This wasn’t the same thing.  Still, the result was the same and, to Ranger fans, that’s all that matters.

The news that Brian Leetch, an unrestricted free agent, signed a one-year deal with the Boston Bruins was not much of a surprise.  One unnamed source thought that the future Hall-of-Fame defenseman would return to the metropolitan area, but either with the New Jersey Devils or New York Islanders.

The reason, when considered, was academic. Leetch’s wife, Mary Beth, is originally from Queens, NY and is reported to have family ties there.

But Leetch was never expected to return to the Rangers.  At least, as long as Glen Sather remained in charge of the operation.

So, instead, he is off to Boston. The 37-year-old backliner –raised in Connecticut and educated at Boston College- signed a one-year, $4 million contract on Wednesday.

He had been traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 3, 2004, in return for Maxim Kondratiev, Jarkko Immonen, Toronto's 2004 first round draft pick [Kris Chucko] and 2005 second round draft pick [Michael Sauer], because the Rangers’ purge of salaries meant more than loyalty.

When Leetch departed, he was second in franchise history with 981 points and the team's all-time leader in assists with 741.  He owns 36 club regular season and playoff records.

In 2003-04, he was 13-23-36 in the last 57 games of his Ranger career; afterward, with the Maple Leafs, he was 2-13-15 in 15 games.

Leetch, was the Rangers' first pick [ninth overall], in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. He was 9-38-47 in 37 games at BC.  The accolades soon followed. Hockey East Player of the Year.  Rookie of the Year.  Hockey East First Team All-Star.  NCAA First All-American Team. 

In 1987-88, he tallied 74 points playing for the U.S. National and Olympic teams, and added six points in the 1988 Olympic Calgary Games.  At their conclusion, he joined the Rangers.

Twice, he has been named an NHL First Team All-Star [1991-92, 1996-97] and a Second Team All-Star [1993-94, 1995-96] and has played in ten NHL All-Star Games.

He is the second-highest active scoring defenseman in the NHL with 996 career points; only Al MacInnis, who has tallied 1,274 points, has more.  Phil Housley, with 1,232 points, is the only U.S.-born defenseman in NHL history with more points.

Leetch had won the Calder Cup [Rookie of the Year] in 1988-89, Norris Trophy [Best Defenseman] in 1991-92 and 1996-97 and Conn Smythe Award [Most Valuable Player in a playoff year] in 1993-94 when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup. He also played on the 1988, 1998 and 2002 U.S. Olympic teams.

The move to Boston doesn’t hurt nearly as much as the trade to Toronto. 

But, in 1975, the hurt may have been deeper.  Then, John Ferguson –the team’s General Manager- shipped Jean Ratelle and Park [along with Joe Zanussi] to Boston for Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais.

Thirteen games into the season.

Although Esposito did have a rebirth in 1979, guiding the Rangers into the Stanley Cup Finals as the center of the Godfather Line [with the two Dons, Maloney and Murdoch, on the wings], the trade was largely considered a disaster.  For the longest time, Espo and the NY fans exchanged a mutual hate for each other; Vadnais, simply, was despised. 

The people who knew hockey best in this town -the men and women of the Garden’s blue seats- quickly made their displeasure known.

Further, Esposito needed his Bruin linemate, Ken Hodge a year later, which led to another awful deal.  As an offshoot to the prior deal, Rick Middleton was sent packing.  And, that just may have been a worse move.

Meanwhile, Ratelle and Park –and later Middleton- flourished in Boston.  Ratelle finished the season with 90 points in the remaining 67 games, Park had 53 points in the 43 he played.  It was clear that both men were still very productive in the middle of their careers. 

What did get lost in the shuffle is that Park actually played 36 more games for Boston than as a Ranger [501-465]; Ratelle –whose No. 19 should also be affixed in the rafters- was a Bruin for a mere 419 of his 1,281 games. 

But, Park also wore No. 2.  So, in theory, the number shouldn’t have even been made available to Leetch.  It should have been retired long ago.  But that isn’t too surprising.  Since the Rangers opened for business in 1926, they’ve only retired three numbers.  Mike Richter’s No. 35 was the first number to be unfurled since 1989.

It is obvious that the No. 2 worn by Leetch will join Richter; whether it is before Mark Messier’s No. 11 is irrelevant. 

Now, there is Leetch in a Bruin uniform.  But, he and that other No. 2, -Brad Park- will always be Rangers first and foremost.

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