When it comes to hockey, which I love every bit as much as baseball, I am a New York Rangers fan through and through. Back in February of 1999, a friend asked, "When is the Rangers last game?" I checked the schedule and told him. "You know," he said, "if Gretzky retires, that will be his last game because the Rangers aren't making the playoffs."

So, he got us tickets when there still were tickets, just in case. Talk about foresight!

As a result, I was on hand to witness Gretzky's final game. It was a great day and surprisingly not overdone by Madison Square Garden, who sometimes go over the top. The only sad part was to see how well he played, as he did every day. He was the best player on the ice for the Rangers... again. If he were on a good team, I am sure his numbers would have been much better than 9-53-62 and he would probably be preparing to play in the playoffs and not even thinking about retirement.

The photo above is the best I could do from the last row of the upper deck of Madison Square Garden. It's not much, but it represents a day I shall never forget.

This photo was taken on April 18, 1999