NEWSLETTER
It’s the 28th of the month, which means it’s time to talk about the legacy of Steve Larmer (whose number should be retired next by the Chicago Blackhawks). But I’m taking a different spin on this month’s edition of our 28 on 28 series, both because we were finally able to reconcile Chris Chelios playing somewhere else and the NHL’s trade deadline is less than two weeks away.
On Nov. 2, 1993, my heart broke. Like, for real. After choosing to end his consecutive games played streak, Larmer was traded. It was a three-team deal that sent Larmer (with Bryan Marchment) to the Hartford Whalers for Patrick Poulin and Eric Weinrich. The second half of the trade sent Larmer with Nick Kypreos and Barry Richter to the New York Rangers.
Larmer was reunited with his former coach in Chicago, Mike Keenan, on a loaded Rangers team that was all-in for a championship. He produced 60 points (including seven game-winning goals among his 21 markers) in 68 regular-season games for the Rangers that season and finished 13th in the Selke Trophy voting. In the playoffs, Larmer scored nine goals with seven assists in 23 games and the Rangers ended their Stanley Cup drought.
It was a historic postseason for the Rangers that included Mark Messier’s iconic guarantee.
When the Rangers were in town this season, I had a chance to speak with the legendary voice of the Rangers, Sam Rosen, about the impact Larmer had on the Rangers that season. Rosen has been calling Rangers games since 1984; he’s seen it all, including one championship that Larmer played a big part in for the Blue Shirts.
“In my opinion he was one of the final pieces to really give [the Rangers] overall team balance because he brought smarts, scoring ability, and defensive ability as well,” Rosen said. “He played the full game and he was a perfect fit with the other players on that team.
“Just an example there’s a great picture when the final buzzer sounded and the Rangers won the Cup and Messier was jumping up and down and Leetch was pumping his fist and Richter was going wild and Steve Larmer had his guy pinned in the corner. Had him pinned; he wasn’t moving. That was Steve Larmer. Just a consummate player and I think he was one of the very important pieces that they brought in and he kind of completed that team that was going to go all the way.”
A reunion with Keenan wasn’t likely to be something some of his Blackhawks teammates would have signed up for (certainly not Jeremy Roenick at that time). But it worked wonders for the Rangers. Why did that marriage work again when Larmer made the move from the Chicago Stadium to Madison Square Garden?
“I think however Mike [Keenan] approached the team … those were some strange times,” Rosen said with a chuckle. “Steve handled it all. Perhaps a lot of that came from knowing Mike before and knowing what he was all about. But, again, because Steve played the game a certain way, Mike never had a problem with Steve. There were certain players on that team, like I would never pardon the pun, mess with Mark [Messier]. And Steve Larmer was another one of those guys. There was never any problem along the way because that’s the way Steve played and that was his personality. If Mike said anything to him, I’m sure it just rolled off his back.”
Larmer leaving was the first domino of a depressing series of trades of our fan favorites out of Chicago in the 1990s that ended with Chelios going to Detroit in 1999. He was a critical piece of the Rangers’ last championship, which is another reason why Larmer should also be in the Hockey Hall of Fame by now.
At some point, hopefully, Larmer will see his No. 28 in the rafters at the United Center and have to give a speech in Toronto after being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. And, to paraphrase Rosen what said as Larmer finished that check in the corner 30 years ago, “That would last a lifetime!”
