Rangers Hall-of-Famer Andy Bathgate dead at 83

From the New York Post.

Andy Bathgate in 1961 (AP)

Andy Bathgate, a Hockey Hall of Famer and Rangers legend, died on Friday. He was 83.

Bathgate’s career in New York began in 1952 and finished in 1964, a span in which he became one of the more popular hockey players in the city and one of the stars in the league.

The Winnipeg native was the Hart Trophy winner for the 1958-59 season, in which he racked up 40 goals and 48 assists. In 1,069 NHL games with the Rangers, Maple Leafs, Red Wings, Penguins and Canucks, Bathgate totaled 349 goals and 973 points.

He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1978, and the Rangers retired his No. 9 in 2009. That same No. 9 had been hoisted to the rafters a few weeks earlier, as the Rangers also honored Adam Graves, who shared his number.

Graves introduced Bathgate that night, saying, “It is my honor to introduce the greatest player to ever wear No. 9 for the New York Rangers.”