NEW YORK — Seventeen years later, it still hits hard whenever the Sharks come to New York City.
Jamie Baker lost two of his college teammates here on Sept. 11, 2001. Dan Rusanowsky, the Sharks radio voice, lost a childhood friend and a college classmate. Kevin Labanc lost a next-door neighbor. Joakim Ryan lost a close family friend.
“It’s impossible to not think about 9-11 when you’re in New York City,” Rusanowsky said Tuesday. “It’s something I’ll never forget, a sober reminder that makes you recognize your mortality, your humanity. You realize you can’t take your freedom or your life for granted.