Native New Yorkers who played for the Rangers

eco's bones

Registered User
Jul 21, 2005
26,207
12,707
Elmira NY
The Ferraro's were from Long Island and grew up Islanders fans. Nick Fotiu was born and raised in Staten Island and played in the NY Met league. The Mullen's Joe and Brian were from Hell's Kitchen and also played in the NY Met League. They had an older brother who might have been better than they were who played in that league too but I don't think he played pro. I have an old 1971-72 New York Rangers yearbook and it devoted a page or two to the NY Met League. Emile Francis was very involved in getting that league up and running and a couple others who played in that league and the NHL would be Richie Hansen and Chris Ahrens and I'm not sure but maybe Jim Pavese. Richie Hansen had a brother Max who also played pro.

Nieves is from Baldwinsville--a suburb of Syracuse. Kane, Stempniak, Marchant and Clendening all out of the Buffalo area and Callahan more or less from Rochester. Shattenkirk and Bitetto kind of relate as NYC area players. Fortescue is pretty close too.
 

NickyFotiu

NYR 2024 Cup Champs!
Sep 29, 2011
14,849
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The Ferraro's were from Long Island and grew up Islanders fans. Nick Fotiu was born and raised in Staten Island and played in the NY Met league. The Mullen's Joe and Brian were from Hell's Kitchen and also played in the NY Met League. They had an older brother who might have been better than they were who played in that league too but I don't think he played pro. I have an old 1971-72 New York Rangers yearbook and it devoted a page or two to the NY Met League. Emile Francis was very involved in getting that league up and running and a couple others who played in that league and the NHL would be Richie Hansen and Chris Ahrens and I'm not sure but maybe Jim Pavese. Richie Hansen had a brother Max who also played pro.

Nieves is from Baldwinsville--a suburb of Syracuse. Kane, Stempniak, Marchant and Clendening all out of the Buffalo area and Callahan more or less from Rochester. Shattenkirk and Bitetto kind of relate as NYC area players. Fortescue is pretty close too.
Crap how could I forget Jim Pavese. Guys my age that played at Superior Ice Rink wanted to emulate Jim from Kings Park. I was so excited when the Rangers got him!
 
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eco's bones

Registered User
Jul 21, 2005
26,207
12,707
Elmira NY
Crap how could I forget Jim Pavese. Guys my age that played at Superior Ice Rink wanted to emulate Jim from Kings Park. I was so excited when the Rangers got him!

That guy was seriously tough too. I was just looking at him 328 NHL games---14 with the Rangers. Like Fotiu he could really fight.....maybe not quite as well as Nick but he was no joke to mess with.

I kind of forgot about Mathieu Schneider and Fox is fairly nearby though kind of in Islanders country.

Joe and Brian Mullen's older brother was Tom who played for American International college and a bit of pro afterwards. A few games in the AHL.
 
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NickyFotiu

NYR 2024 Cup Champs!
Sep 29, 2011
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That guy was seriously tough too. I was just looking at him 328 NHL games---14 with the Rangers. Like Fotiu he could really fight.....maybe not quite as well as Nick but he was no joke to mess with.

I kind of forgot about Mathieu Schneider and Fox is fairly nearby though kind of in Islanders country.
Jim could throw but was a really good guy. He moved back to Kings Park and owned a local bar. I remember reading the few newspaper clippings on the Superior Ice Rink bulletin board. We were proud to have one our rinks guys make the NHL. It was kind of like if he could make it maybe one of us could as well. He played at St. Anthony's who used to kick our butts. 😊
 
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eco's bones

Registered User
Jul 21, 2005
26,207
12,707
Elmira NY
Jim could throw but was a really good guy. He moved back to Kings Park and owned a local bar. I remember reading the few newspaper clippings on the Superior Ice Rink bulletin board. We were proud to have one our rinks guys make the NHL. It was kind of like if he could make it maybe one of us could as well. He played at St. Anthony's who used to kick our butts. 😊

I was born and raised upstate so I don't have any kind of stories like that. I will say that when I started I immersed myself in the sport and back in the 70's and early 80's there weren't a lot of American players. American players didn't really make a great impact until after the 1980 Olympics which the United States won which is pretty much when some of these NYC area players started breaking in or getting looks. None of them played for that Olympic team though. I knew who all the American players were back then wherever they came from. At first it wasn't hard because there weren't very many.
 
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NickyFotiu

NYR 2024 Cup Champs!
Sep 29, 2011
14,849
6,687
I was born and raised upstate so I don't have any kind of stories like that. I will say that when I started I immersed myself in the sport and back in the 70's and early 80's there weren't a lot of American players. American players didn't really make a great impact until after the 1980 Olympics which the United States won which is pretty much when some of these NYC area players started breaking in or getting looks. None of them played for that Olympic team though. I knew who all the American players were back then wherever they came from. At first it wasn't hard because there weren't very many.
I totally understand. Being a kid in NY Nicky, Jim, and Joey Mullen were the guys we really looked at as guys from NY that made it. Guys from NY weren't expected to be in the NHL. Nicky was a 4th line fighter. Jimmy was a 3rd pairing Dman. Joey Mullen was really the first NY quality player in my time. I used to enjoy hearing how Joey and Brian played on roller skates (before roller blades) because there wasn't ice.
 

DrandonBudinsky

Black & Blueshirts
Mar 15, 2022
112
114
SadisonSquareGarden
I have someone who was on the fringe, but I think some here have deemed the subject “the draft year pick who shall not be mentioned”
Hugh Jessiman was born in NYC, grew up in Connecticut.
Spent the majority of his NYR career in HFD. Never played in a regular season game for the Rangers, but suited up here and there.
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NickyFotiu

NYR 2024 Cup Champs!
Sep 29, 2011
14,849
6,687
I was wrong about them. When we were all young people said they would make the NHL. I had my doubts because in the few times I played with them they seemed kind of spoiled. I realized to make the NHL would take a tremendous amount of work. One insisted on taking my jersey (number 17) from me. Maybe that tilted my opinion of their chances. Either way they proved me wrong.
 
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DrandonBudinsky

Black & Blueshirts
Mar 15, 2022
112
114
SadisonSquareGarden
Another upstater (Buffalo area) Chris Mueller spent a few games up with the Rangers early in the 2014-2015 season when Stepan went on IR. Notable since J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast were sent down to Hartford Wolf Pack that same day Mueller was called up.😳 I just remember the Mueller for Miller blog posts.

Mueller being called up also meant Marty St Louis could go back to right wing. Crazy to me that this was already 10 years ago. Time flies.

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