March 3, 2004, is a date that both Brian Leetch and fans of the New York Rangers would rather forget. This was the day that general manager Glen Sather did the unthinkable: He traded Leetch to the Toronto Maple Leafs. On his 36th birthday.
With just a simple phone call to his hotel room, Leetch was no longer a part of the only NHL team he had ever played for.
The ninth-overall pick in the 1986 NHL draft joined the Rangers after the 1988 Winter Olympics. Leetch left New York as the Rangers’ career leader among defensemen in goals (240), assists (741) and points (981).