It was hockey outdoors — the way nature intended it to be.  The weather was cold, but the Legends were smiling.

On Saturday evening at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn., the Rangers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Connecticut Whale, made some history by facing the Providence Bruins in what was called the Whale Bowl — only the second outdoor game in the AHL’s 75 seasons. Providence went on to win 5-4 in an overtime shootout.

Prior to the AHL game, hockey fans had a chance to watch a historic outdoor Alumni Legends Game, featuring Boston Bruins and Hartford Whalers alumni. For New York Rangers fans, this was an opportunity to see a dozen former Blueshirts back on the ice.

Saturday’s memorable, 50-minute exhibition included Rangers Hall of Famer and Connecticut native Brian Leetch, who represented the Bruins Alumni in recognition of the one season he spent in Boston. The presence of Leetch – the greatest player ever to come out of Connecticut — helped give the game a special aura.

“I was having fun out there,” said Leetch after the Legends game ended in a 4-4 tie.  “I kept looking up and said ‘I can’t believe that’s how much time is left.’ It was a lot of fun, but it went too fast.”

Joining Leetch as former Rangers on the Bruins Alumni team were Hall of Fame defenseman Brad Park and forwards Rick Middleton and Ken Hodge.

The Whalers Alumni included former Blueshirts Blaine Stoughton, Pat Verbeek, Bob Crawford, Chris Kotsopoulos, Jim Dorey, Mark Janssens and Ed Hospodar.

For many of the ex-NHL and WHA players, Saturday’s game brought back personal memories of playing on frozen neighborhood ponds as kids, reminding them why they fell in love with the game of hockey in the first place.

“There was (a pond) right near my neighborhood,” said Leetech, who grew up down the road from Hartford in Cheshire.  “Today we were skating around, and guys were laughing and going ‘Yep, same ruts.’ There were leaves on the ice we were trying to get off and we said, ‘That looks familiar.’”

The Leetch-led Bruins alumni got two goals from Ken Linseman and one each from Craig Janney and Canadian-born actor Cameron Bancroft, an honorary celebrity participant. Scoring for the Whalers legends were Yvon Corriveau, Verbeek and Ray Neufeld. Corriveau matched Linseman with a pair of goals, including the game-tying score with 3:30 remaining.

The second half of the game featured the legendary Hanson Brothers, of the hockey classic “Slap Shot.” That in itself, was a treat for hockey fans on a very cold and windy February evening.

“This is a whole different element. It’s fun,” said Leetch.  “All the guys in the locker room, as soon as we went in after the half and the Hansons were all dressed in their gear sitting there, everybody had big grins on their faces.  It was awesome.”

For many of the players who don’t skate very often, Saturday’s Legends Game was an easy invitation to accept. The fun wasn’t just for the fans.

“It’s the second time I’ve been on skates in over 20 years, and I’m going to have to start doing it again on a regular basis, that’s for sure,” said Chris Kotsopoulos, who broke into the NHL with the Rangers in 1980-81 before spending the next four years as a Whaler.

Leetch, who retired in 2006, is still seen regularly by Rangers fans in his role as an analyst on MSG Network. He also coaches his 10-year-old son Jack’s youth hockey team. The 42-year-old admitted that getting back on the ice on Saturday gave him brief thoughts of an NHL comeback.

“I’ve been out just long enough now just to think that I can come back and play.  But you forget how hard it is and how good everybody is, but if I could still do it, I’d be out there.”

Leetch shared a special moment with fellow Rangers great Park when the two former Blueshirts captains started Saturday’s Legends Game as defense partners.  As Rangers, both players wore the now-retired No. 2 jersey, and as Bruins they shared No. 22. As a result, there was some confusion as to what number Leetch would wear on Saturday night, but in the end both he and Park agreed that sharing No. 22 again in Bruins jerseys was only appropriate.

“(Brad’s) always like ‘You’re taking my numbers wherever you go.’  So, (Rick) Middleton had called me and said ‘What number do you want,’ and I said whatever Brad doesn’t want. That’s the one I’m gonna take,” said Leetch. “Brad said, ‘No, he’s wearing the same number I am’ so we both wore the same thing out there. That was pretty cool.”

Leetch won’t have to wait long to get back on the ice with former Blueshirts greats, since he is scheduled to be part of the Rangers Alumni team that will face the winner of the upcoming “Skate to the Garden” tournament on March 24 at The Garden. Adult hockey players interested in competing for the chance to play against Leetch, Adam Graves, Stephane Matteau and other former Rangers can register for “Skate to the Garden” up until the March 1 deadline.

