It was the summer of 1997 and over the Rangers fax machine an image of a middle finger came through. The message was a direct F.U. for trying to sign the Colorado Avalanche’s biggest star, Joe Sakic to a RFA offer sheet.
Moving On From Messier
The Rangers just completed a fairly successful season, losing in the Eastern Conference Final to the Philadelphia Flyers. It was a magical run, especially when you consider Neil Smith signed Wayne Gretzky the summer before and reunited him with Mark Messier.
Yet the Rangers inexplicably decided they would try to nickel and dime the man that brought them a Stanley Cup for the first time in 54 years.