Every once in a while I have a guest writer pop into the Birdcage and they take it for whirl. Today is just one of those times. Chris asked that this appear before the season starts....as a reminder of what has happened up until now.

----}- Bird

Sather's Show: 3 Years In Chronological Quotes

"We said we'd look for someone with a track record of success, someone that had a connection with the Rangers and that is what we have found."

-Dave Checketts, MSG Prez, at June 1 2000 press conference, which named Sather as GM and Ranger Prez.

"I haven't had the chance to get into why the personnel didn't perform up to expectations, I'm going to do that, just give me about 10 minutes."

-Glen Sather, at that same June 1 2000 press conference

"It's not acceptable for this team not to make the playoffs"

-Glen Sather, at the July 12 2000 press conference announcing Ron Low as the team's new head coach.

"I may leave with a blindfold on -- just make sure you give me a smoke."

-Ron Low, at that same July 12 2000 press conference.

"I'll guarantee you we'll make the playoffs."

-Mark Messier, at the July 13 2000 press conference announcing his return via a 2-year, $10+ million deal.

"We still have a long way to go to beat the best teams in the division and certainly in the conference. We are a better team than we were at the start of training camp."

-Mark Messier following the Rangers 7-6 home ice victory against Los Angeles on November 28 2000. The win put the Rangers at 13-11, the last time they would be 2 games over .500 for the entire season.

"We're as bad as we can be."

-Ron Low following 4-1 defeat at Boston on January 13 2001, which was their 8th straight and put them at 16-24-1.

"I'd say you're looking at a hockey club that's gone about as low as it can possibly get."

-Ron Low following 7-2 defeat at home against Atlanta, who had won its last game on December 28 (against the Rangers, I attended!), on January 29 2001. It dropped the Rangers to 20-28-3-1.

"We've lost two of the star players of this hockey club in the last 10 days. It's certainly not something that's insurmountable. The first step is to believe that you can win and go on the ice and perform the way we can."

- Glen Sather following the announcement that the team's leading scorer and All-Star Theo Fleury will miss the remainder of the season after voluntarily entering the NHL's Substance Abuse Program.

"Obviously we're a team that's struggled, not in the playoff hunt if we're
going to be at all honest."

-Rangers captain Mark Messier following the Rangers 5-2 home ice defeat against the rival Islanders on March 5 2001. The loss dropped the Rangers to
26-35-4-1, 12 points out of the final playoff spot.

"Quitting is not acceptable, you have to have a certain feeling of pride in
being a New York Ranger. I don't know if there's enough of it there."

-Ron Low following the Rangers 4-0 home ice defeat against Detroit on March 24 2001. The loss officially eliminated the Rangers from playoff contention for the 4th straight season.

"It's time that the franchise start growing again, it's been a tough four
years."

-Mark Messier following the Rangers 3-1 home ice defeat against Carolina on April 4 2001. It was the Rangers final home game of the 2000-2001 season.

"Losing Richy when we did was devastating to our club, and then Theo a week after that. So did we underachieve? Yeah, I think we did. Is there a reason
for some of it? Yeah, there's definitely a reason."

-Ron Low following the Rangers 3-0 loss at Florida on April 7 2001 to end the 2000-2001 season.

"Dan Blackburn grew up in Alberta and I've known about him for a long time. I've watched his progress and development and we're excited to add him to the organization. He's a great goaltender. We had him rated as the top goaltender in the draft and we're excited to have him in New York."

-Glen Sather, after the Rangers choose Kootenay Ice (WHL) Goalie Dan
Blackburn with the 10th Overall Pick in the 2001 NHL Draft.

"I just want to make sure that these are the kind of guys that we were going to get. I've talked a lot about Karpa with other people, and I know that both of them wanted to come here. So I was very happy to get both of them."

-Sather, in an interview in July 2001 a few days after signing defensemen Igor Ulanov and Dave Karpa.

"Today is a great day for hockey fans in New York City. Adding Eric Lindros to the hockey team is a tremendous step to getting back to respectability. The last four years have been pretty miserable around here."

-Mark Messier, at the August 20 2001 press conference announcing the acquisition of center Eric Lindros from Philadelphia.

