NEW YORK – It’s seems like just yesterday a young Brian Leetch took to the Garden ice for the first time to chants of “USA!”

And although, Team USA finished a dismal seventh during the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, the Rangers 1986 first round pick entered the arena like he won gold.

“Right after the puck dropped, Chris Nilan gets into a fight,” said Leetch, who spoke with the media from Rockefeller Center before he participated in charity skate with other Ranger greats. “As they proceeded towards the blue line, I started laughing thinking, ‘Jeez, I’m in the NHL.’”

That was Feb. 29, 1988 and almost 20 years later, the blonde defender will be remembered as the greatest Ranger defenseman of all-time, when his No. 2 goes up the rafters tonight at the Garden.

“I was able to sit down and get some rough outlines to try and gather my thoughts," he said. "I had an idea of what I want to say, like I do now. It's just, 'Can I get it out the way I want to, say the thank yous the way I want to?'

“I thought it was going to be more nervous anticipation building up to it, something that I was looking forward to getting over with. But I got such a positive reaction from all my friends, people I run into - Ranger fans - about how they're looking forward to it. That gets me excited. I'm excited for the night, I'm excited for everyone to have a good time. I just don't want to mess it up.”

If he goes through the ceremony anyway like he defended the Garden blue line, then he will have no problem. During his 17 year career, Leetch amassed 741 assists, most by any Ranger in history. He holds the record for most points by a defenseman [981], most goals from the back line [240] and trailed only Harry Howell by 31 contests for most games played. Add to that two Norris Trophies, the Calder and Conn Smythe and it’s easy to see the honor is well deserved.

But as his teammates attested, he was more than pure numbers. No. 2 meant professionalism on every level. Leetch played hard every night and had the ability to raise his game no matter situation.

“People talk about his rushes, his goals, assists and all the records,” said Adam Graves, Leetch’s teammate from 1991-2001. “What they don't talk about is his throwing a hip check coming down the boards or battling in the corner or blocking shots with his ankles, blocking shots fearlessly. He wasn't just a power-play guy, he was our best penalty killer, he could generate offense, play defense, he could do it all.”

Don’t forget thinking man’s player. Leetch may have been one of the smartest hockey players on and off the ice, which is something goalie Mike Richter knew very well.

“Brian was a guy, I would just shake my head,” said Richter, who used to carpool with Leetch . “He knew where he was gonna park and why – ‘Thursday's delivery day, so you have to park over on the side.’ I'm just happy to have pants on going to practice, and he knows where he's going to park and why.

“And that's the way he was on the ice. He really knew what he could do, what he couldn't do, and anticipated so well. Nobody can prepare themselves for the kind of night like he's going to have tomorrow. But it's really important, particularly for a guy like Brian, who's publicly acknowledged for all that he brought to this organization, to this city, and even honestly to this game - one of the best who's ever put on skates at his position.

“He deserves every bit of credit he gets for a career that is remarkable. I certainly benefitted a lot from his skill. He was out there covering my ass an awful lot. Only half of my jersey would be going up there if it wasn't for that guy.”

It was his continued greatness that made it so hard to say goodbye back in 2004 when Glen Sather traded him in a pre-lockout fire sale. Sather gave Leetch some assurances he would remain with the club, but got an icy call on his 36th birthday.

“That's the one part that hurts,” Leetch said. “There's much better players than me who've been traded. I had no real qualms about being traded. I was just disappointed in the way it went down, the feelings I had about being a Ranger. Yeah, it bothers me, I think it always will, but it doesn't change what tonight means.”

And it kept him away from the organization. Even though, Tom Renney gave him an impassioned call before the 2006-07 season, trying to get Leetch to return, the defenseman chose to sit out and ultimately end his career, rather than play with dimishing skills.

“It was up to me whether I wanted to end my career in New York,” he said, “and I just decided at the time that that was enough.”

The Garden would have never booed him, even if Leetch’s play tailed off, but the smart professional defenseman decided to retire, in the same way he played.

A winner in everyone’s eyes.

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