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Once you left the game of hockey what did you end up doing?
I coached with my son and we had some very good success. Right now we’ve got six or eight kids that we took at 10 years old that are playing in the OHL or the top junior league. Three of them have been drafted already, and there could be a couple more. Some of them are late bloomers and they’re playing quite well for their respective teams right now. We’re quite happy.

What is your favorite moment as a member of the Rangers?
Well, I guess the big one was when I scored a goal in New York that put us in the playoffs and we eliminated Detroit (in 1962). There are many things with New York that turn up in your mind. Just being a consistent player all the time, I think that’s what the people appreciated in New York. Also the honor they gave me of putting my sweater up there (retired in the MSG rafters). I never thought it would happen but it was really appreciated by my family and myself for sure. I know a lot of the fans never got to see me play, but I guess in this day you go by the records and they can see that we had very stiff competition with just the (“Original Six”) teams.

Do you have a special item of piece of memorabilia that you collected while with the Rangers that you cherish the most?
Well I’m looking at them right now as a matter of fact (laughs). I’ve got the MVP one right here. I’ve given a few sweaters to the Hall of Fame, but I gave some other things to my son. I’m going to see if the other boys want something, but they’re not married yet so I don’t know what they’d like. I’ll just hold onto the items until they want to choose something to keep a memory.

Did you meet any other famous individuals while playing at MSG? For example, did you meet any famous musical artists, public figures, etc? Who is the most memorable person?
I met Yogi (Berra) and quite a few of the ballplayers at golf tournaments in the later years. You would see famous people in restaurants but I wouldn’t go up to them and go “Hey, I’m Andy Bathgate from the New York Rangers” because if they weren’t a hockey fan they’d say, “Who in the hell is that?”

Was there a player or person that helped you to attain your leadership skills on the ice?
Not really because we had quite a few different coaches. The strategy was good. As far as teaching, I think that 90% is up to yourself to go out and practice. I liked to shoot the puck every day, just 20 or 30 wrist shots, and they’d rattle off the aluminum boards in the practice rink. You have to have confidence that you can shoot and hit the net.

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Once you left the game of hockey what did you end up doing?
When I got out of the game I retired and stayed in Philadelphia. My wife was from there and my father ended up transferring back to Canada. From there I got into some sales positions and to this day my wife and I have been in residential real estate in the main line of Philadelphia.

Looking back on your Rangers career, is there one moment that stands out as one of your favorites?
Just getting on the ice. It has to be the first game. Bobby Hull happened to get on at the same time and I thought they were giving me a standing ovation. And I looked across the way and I saw Bobby Hull waving to everybody at the TV timeout. And I think Vickers and Esposito got me on that one; they said they were cheering for me. But I was kind of embarrassed.

Did you meet any other famous individuals while playing at MSG? For example, did you meet any famous musical artists, or public figures? Who is the most memorable person?
I met Joe Klecko. Joe and I, when we see each other today, we still get together and cozy right up. That was pretty cool. Joe Klecko was awesome.

Do you have a special item or piece of memorabilia that you collected while with the Rangers that you cherish the most?
I’ve got the old Rangers sweatsuits we used to wear with the big bell-bottoms. For many years, when I went out on the ice with kids, I would come out with a different stick. Some from the 1960s or 1970s or that said Team USA on them and different guys names on them like Bobby Hull. They all wanted to see these sticks. And even if they were left-handed, I’d bring them out on the ice. Or I would always wear an old jersey that I didn’t have framed. I have Rangers and a Team USA one. I’d put those on and the kids would all get a big chuckle out of it. I’ve got a nice stash of stuff that’s mine. It’s pretty cool.

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Stoudemire finished his impressive preseason by leading the NBA in scoring with 25.7 points per game. Last Tuesday, the big man finished with a robust 39 point outing against the Nets to push his scoring average to the tops in the NBA; a position that he did not relinquish. The 30-point effort was Stoudemire’s third in six games, and the motivated Knicks newcomer looks poised to continue his dominance on the court the season. Amar’e kept his grasp on the scoring title by netting 24 points in the preseason finale vs. the Raptors on Friday.

Impressively, Stoudemire has done all of his damage while averaging a mere 27 minutes per game, about nine minutes less than his 2009-10 campaign when he finished with 24 points per contest. It seems as if Stoudemire’s dedication during training camp, where he was consistently the last Knick off the court, is paying huge dividends thus far. Amar’e will take his hot hand to Toronto as the Knicks tip-off the season vs. the Raptors on Wednesday.

