In my relatively short five-year career in the media, I've had the good fortune of attending some pretty cool events: The U.S. Open at Shinnecock, all of the last five U.S. Tennis Opens, Opening Day at Shea and Yankee Stadiums, all-star games, and of course, Mark Messier Night.
But I've never anticipated any of them as much as I'm anticipating Brian Leetch Night.
Leetch was a true Ranger, no more important than Messier or Mike Richter, but in my opinion, he was the greatest of them all.
His ability to dominate a game at a position that used to be an afterthought makes puts him in very exclusive hockey company. He played the game with class and guts, and never sought any more attention than he earned from his dazzling play on the ice.
His career here wasn't always perfect -- but in New York, no one's ever is.
His return from an ankle injury in 1993-94 -- not the hiring of Mike Keenan -- was the singlest biggest factor in the Rangers' worst-to-first turnaround that resulted in a 1994 championship.
His performance in the 1994 Playoffs is one of the most-overlooked dominant stretches of hockey in NHL history.
His willingness to do whatever it took to help the Rangers win -- even if that meant the extremely uncomfortable job of replacing Mark Messier as captain in 1997 -- stands out as perhaps his finest intangible quality.
He never guaranteed victory, nor did he ever stop a penalty shot, but his consistent residence in the realm of the game's elite and his dedication to New York and his team have earned him the highest Rangers honor.
Please join me for an update blog after the Brian Leetch ceremonies, where I'll reflect on the evening and offer some thoughts on the current state of the Rangers.