Vic Hadfield, the rugged power forward who played left wing on the famed GAG (Goal-A-Game) line in the late 1960s and early 1970s, admittedly was caught by surprise in February when his linemate and Rangers icon, Rod Gilbert, announced his No. 11 jersey would be raised to the Madison Square Garden rafters this season. On Sunday, before the game against the Winnipeg Jets, Hadfield became the 10th player in team history to have his jersey raised to the ceiling, joining his GAG line pals Gilbert and Jean Ratelle.
“I sincerely hope,’’ Hadfield said in his remarks to the crowd, “that everyone here experiences something, anything in your life that makes you feel like I feel now.