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But perhaps the player who has put the most emphatic stamp on this preseason has been second-year guard Toney Douglas. Averaging 11.3 points, 4.7 assists and 2.6 boards, the sophomore has forced his name into the discussion to be a major contributor for Head Coach Mike D’Antoni as the season gets set to begin October 27th in Toronto.

The Knicks have witnessed Douglas blossom as the preseason has progressed, with the 6-foot-3 combo guard displaying a shut down defensive mentality as well as a willingness to be a go-to scorer with back-to-back 20 point outings earlier this week. The 29th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft has proven to be a pest for opposing offenses, ranking fifth in the NBA with 2.14 steals per-game this preseason. Most notably, Douglas picked six pockets vs. the Nets on Tuesday.

The other aspect of Douglas’ game that has impressed the Knicks has been his play alongside point guard Raymond Felton. A rotation with Douglas and Felton gives the Knicks two players who can pass, shoot the ball, play assertive defense, and run the floor. It is also a pairing that Douglas himself believes can be extremely effective.

“I told Raymond if he gets it, I’m out right away and if I get (the ball) I’m pushing it,” Douglas said. “Let’s go. Let’s run. We are all versatile and all athletic enough to run the floor and get buckets.”

While Douglas is not expected to play in the preseason finale vs. the Toronto Raptors Friday night, it is safe to say the sparkplug guard has shown enough to make a major impact this season for the Knicks.

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The experience was especially inspiring for new big-man Timofey Mozgov. After playing six professional seasons in his native Russia, Mozgov now suits up for a New York City fan-base that is unlike anything he has seen before in his career.

“It was an unbelievable feeling,” described the 7-foot-1 center. “When I was in the World Championships there was the same amount of people, but this was only practice, not the World Championships. It’s just unbelievable.”

While this was the first time Mozgov stepped foot on The Garden court to play ball, others have enjoyed the unique opportunity to play at The World’s Most Famous Arena as an opponent. However, that doesn’t mean they were totally familiar with the building.

“Once I found my way in (to The Garden) and I calmed myself down, it was pretty fun,” said Ronny Turiaf with a grin after admitting he was lost looking for the Knicks locker room. “It was pretty cool to just get a little glimpse of what the fan-base is going to be like this year at home, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Before practice began, players’ names were called off as they ran onto the court to a standing-ovation from the crowd. Point guard Raymond Felton, who signed with the Knicks after a standout season in Charlotte last year, said that he fed off fan energy and the adrenaline of getting a chance to play in The Garden in a Knicks practice jersey for the first time.

“My favorite part of the day was just running out there,” Felton said. “They called our names out and the crowd went crazy. It felt good. It felt like a game. I felt like I could have practiced for two more hours.”

The team laughed and soaked up the fans’ chanting their names during practice. It wasn’t long before those chants turned into roars as the Knicks began scrimmaging and displaying athletic dunks and pinpoint shooting before The Garden raucous crowd.

“It was pretty loud today, so I can imagine when the season starts how loud the fans can get,” said prize free-agent signee Amar’e Stoudemire. “I played against the Knicks before, and when (the fans) are with you they’re totally with you, and that’s what we’re looking forward to.”

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The New York City community lost a legendary figure this past week when charismatic streetball player John Strickland passed away in his sleep at the age of 38.

Strickland, who was more commonly known through his alias as “The Franchise,” reached star status in the basketball community without ever playing a single game in the NBA. He famously coined the phrase “finish your breakfast,” which meant shaking your defender and then scoring on him off the dribble. Strickland was mentioned in the hit Jay-Z song “Public Service Announcement,” where the rapper states, “No one can do it better. I check cheddar like a food inspector. My homey Strick told me, ‘Dude, finish your breakfast.’”

The news of Strickland’s death quickly spread through Twitter and Facebook feeds, with NBA players reaching out to express their sadness over his sudden passing. Others shared memories of his playing days on area courts such as Rucker Park, where stories of the Brooklyn native’s contributions in the community will forever ring through 155th Street.

Widely considered to be one of the best streetball players ever, the 6-foot-8 forward was invited to Knicks training camp in 1996, but failed to make the team after playing his college basketball at Hawaii Pacific University. He also played six seasons in the USBL, where he averaged 22 points and 7.7 rebounds in 95 games.

A gifted low post player and passer, Strickland went on to play for Nike Pro City, one of the premier streetball leagues. In the Nike circuit he once averaged over 40 points per game, and became the first player to win a title there as both a player and coach after leading his Gold’s Gym team to a championship from the bench last season.

