spotlight on brian leetch...

Brian Leetch's return to Madison Square Garden already had been delayed twice, once by the lockout and then by injury. Had he been traded by the Boston Bruins before the deadline, it might have been delayed a third time. I had tickets to the pre-season game against the B's and for their last visit so I've been waiting for a long time to thanks one of my favorite NY Sports heros of my lifetime.

But all Rangers fans finally will get a chance to cheer him tonight when he makes an odd and emotional appearance.

Odd because Leetch wearing any other sweater just doesn't look right.

Emotional because of what he meant to the Rangers franchise.

Leetch won two Norris Trophies and was selected to 11 All-Star games as a Ranger. Though a defenseman, he scored more points (981) than anybody in club history other than Hall of Fame winger Rod Gilbert.

Other than ranking second to fellow defenseman Harry Howell on the team's all-time games played list (1160 to 1129) and sitting way down the penalty minutes chart, Leetch holds all the career franchise records for defensemen by a wide margin. That includes goals (240), assists (741) and points (981).

The only defenseman among the six Rangers in history to have scored 100 points in a single season (102 in 1991-92), Leetch also holds the franchise records for points in 17 straight games and assists in 15 straight.

Leetch, 38, has five goals and 25 assists in 48 games. A free agent after the season, he recently told Boston-area reporters he is unsure if he will play in 2006-07. So this could be his last time on Garden ice. However the Rangers did make an effort to bring the veteren back to the franchise this year. In one attempt in December Slats offered up Poti for Leetch straight up. At the deadline the Rangers also inquired about #2 but by then the front office at the TD Bank Center (Such a lame name to replace the old Boston Garden by the way) was asking way too much.

It will be emotional on another level because of the type of guy Brain was. Humble and gracious with the media and fans on Broadway, he always wanted the puck in big moments but never the spotlight. He remains an example for all professional athletes in my opinion.

No Ranger fan will forget Eddie Gociaman's return to the garden at a member of the Red Wings in which the Garden faithfull showered him with "Eddie, Eddie, Eddie" throughout the game and rooted him to a shutout against the home team he was traded from just days before. Then Mark Messier's return to the Garden Ice came roughly 20 years later. A video tribute for him brought tears to his eyes literally seconds before the opening face-off and again the Garden shook for the man who brought Lord Stanley's Cup to the building in 1994. Adam Graves was also given the treatment when he returned in the odd looking visitors uniform. Brian Leetch gets the treatment tonight — the player who fashioned the greatest Rangers career of them all returning for the first time to the building that was his second home for 16 years and to play against the team he never wanted to leave.

Rangers fans, who have had a lot to cheer about this season, will have one more reason tonight. Leetch will have to try to hold it together and then play a hockey game. This Deeky reporter will be in the old barn tonight. Section 409, Row C. There may even be a few tears dripping into my large beer. The reality tonight is this. A member of the family is coming back home to the Garden and the Rangers are in first place. Cheers.