Ron Greschner

Ron Greschner had 610 points in 982 career NHL games. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Mark Malinowski
2011-08-14 12:24:00

Status: New York Rangers defenseman from 1974-1990. Currently operates www.Greschnersports.com which specializes in authentic, customized memorabilia.

Ht: 6-foot-2  Wt: 205 pounds.

DOB: Dec. 22, 1954 In: Goodsoil, Sask.

Hockey Inspirations: "Jean Beliveau. My dad (John). He never really pushed. He helped me along."

Early Hockey Memory: "I went to Saskatoon to watch an exhibition game between Toronto and Detroit. After the game I remember there was a guy in a trench coat walking out. It was Eddie Shack. I reached out and touched him and he patted me on the back. After that, I told my mom that I wanted to be a hockey player."

Nicknames: "Gresch. Honker. Schner - Mark Hardy started that one. My wife picked up on it."

First Job: "Stacking hay bales on the cattle ranch."

First Car: "1964 Ford Fairmont."

Favorite Movies: "Young Frankenstein, The Godfather movies."

Musical Tastes: "1970s rock and roll. Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, John Cougar Mellencamp, Billy Joel, Foreigner."

Greatest Sports Moment: "Playing in the Stanley Cup final in 1979. Beating the Islanders that year in the semifinal."

Closest Hockey Friends: "Rick Middleton, Chris Nilan, James Patrick, Brian Leetch, Tom Laidlaw, George McPhee. There's so many. I keep contact with 40-50 guys."

Funniest Players Encountered: "Nick Fotiu. If you did something to Nick, he got you back 10 times. Tom Laidlaw. John Davidson."

Toughest Competitors Encountered: "Bobby Orr. Most intense player I ever played against. Wayne Gretzky. He changed the whole game, made it more interesting. I loved playing against him, even if he embarrassed us."

Favorite Sports Outside Hockey: "Football and baseball. I love to go to Yankee Stadium, I'm a big Yankees fan."

Favorite Arena(s) To Play: "After Madison Square Garden, I enjoyed Philadelphia and Long Island. Those places were fun, the games were intense."

Most Memorable Goal: "My first one in 1974. And the goal that knocked out the Islanders in 1979 Game 6."

Favorite Uniforms: "New York Rangers."

People Qualities Most Admired: "I admire a lot of people for different reasons."

Mark 'Scoop' Malinowski is the author of "Heavyweight Armageddon: The Tyson-Lewis Championship Battle" and creator of two websites: www.thebiofile.com  and www.tennis-prose.com.