"You know he turned down that [insurance money] in two seconds, so he could come back and play. That's how much he loves the game.

-Penguins (now Rangers as of May 2003) forward Dan LaCouture, talking about the decision of defenseman and childhood friend Bryan Berard to return to the NHL with the Rangers following a life-threatening eye injury on March 11 2000. He refers to Berard having $6.5 million of insurance money to himself had he decided not to play again, as it takes a special contact lens for Berard to play at minimum requirement NHL vision (20/400).

"That was no way to begin a game. I don't know if we were ready to play. They sure came out ready to play."

-Mark Messier, on the Rangers slow start in their opening night 3-1 loss at Carolina on October 5 2001. Carolina scored 28 seconds in.

"It was a little disconcerting getting down those goals early on. But I thought the rest of the game I battled back pretty good. I was happy with my effort overall."

-Goalie Dan Blackburn, who, at 18 years old, made his first NHL start in a 5-2 loss VS Washington on October 10 2001. Blackburn faced 42 shots overall and 5 first period power plays, which resulted in 3 Washington goals.

"I thought our hockey club played with a lot more bite than we have. It's a good sign. We're getting chances."

-Ron Low, following the Rangers 3-2 loss at Carolina on Novemeber 2 2001. He was right, to a certain extent.

"Underdogs? Really? There are a lot of great players in our room. Great old players. Smart old players."

-Theo Fleury, on the Rangers 6-2 victory at Uniondale against the Islanders on November 8 2001. Up to that point, the Isles were 11-2-1-1 and 10-0 against the Eastern conference.

"I think everybody wanted to win for all the right reasons, but particularly for Eric. He went through a lot last year and there was so much said in the paper. I think he handled himself with a ton of class and he's been nothing but a great teammate.

-Mike Richter, on Eric Lindros facing his former team in Philadelphia on November 14 2001. The Rangers won the home game 4-2, as Lindros scored the opening goal. They upped their record to 12-7-1-1, an Atlantic Division best.

"Tonight was a big game. Obviously, the Stanley Cup champs were in town and we were facing a guy who hasn't been scored upon in three games. We really talked about getting something early."

-Ron Low, following the Rangers 5-2 thrashing of the defending Stanley Cup Champions Colorado Avalanche on November 20 2001 in New York. The Rangers went to 14-7-1-1, their best winning percentage in 4 years.

"I think everybody is pretty happy. It's fine getting shutouts, but the crucial thing is to get the points and we can keep a good thing going."

-Mike Richter on the Rangers 1-0 home win over Tampa Bay on December 2 2001. The Rangers improved to 17-9-2-1, and were the #1 team in the Eastern
Conference.

"I'm very excited to be coming here. It's my first chance to play in a big market where hockey is No. 1. That makes me really excited to come to a place where hockey is in the forefront. It's a pressure situation and I'll throw both feet in. It should be a lot of fun."

-Matthew Barnaby, acquired by the Rangers on December 12 2001 from Tampa Bay for struggling winger Zdeno Ciger.

"It's happened before. It's not nearly as bad as I thought it was. Everybody knows their own body."

-Eric Lindros, who sprained his right knee late in the 2nd period of a 4-2 home loss to Nashville on December 12 2001. The Rangers dropped to 17-13-2-2, and it was a foreshadowing of sorts in regards to Lindros.

"Things just didn't feel right and look right. The more we talked about it, it seemed like the smartest thing to do. I feel much better now than I did an hour ago."

-Lindros, who after delivering a 1st period check to Sharks winger Matt Bradley on December 28 2001, promptly left the ice. His history of concussions put a damper on a 5-3 Ranger victory at San Jose. The win put the Rangers atop the East again at 21-14-3-2.

"He's a warrior out there. When he gets banged up, he comes back even harder. It's a symbol for everybody else to say, `Hey, go hard,' It's great having him back because it just brings everybody else up to a different level."

-Ranger winger Steve McKenna on Captain Mark Messier, who returned from a shoulder strain to assist on Manny Malhotra's game winner in Los Angeles on December 29 2001. With the win, the Rangers increased their Eastern Conference lead with 49 points and a 22-14-3-2 record. Times, they change.

