 1971/72 season. During that season, each player scored at least 40 goals, making it the first series in NHL history to have all three players score 40 or more goals in the same season. Despite missing the final month of the regular season due to a broken ankle, Ratelle set the Rangers’ single-season record with 109 points, while Hadfield became the first player in franchise history to score 50 goals in a season.

Gilbert, meanwhile, was named to the NHL’s First All-Star Team at right wing as he set a career-high with 43 goals, 97 points and a plus/minus rating. Additionally, the success of the “GAG Line” helped the team have a successful season as the Rangers reached the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals.