Rangers pay tribute to Gilbert with pregame ceremony, jersey patch

The New York Rangers honored the late "Mr. Ranger" Rod Gilbert at their home opener at Madison Square Garden on Thursday with Gilbert's family in attendance and his No. 7 on every player's jersey.

A tribute video that included Gilbert's own words played on the screen before the game and a moment of silence was observed before Gilbert's children and grandchildren were announced in the crowd. His wife Judy did the ceremonial puck drop.
The Rangers wore No. 7 jerseys for warmups and are wearing a Gilbert patch on their game jerseys all season. Fans in attendance received Gilbert T-shirts.

Gilbert, the team's all-time leading scorer with 1,021 points, played 18 seasons with the Rangers. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982 and he continued to be a prolific ambassador to the game after his retirement through various charitable causes.
In addition to several tributes since his death in August, the Rangers set up a pop-up exhibit in Lower Manhattan to honor his legacy. The pop-up includes memorabilia, portraits and messages from fans and will be open until Oct. 17.