Andy Bathgate
A graceful and durable scoring star for the New York Rangers who revolutionized the slap shot and became the heart of a generation.
1932–2016 (age 84)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: August 28·The Silent Generation
Biography
Andy Bathgate didn't just play for the New York Rangers through the 1950s and early 60s; he embodied their style—skillful, elegant, and perpetually striving. For a decade, he was the franchise's offensive engine, a right winger with slick playmaking hands and a devastating shot. He is often credited as one of the first players to master and popularize the slap shot, a weapon that changed how the game was played from the blue line in. His consistency was remarkable, topping 20 goals for eight straight seasons in an era of lower scoring and tougher defense. The pinnacle came in 1959 when he won the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player. A trade to Toronto in 1964 delivered him the Stanley Cup he never found in New York, but his legacy is forever tied to Madison Square Garden, where his number 9 hangs from the rafters.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Andy was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Andy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 70
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 80
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2016Died at 84
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Key Achievements
- Won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 1959 while with the New York Rangers.
- Led the NHL in scoring during the 1961-62 season, capturing the Art Ross Trophy with 84 points.
- Won the Stanley Cup in 1964 with the Toronto Maple Leafs shortly after a mid-season trade.
- Had his number 9 retired by the New York Rangers in 2009.
Did You Know?
He was the last captain of the New York Rangers before they went without a captain for several years, serving from 1961 to 1964.
His brother, Frank Bathgate, also played briefly in the NHL.
He played 12 consecutive NHL All-Star Games from 1957 to 1968.
After his NHL career, he played and coached in the World Hockey Association (WHA).
“You have to be able to take the puck and do something with it.”