"They're all big right now, let's not kid ourselves."

-Eric Lindros, following the Rangers 6-4 ass-kicking in New Jersey on January 17 2002. The Rangers had not won a game in the fiscal year, falling to 22-21-4-3, and dropping them into the bottom 2 playoff spots in the East.

"I was pretty confident on that breakaway. I didn't hesitate. I just went in and picked my spot."

-Theo Fleury, describing his game winning breakaway goal that capped a 5-4 win against the Islanders on January 22 2002. The Rangers came back from a 4-1 deficit to win and move their record to 23-21-4-3.

"We had some chances in an open net and we didn't put it in. There was a real sense of frustration on the bench, epitomized by Leetch's crossbar. But you've got to keep generating chances. Something's bound to go in."

-Ron Low, talking about the Rangers goal scoring problems in a 3-1 loss at Ottawa on February 28 2002. The loss put Ottawa 12 points ahead of the Rangers for the 4th seed in the East playoffs, and knocked the Rangers to 27-27-4-3.

"It's no different than at any other time of the year, except we're running out of games. The games are becoming more and more important."

-Brian Leetch, after the Rangers 3-1 loss in New Jersey on March 16 2002. For the first time in over 5 months, the Rangers had a losing record of 30-31-4-4.

"Well, it should do an awful lot for us in almost every position because it makes everybody better. The team is more mobile, we're quicker, you've got better goal scoring. I mean, this guy is a world-class player. He's one of the top four or five guys in the NHL today. He's going to make our team go."

-Glen Sather at a March 18 2002 conference call, discussing the acquisition of All-Star RW Pavel Bure from Florida.

"He is a very effective guy. He moves well laterally. He can make the first move around people and skate the puck out. You'll see when you see him. He is the kind of guy who can carry and handle the puck. I think he will be one of the top players in the league. He is certainly capable. He's young, he's 24-years old."

-Sather, during a March 20 2002 press conference on the move that brought defenseman Tom Poti from Edmonton for popular RW Mike York.

"That's a team we should beat. It's disappointing right now. We were excited coming into this game."

-Brian Leetch on the Rangers 5-2 loss to cellar-dwelling Atlanta at home on March 22 2002. The Rangers dropped to 31-34-4-4, 3 points out of the 8th and
final playoff spot in the East behind Montreal.

"It's surprising, just stunning, because I felt better in terms of the hit itself and I even skated today," Richter said. "I didn't take pucks, just because the risk is you don't want to put yourself in that position to get hit again. It's still hard to believe. I've been hit many times and I've never had anything like this happen."

-Mike Richter in an interview on March 26 2002, discussion the diagnosis of a bone fracture in his skull. Richter was hit in the head twice with pucks in the March 22 2002 loss to Atlanta.

"It hurts, period. We did what we could at the end but it was too little, too late. Our goal of making the playoffs is kaput. Montreal is a good team."

-Eric Lindros, talking about the Rangers being eliminated from playoff contention after a 3-2 win at home against Pittsburgh on April 8 2002. The Rangers improved back to .500 at 36-36-4-4, with this being their 5th straight win.

"The biggest thing is that the last half of the season was terrible. We didn't defend well and we didn't score enough goals when we were down."

-Ron Low, after the Rangers season-finale, a 2-1 loss at Philadelphia on April 13 2002. The Rangers finished with a 36-38-4-4 record, winning only 15 out of their last 42.

"I don't think it's just the coach's responsibility in a situation like this. We all share equally in this. But in every situation, someone ends up taking the blame and it's generally the coach. It's unfortunate, but it's the way it has to be."

-Glen Sather, talking about the firing of Ron Low on April 15 2002.

"This is somewhat familiar territory for me. I wasn't always friendly territory but it was always respected territory."

-Bryan Trottier, who was hired as the Rangers new head coach on June 6 2002. Trottier was a Hall of Fame center and 4 time Stanley Cup Champion (6 times overall, plus 1 more as a coach) with the hated Islanders.

