100 Ranger Greats

Book Review by Valerie J. Wood
100 Ranger Greats
by Russ Cohen, John Halligan and Adam Raider

100 Ranger Greats is a beautifully produced, well-written paean to the New York Rangers’ NHL franchise. One of the Original Six, the Rangers are one of the most storied teams in NHL and sports history. This gorgeous, over-sized hard-cover book pays tribute to the players that the three authors deemed the ‘top 100′ players in franchise history. Loaded with both color and black & white photos, it is lavishly illustrated and beautifully written. The authors cheerfully note that other fans–especially Rangers fans–may not totally agree with their choices, but they present an excellent case for their selections and their rankings.

This book is a delight to peruse and brings back fond and exciting memories for older fans, as well as serves to educate younger fans who are still learning about the sport and the great players, and characters, of the game. Written by fans, for fans, the trio of writers have brought their knowledge and love of the sport to the foreground to create a truly remarkable book. As a hockey fan, I found this book to be a comprehensive, thorough look at the best and the brightest of the NY Rangers over the years and it brought back many memories of some of the all-time heroes of the game. The narrative is detailed and entertaining, and the authors have done a fantastic job in putting this book together. 100 Ranger Greats is one of the finest books to come out on a hockey franchise–or any sports franchise–in many a year. One only wishes that the other teams, particularly of the original six–would also have that kind of care dedicated to their teams in a companion type book.

Truly a 5-Star production, this is an exceptional book that the authors should be justifiably proud of.

Just one question…oh, Ranger aficionados…Where’s Darius Kasparaitis?