Oxygen Tanks At The Ready: The Clinic Dissects the 2011 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game

Before the current lineups of the Rangers and Flyers take the ice for the 2011 NHL Winter Classic, both teams gathered up an illustrious list of alumni from their pasts, and had them take the ice to battle it out for the entertainment of the fans in a celebration of the sport itself. In an age of hockey where the youth is catered to, and a players age is an hour glass on how long the player has for greatness, the ageless players are a dying breed. We are blessed to be able to watch the wonders of Teemu Selanne and Niklas Lidstrom continue to blaze the trails of the NHL, but the Alumni game is something special.

Tonight, the Rangers Alumni team lost to the Flyers Alumni team to the score to 3-1, but the view of seeing all of these players back playing the game they've grown up loving once again after retiring is a memorable sight. So many highlights took place tonight. For us Rangers fans, it was the return of legends like Mark Messier and Brian Leetch who lead the franchise to end a 54 year drought and the Rangers' fourth Stanley Cup in 1994. For me, this was especially significant. I'm 19 years old, and was two when the Cup came to New York. I never got the chance to watch and appreciate the play of Messier, Leetch and Graves, so to see the men who lifted the Rangers in 1994 to win the Stanley Cup meant a lot to me.



Same can be said for the goaltending for the Rangers. John Vanbiesbrouck, who guarded the pipes for the Rangers through the 1980's and played in the Stanley Cup Finals with the Florida Panthers, started the game for the Rangers. Seeing him sprawl to make the saves and then here him on the microphone in his helmet exclaim to the announcers "I'm trying here!" trying to make saves was just phenomenal. Another story was backup Dan Blackburn who took over from the second period on for the Rangers. Dan Blackburn came up for the Rangers in 2001 as an 18-year-old, but was forced to retire in 2003 from nerve damage in his shoulder. It was amazing seeing this kid amongst grown men playing as if he was in a tryout for the NHL.

Goaltending on both teams was spectacular. Mark LaForest, Neil Little, and of course, Bernie Parent for the Flyers held the Rangers to just one goal. Some great saves were made by all, but none will be more remembered than Bernie Parents save on Ron Duguay on a breakaway. Parent, the oldest player on the ice at 66, only played five minutes, but he made his impact, and left the ice under a shower of cheers from the Philly crowd.

Some may argue that the Alumni game is a boring sideshow from the real event of the Winter Classic, but for younger fans like me, it is a glimpse into the past. Seeing all of the legends for both of these franchises makes me appreciate the history of what this great game has given us. Keep posted for updates on the Winter Classic all this weekend!