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January 9 in NYR history: Farewell to Espo

Phil Esposito #77 of the New York Rangers . (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

The New York Rangers said good-bye to one of the greatest scorers in NHL history

What happened on January 9 in the history of the New York Rangers

On this date in 1981, Phil Esposito played his last NHL game, retiring as the second greatest scorer in NHL history. The game itself, a 3-3 tie with the Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden was a humdrum affair, but every time Esposito touched the puck, he drew cheers from the crowd of 17,407 fans.