"We are pleased to add a player of Bobby Holik's caliber to our roster. He is one of the league's premiere two-way centermen, combining superlative size and passion for the game with an intense desire to win and excellent leadership qualities."

-Glen Sather in a July 1 2002 interview about his prized Free Agent signing, C Bobby Holik of the cross-river rival New Jersey Devils. Holik accepted a 5 year, $45 million contract, which was about the same money being offered by New Jersey and Toronto.

"One of our goals this off-season was to strengthen our team defense and toughness and the signing of Darius Kasparaitis accomplishes that goal. He is one of the most competitive players in the National Hockey League and we look forward to adding his fiery style of play to our hockey club."

-Glen Sather in a July 2 2002 interview, this time talking about the signing of D Darius Kasparaitis from Colorado. Kasparaitis was given a 6 year, $24 million deal.

"Mike Richter is synonymous with the tradition and class of this organization and we are excited to have him remain in a Rangers sweater. He is among the elite goaltenders in the league and has been a cornerstone of this franchise for several years."

-Glen Sather, on the July 4 2002 resigning of Mike Richter. Richter, who ended the season with a fractured skull, signed a 2 year, $12 million contract.

"Every player in team professional sports must find a niche where he can best help the club. I still have to find a way to help to help the team the best way possible. Going in, I'm going to have to earn my ice time. I'll be happy with any position that I'm put in. I've always believed that personal sacrifices must be made for the best of the team."

-Mark Messier during a September 12 2002 press conference on his return to the team for his 24th NHL season.

"We have a chance this year to control our own destiny. So, through training camp we worked hard on detail. I think it showed tonight. This was one of the best games we've played as a team in a long time. For the first game of the year that was an unbelievable pace.''

-Mark Messier, after the Rangers opening night win on October 9 2002 at Carolina. Messier scored twice in the 4-1 win. It was the first and only time the Rangers.nah, I'll let you read on, it's better that way.

"It's professionalism. We make no excuses. It was an extremely disappointing start to say the least. More disappointing was the reaction shortly after the start. That's where your leadership kicks in, and you have to get ugly.''

-Bryan Trottier, describing the 4 goal first period deficit the Rangers fell in on October 12 2002, in a 6-0 loss at Pittsburgh. The loss put them at 1-2-0-0.

"We got soundly beat. There's no beating around the bush there. We got it handed to us tonight pretty good. I think it was a little bit of an eye-opener for everybody.''

-Mark Messier on the Rangers 6-2 home loss to Los Angeles on October 25 2002. The Rangers dropped to 2-5-2-0, including a 0-3-1-0 mark in their first home stand of the year.

"We lost, we deserved to lose, that's the bad news. The good news is I think we have an excellent team and I have faith that we'll come back, play the way we're capable and get the wins that'll come from playing that way.''

-Mike Richter, on the same game Messier described on October 25 2002. Talk about your mixed messages, even off the ice this team isn't on the same page. Richter was pulled for Dan Blackburn 11:08 into the 1st period after giving up 3 goals.

''What's happened in the past happened and now we just look forward. We have a win and we have to make it two in a row and hope to be in a position to make it three.''

-Eric Lindros after the Rangers 5-2 home win over Edmonton on November 5 2002. The Rangers improved to 5-8-2-0.

"I don't know what to say. It's hard to tell you what it feels like. I've played with banged-up elbows, knees, wrists, always things that, when you play, adrenaline takes care of them. This thing is restricting me from even going through two practices in a row."

-Bobby Holik during a November 15 2002 interview on his left hip injury that had been nagging since October 26 2002. Holik, the Rangers $45 million off-season acquistion, didn't play a regular schedule until mid-December.

"There are very few players that can score that goal."

-Mark Messier on Pavel Bure's game winning OT goal on November 19 2002 against Anaheim at MSG. The 3-2 win put the Rangers at 9-10-2-0, and came in spectacular fashion, as Bure got the winner by streaking down the right side, beating three Ducks as he cut to the net, and scoring with a backhand-to-forehand move.

"The tendon that runs over the plate and screws that I have in my ankle just got hit right on that. So putting weight on it and moving my foot right now is really sore but there isn't a break. It's not a broken bone so I'll just take an anti-inflammatory and see how it feels from day-to-day.''