On the basketball court, Strickland constantly motivated his teammates to play hard and to dig deep, especially when they felt like taking a play off. When he wasn’t on the court, Strickland developed into a mentor for the children in the community, encouraging them to stay humble at every stage of their lives, stating, “Every step you take is a blessing.”

Strickland was always an actor on the court; he wanted to be a character that people would never forget. He was a person who was always trying to win over the hearts of basketball fans, and he did a good job of doing it.

As fans flocked to the Garden to catch their first glimpse of the new-look Knicks on Sunday, they were quick to share their excitement surrounding the upcoming season. NYKnicks.com was live on the scene at Open Practice, which provided a perfect forum for Knick fans of all ages to give their opinions on the 2010-11 season.

“I feel good about this season. I think (Amar’e) Stoudemire will do a good job of creating more space for people like (Danilo) Gallinari. I’m looking for STAT to draw some double teams down low, allowing Gallo to have more space to shoot. I’m looking forward to watching Amar’e practice. I’ve been really impressed with his touch just watching here. He has a lot more range than I thought. I know he hit a three in Milan, but I’m impressed. Some guys who are big guys just will never be able to do that.” -Brandon Muller, 22, Great Neck, NY

“They have a real chance to compete this year. They’ve got a lot of good players and they got some good players this offseason. They also did well in free agency getting Amar’e, so I think they’re going to have a good year.”-Carlos Nunez, 21, Harlem, NY

“You always go into the season optimistic, especially with a good core of new players coming in. You hold out hope for the playoffs or perhaps more, but you’d like to see them play hard and win some games and bring some excitement into the arena. I think they have the potential to really come together as a terrific team and play the kind of basketball that Mike D’Antoni wanted to bring in. There should be a lot of excitement at the arena this year.”-Joe Kaufman, 42, Scarsdale, NY

“We’re going to fight hard. I like what I see so far. I’m definitely excited about some of the new players they brought in. I’m excited about Timofey Mozgov and Anthony Randolph. The whole team is looking good. I’m looking forward to watching Timofey Mozgov the most. I know what everyone else can bring, but he’s a guy who could be a big piece.”-Luis Alvarado, 25, Brooklyn, NY

“They’re all really great players and I’m so excited for this season. GO KNICKS!”-Josh Kaufman, 14, Scarsdale, NY

“I don’t know much about Mozgov, so I’m looking forward to seeing him play. I saw a little bit of him in the World Championships. I think Raymond Felton looks good, and I expect them to be a playoff team.”-John Bluemke, 31, New York, NY

“I’m looking forward to Stoudemire. He’s a beast. I also think Felton is going to be a big part of this team because he’s the point guard. In D’Antoni’s system that’s what you need; a good point guard.” -Jose Mercades, 30, Bronx, NY

“I’ve been a Knick fan forever. I love the Knicks.”-Jake Weingarten, 9, Bayside, NY
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There was a clear sense of excitement in the voices of Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni and team President Donnie Walsh as they addressed the media Wednesday afternoon in preparation for the start of the 2010-11 season.

After a summer highlighted by the signing of five-time All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire, the Knicks added nine additional newcomers to a roster that is poised to have a breakout season.

“We have a lot of very athletic, talented, young, and enthusiastic basketball players that all want to be here and be a team,” explained D’Antoni. “So as a coaching staff, we’re very excited about getting started.”

With a team that averages a mere 24.6 years of age, the term “potential” isn’t being thrown around loosely at MSG Training Center. The young group of players has already shown the type of work ethic it takes to become a winning squad.

“A lot of these guys came early,” stated Walsh. “They seem committed to becoming a team. They’re professional. They work hard. So I’ve been pleased with what I’ve seen so far. “

While many players have shown up early for camp, Walsh has been especially impressed with the leadership qualities that Stoudemire has shown thus far. As one of the older and more experienced players on the Knicks roster, he has been a leader by example for the younger players on the team.

“I’ve been really impressed on how hard he works. If he works that hard, that’s leadership, because the other guys will take notice of that and they’ll work hard.”

The Knicks are also excited about the prospects of the rest of the roster, especially when it comes to length and athleticism. Anthony Randolph, a 6-11 forward who can guard any position on the court and handle the ball with the rhythm of a guard, is looking like a perfect fit for coach D’Antoni’s system.

“He’s got a lot of possibility. He just turned 21 and he’s working hard on his outside shot. He’s a little bit like Amar’e when he just got into the league,” explained D’Antoni, who coached Stoudemire during his tenure with Phoenix. “We always said if Amar’e could get his outside shot down he’d be unstoppable because of his speed and agility going to the basket. Anthony has the same type of game.”

