Editor's note: This piece was originally posted after Henrik Lundqvist announced his retirement in August. On Friday night, The New York Rangers will be retiring Lundqvist's No. 30 jersey at Madison Square Garden.
As the 2000 NHL draft entered its late stages, the energy had fizzled out of the New York Rangers' war room.
"Back then, the drafts were nine rounds, and by the sixth or seventh, you're just looking for a player that someone semi-likes," explained then-assistant general manager Don Maloney. "You're just trying to stay awake more than anything else."
The Rangers had already drafted a goalie, American-born Brandon Snee, in the fifth round.