Last season’s Hobey Baker award winner Matt Gilroy has two goals and two assists so far this season.

Gilroy, an offensive minded defenseman who grew up on Long Island, said that he loved watching Brian Leetch when he was growing up:

“And Leetch was my absolute favorite guy to watch, ever,” said Rangers defenseman Matt Gilroy, a North Bellmore, L.I., product who was 8 years old when his favorite team hoisted the Stanley Cup in ’94, and 10 when the U.S. won twice in Montreal to win the World Cup. “He basically just roamed around the ice and was everywhere. He was amazing, he was so fun to watch. He wasn’t even a defenseman, basically, he was just like a roamer out there. It was brilliant.

“When you think of the great offensive defensemen, it starts with Brian Leetch, in my mind.”

Read more at the NY Daily News

…Who didn’t love watching Leetch. I idolized him, and of course Messier and Graves, when I was growing up and the Rangers haven’t been the same since his untimely trade.

With Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto the Rangers finally have some offensive talent on the backline for the first time since Leetch was roaming around there.