Young Knick veterans Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Toney Douglas are also expected to progress in their development this season. With the acquisitions of guards Raymond Felton, Kelenna Azubuike and Roger Mason Jr., along with big men Ronny Turiaf and 7-1 Russian import Timofey Mozgov, D’Antoni believes the rotation can go as far as 10 or 11 players deep once games get started.

While the Knicks braintrust admitted there are a few question marks heading into the season, one thing that’s for certain is that the team will bring a great deal of excitement to The World’s Most Famous Arena this year.

“You’re talking about some of the best players in the world out there,” said D’Antoni with a smile. “There’s going to be some athletic plays seen at The Garden that we haven’t seen in a while.”

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By Jim Fuller, Michael Hacku

The Argentine made a surprising run to the 2006 Pilot Pen final before losing to Nikolay Davydenko.

Calleri, the No. 16 seed, was back to his old tricks as he staved off two break points at 5-5 in the third set and outlasted American Robby Ginepri 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in the second round on Wednesday.

“Obviously there was a lot of pressure in that game, but at the end, I won the game,” Calleri said through a translator.

“It was a tough match. Ginepri is a tough player so I had to fight a lot to win the match.”

Calleri’s reward for beating Ginepri is drawing another American, 2005 Pilot Pen champion James Blake. That, of course, also means dealing with Blake’s raucous cheering section known as the J-Block.

“I played him once (in 2007) and he won,” Calleri said. “James obviously has a lot of confidence, he just reached the finals at Cincinnati and played well. It’s normal that people cheer for him here, in South America they cheer (for me).”

Calleri’s win over Ginepri snapped a five-match losing streak on hard courts. In his only meeting with Blake on hard courts, Calleri won 6-4, 6-2 at the 2002 Masters Series event in Madrid. Blake evened the series with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 win at the World Team Championship in Dusseldorf, Germany in May.

“Calleri hits huge from both sides and has a big serve,” Blake said.

FRIENDLY DRAW

Blake’s timing couldn’t have been better.

The former Fairfield resident was on course to be the No. 8 seed in the U.S. Open before his run to the finals of last week’s event at Cincinnati. After advancing to his second final during the U.S. Open Series, Blake moved up to No. 6 in the rankings and became the sixth seed in the Open. Had Blake remained eighth, his quarter of the bracket would have included No. 3 Novak Djokovic, the always dangerous Lleyton Hewitt and another crafty veteran in Carlos Moya.

As the No. 6 seed, Blake has a gentler bracket — at least on paper than he has in recent years.

Blake is 13-1 all-time against the other seven seeded players in his quarter including a 6-0 mark against No. 4 seed Nikolay Davydenko.

Blake, who will open up against fellow American Michael Russell, won’t have a walk to the quarterfinals or a potential semifinal showdown with No. 1 Roger Federer.

Among the dangerous floaters in Blake’s quarter are Sebastien Grosjean and Max Mirnyi, who are a combined 5-0 against Blake.

Perhaps the most intriguing potential quarterfinal on the men’s side is a rematch of the 2006 U.S. Open final between Federer and Andy Roddick. Roddick is one of five Americans in Federer’s quarter.

On the women’s side, 2006 Pilot Pen champion Justine Henin could meet up with Serena Williams in the quarterfinal, while Serbian stars Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic could meet in the other quarter, although Venus Williams is most certainly a player capable of messing up the all-Serbian quarterfinal matchup.

Johansson advances

Thomas Johansson defeated No. 8 seed Potito Starace 7-6, 6-3 in second-round play. Johansson’s serve was working well all day versus Starace, as he recorded 10 aces and won 90 percent of his first-serve points.

“I think I played better in my first match, but I think I played OK today. I was serving really well. I served a lot better than I did in my first match.”

Looking to get back to his old form after an injury-plagued 2006 season, the former Australian Open champion comes to Pilot Pen with a strict work ethic.

“We’ve been working very hard since we came here to the States. I’ve been here for four weeks now. I’m getting used to the hard court, I’m getting used to the weather, and I feel like I’m getting better and better,” said Johansson. “We’ve been practicing harder. That’s the only way I think to get back to the top again. I’ve been working a lot harder than I did before.”

Johansson will face No. 11 seed Ivo Karlovic in a third round matchup.

“You never know. I play Karlovic here in my next round and that’s a tough one. We’ve played three times before and I’m up 2-1 so hopefully (today) is going to be another one.”

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