-Brian Leetch on his left foot injury that forced him to leave in the 2nd period of a Ranger 5-3 win at Columbus on December 3 2002. The win, which put the Rangers at .500 with a 12-12-4-0 was overshadowed by the fact that Leetch was wrong. There WAS a break, and Leetch didn't play again until mid-February. Death-Blow #1.

" knew something was wrong with my knee right away as soon as I went down.
I'll have to see what the doctors think it is exactly."

-Pavel Bure, during a December 8 2002 interview on his left knee injury. The Grade 1 sprain of the MCL of his left knee led to surgery. Death-Blow #2, as
Bure was the Rangers best forward and didn't play again until mid-February. As of right now, Bure is contemplating retirement prior to the 2003-2004 season.

"I anticipated getting better from the moment I got hit. I didn't even expect to miss a practice. I really love this game. Right now I've been advised that I can't play and they won't let me. That's very difficult to accept at this time."

-Mike Richter, talking to the media on December 12 2002, after it was announced that Richter would miss the remainder of the season with a concussion relapse that was triggered in the 5-2 win over Edmonton of November 5 2002. Deathblow #3, as it looks like Richter will never play again.

"Well, I certainly don't expect our team to fall apart. We have a good team but have been hit with an awful lot of injuries so far this year. Sooner or later, our luck is bound to turn around and I think this is the first step for the turnaround."

-Glen Sather in a December 13 2002 press conference discussing the acquisition of Nashville goaltender Mike Dunham.

"If you're losing by one goal, you're not good enough."

-Matthew Barnaby on the Rangers 3-2 loss at Detroit on December 21 2002. It was the Rangers' 6th loss in their last 8, and dropped them to an overall 13-18-4-1.

"It's not going to mean much if we don't repeat it. It was a very good effort, no doubt about it. ... (But) until we can put a string of games like this together, we're still going to be struggling.''

-Bobby Holik after the Rangers 2-0 win at Carolina on December 31 2002. Holik, for better or worse, was clearly the Rangers most outspoken player as the season wore on. This win put the Rangers at 15-20-5-1.

"Petr came to play.''

-Bryan Trottier following the Rangers 5-1 home victory over Toronto on January 13 2003. Nedved, who had a hat trick, bounced back for a great season in 02-03 after being booed mercilessly at the end of the previous season.

"Put that one in the memory bank. I thought all the guys were really concentrating and focused. Most important, we're really digging deep for the big effort.''

-Bryan Trottier talking about the Rangers 3-2 OT triumph over Washington on January 15 2003. The Rangers improved to 19-22-6-1 on the year.

"We wanted to win for Bryan coming back here and we wanted to win for
ourselves and the two points.We played a really solid game.''

-Mike Dunham, who was clearly the Rangers best player after being acquired, on the Rangers 5-0 thrashing of the Islanders in Uniondale on January 21 2003. It put the Rangers at 20-23-6-1. Clearly, they didn't want to do much more for Trottier.

"We were looking at getting ourselves at .500 around the All-Star break and put ourselves in good position and push towards the playoffs."

-Mark Messier on the Rangers 5-2 loss at Atlanta on January 28 2003. The loss put the Rangers record at 21-26-6-1, last place in the 5 team Atlantic Division.

"After the last three games, we made the decision that the team is sliding in the wrong way. I just felt that I had to do something and had to do it quickly if we were going to salvage the season."

-Glen Sather during a January 29 2003 conference call announcing the firing of rookie coach Bryan Trottier. Trottier coached just 54 games before being relieved.

"The main reason for this decision - I'm responsible for this organization. I want them to be accountable to me. We've got to win and I think we can win. The accountability has to be there, though, and the discipline has to be there as well."

-Glen Sather after announcing on January 30 2003 that he will coach as well as continue to general manage the Rangers. Sather, who won 4 Stanley Cups in the 80's with Edmonton, became the 31st coach in team history.

"We're trying to keep it enthusiastic and upbeat and positive. We've got a long way to go yet. There's nobody walking away with the eighth (playoff) spot. We just have to put some wins together."

