Jean Ratelle

Joseph Gilbert Yvon Jean Ratelle, born October 3, 1940, is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played for the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins across twenty-one seasons. He became a regular with the Rangers in 1963, though his career was nearly ended at age twenty-three by a serious back injury that required major spinal cord surgery. He recovered to anchor the team's offense, leading the Rangers in scoring from 1968 to 1973 and centering the "GAG Line" — the Goal-a-Game Line — alongside linemates Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert during a period when the team ranked among the league's best.

In 1972, Ratelle was positioned to overtake Boston's Phil Esposito for the scoring title before an injury forced him to sit out fifteen games; he returned for the Stanley Cup Final against Boston to lead his team. He remained with the Rangers through 1975 before joining the Bruins, and over his career he appeared in three Stanley Cup Finals, in 1972, 1977, and 1978. He averaged almost a point a game and twice won the Lady Byng Trophy in recognition of his sportsmanship.

Ratelle was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2017 he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history.