Should the Rangers Retire Gretzky's Jersey?

In his column over at HockeyBuzz, Darren Pang, writes about Wayne Gretzky's first return to MSG since his last NHL game on April 18, 1999 and thinks that the Rangers will eventually retire his jersey...

"His jersey has been retired by every NHL team. The NHL retired his jersey in NY, but Gretz was not there. He could not be there for the jersey retirement of Mike Richter, nor his good friend, Mark Messier as he was coaching the Coyotes.

I would think that the Rangers will eventually retire his jersey, why wouldn't they?"

...I actually don't think that the Rangers should retire his jersey. His jersey has been retired throughout the league and that should be it. While it was great to watch Gretzky wearing the Ranger Blue and no Ranger fan will ever forget his natural hat trick against Florida in 1997 playoffs, I don't feel that he deserves to have the Rangers retire his jersey.

...Pang has a great description of Gretzky's love for playing on the New York rangers...

"He also loved every minute of his time with the Rangers. He turned down a very lucrative, long term deal from the St. Louis Blues and signed a 1 year deal with the Rangers for far less. he then signed for a few more years. He has long said that every athlete should have a chance to play on the World's greatest stage, especially late in their career. It reinvigorates your drive and your passion for the game."

...looks like Shanahan was listening.