-Glen Sather after the Rangers 2-1 loss at Philadelphia on February 8 2003. Sather's record in 4 games as Ranger coach was 0-3-1-0, and he was desperate to make a big move, as the loss dropped the Rangers to 21-28-7-2.

"He's excited to come back (to New York). It means a lot for us to get him back. He was just the right fit. I thought he was a great player then (in his first stint with the Rangers). He shoots the puck a lot more now. He does a lot of things at a high level. We're going to use him a lot and hopefully he'll be very productive."

-Glen Sather at a conference call, again, this time on that aforementioned desperate big move, as he traded for former Rangers RW Alexei Kovalev on February 10 2003. Kovalev was with the Rangers during their Stanley Cup win in 1994 and was one of the league's best players after being traded to Pittsburgh for Petr Nedved in 1999.

"You can't have a better day than today. I know I have a lot of people and fans that love me here and love the way I play."

-Alexei Kovalev, after scoring the game-winning, and only, goal in the Rangers 1-0 home win over Pittsburgh on February 14 2003. The game was Kovalev's return to New York, and his winner put the Rangers at 23-28-7-2.

''We can do it. I mean, we've put ourselves in a position where we have to bite a lot -- but we can chew it.''

-Eric Lindros on the Rangers playoff chances after a 6-2 win at Anaheim (who the Rangers were undefeated against on the season. Anaheim went on to play for the Stanley Cup, losing in 7 games to New Jersey) on February 21 2003. The win put the Rangers at 25-30-7-2.

''The next game is the biggest game of the year and that's the way it's going to be for the rest of the year."

-Mark Messier after the Rangers 5-1 home win against Philadelphia on March 7 2003. It was a cap on a 5 game unbeaten streak that put the Rangers back in playoff contention at 28-31-9-2.

"You can't shake things up too much, but I don't think you can pass on these kinds of guys. I think we got one of the best forwards out there today. Maybe the best forward. We'll see how it works out."

-Glen Sather during a March 11 2003 press conference where he announced the acquisition of All-Star RW Anson Carter from Edmonton.

"I guess the easy thing to say was that it wasn't a good effort. A lot of that has to do with the Devils. They played a solid defensive game, but some of it has to do with us. We're not without criticism."

-Mark Messier on the Rangers 3-1 loss at New Jersey on March 15 2003. The loss clinched a playoff berth for New Jersey and put the Rangers losing streak at 3 straight, hurting their chances at a playoff spot and dropping their record to 28-33-9-3.

''I got a little bit lucky, no question about it. If we wouldn't have gotten two points this afternoon, I think our playoff chances would have slowly disappeared. We knew before the game that we pretty much need to win every
game for the rest of the season.''

-Petr Nedved, who scored the game winning goal at Philadelphia on March 22 2003. The 3-2 win came after starting goalie Mike Dunham was hurt and replaced by Dan Blackburn, who had not played in over a month. The win put the Rangers within a few points of the 8th playoff spot in the East, and put their record at 31-33-9-3.

"This is the National Hockey League. Nobody is going to come out and give you two points because they're out of the playoffs.''

-Anson Carter after the Rangers 3-1 home loss to Pittsburgh on March 24 2003. Pittsburgh came into the game winless in their last 16 (0-14-2-0), and put the Rangers 6 points behind the Islanders for the final playoff spot in the East.

''It's not like we were playing great and all of a sudden we're out of the layoffs. We all have to look in the mirror.''

-Bobby Holik after the Rangers 2-1 loss at home to New Jersey on April 4 2003. The loss dropped the Rangers to 32-35-10-4, and sealed their fate as losers and playoff watchers for the 6th straight season.

"Starting tomorrow, I want to be better. This (not making the playoffs) is something that I can't live with. As a hockey player, I don't have a good feeling right now."

-Bobby Holik during a April 6 2003 interview discussing the end of the season. The Rangers finished with a 5-4 loss at Montreal, ending with a 32-36-10-4 record.

"Nobody said it was going to be easy. It's a difficult road. I thought this year, we were going to make it and it's disappointing."

-Glen Sather, April 6 2003.

Chris Hoyler

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