[Bring Back Scuderi]

D, Barry Beck

Captain of Rangers 1981-1986
Rangers MVP — 1981-82 (co-winner), 1983-84

All-Star Team Voting: 6th (1978), 5th (1979), 6th (1980), 9th (1982), 17th (1983), 8th (1984)
Norris Trophy Voting: 6th (1978), 7th (1979), 6th (1980), 7th (1982), 9th - 2 votes (1984)
Hart Trophy Voting: 6th (1982)

Estimated TOI Team Ranks:
1978 (CLR) - 1st by 3.457, 1st in ES
1979 (CLR) - 1st by 1.458, 1st in ES
1980 (NYR) - 1st by 2.888, 1st in ES
1981 (NYR) - 3rd behind by 0.52, 3rd in ES
1982 (NYR) - 1st by 2.788, 1st in ES
1983 (NYR) - 1st by 4.449, 1st in ES
1984 (NYR) - 1st by 0.927, 1st in ES
1985 (NYR) - 1st by 3.901, 1st in ES

Coaches Polls

Hardest Hitter	1st	1981
Hardest Shot	4th	1979
Toughest Player	3rd	1979

Originally Posted by Rangers Official Website

One of the biggest and most imposing defensemen ever to wear a New York Rangers uniform, Barry Beck gave the Blueshirts a massive presence on the blueline throughout the first half of the 1980s.

Although Beck would not be able to match the scoring totals of his first year in New York, the former No. 2 overall draft pick of the Rockies was still one of the Rangers` highest scoring defensemen over the next three seasons, picking up a total of 32 goals and 106 points. In the 1981 playoffs, he led all Rangers blueliners with five goals and 13 points in only 14 games, which was at that time a scoring record for Rangers defensemen in postseason.

At the same time Beck was still making big contributions on offense, he also added a remarkable physical element to his game — jumping from 98 penalty minutes in his first season with the Rangers to a career-high 231 in 1980-81. His 231 PIM were a Rangers record that stood for nearly a decade.

Beck represented the Rangers at the NHL All-Star game in each of his first four years with the team, but he wasn`t just big and talented. He was also a great leader, and the Rangers were quick to give him the captaincy at age 23, making him the second-youngest captain in team history.

Only injuries could slow the man nicknamed "Bubba", who struggled to stay healthy for much of his time in New York. He missed part of the 1981-82 season and a big chunk of 1984-85 with injuries to his left shoulder, which ultimately played a role in his decision to retire from the NHL in 1986 at age 29.

http://rangers.nhl.com/club/atrplayer.htm?id=8445397

Scouting Reports

Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1979

(Rockies) Defense:The 305 goals-against represented just a two goal drop from the year before, and that isn't good enough. So much depends on Barry Beck, the wunderkind defenseman with the scoring touch and the hard-nosed enthusiasm. Beck scored 22 goals last season, and probably will be the next defenseman to score 30 goals after Bobby Orr and Denis Potvin. It should be mentioned that Orr an Potvin have won the Norris Trophy. That doesn't seem out of Beck's reach even on the basis of just one (very impressive) season in the league.

One of the best young defenseman to come out of juniors in years...Tough, strong, agile and has a knack for scoring important goals...Broke Denis Potvin's rookie defenseman record for goals...Also surpassed Potvin's rookie defenseman record for points...

Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1980

(Rockies) Defense: The Rockies defense can be summed up in about two words. Barry Beck. He remains an outstanding player-a crushing checker, a smart passer and a good goal-scorer. Even though he missed 17 games with injuries last season, Beck improved his game and again made his presence felt-usually in the form of a devastating hip check. The mouths of other coaches water when they see Beck. Until, of course, they see the other Colorado defensemen.

Prized young defenseman who can do it all...Strong and mean when has to be...Raised eyebrows with spectacular effort in first game against Soviet team in Challenge Cup series...One the most sought-after players in the league after only two seasons...Rockies have reportedly turned down $1 million from various teams...

Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1981

(Rangers) Defense: Barry Beck occasionally throws a crushing check that sends someone toppling to the ice, which is good for effect. But Beck must take control of the game more than he has demonstrated. Because of his size and his reputation, he is the player the other Rangers look to for protection and inspiration. It's about time for him to become an all-star. If not, the team is trouble.

Monstrous player who delivers monstrous body checkes...Twice within a week loosened glass boards at Madison Square Garden with teeth-chattering checks...Expected to lead team to first Stanley Cup in 40 years...Instead he floundered during the playoffs...Must hit to be effective...Can handle the puck but isn't a goal-scorer

Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1982

Finally made earthshaking trade look good for Rangers....Struggled first season but rebounded strongly last season...Emerged as imposing force in playoffs...Throws the hardest body checks around...Was fabulous in quarterfinal against Blues, then had disappointing semifinal against Islanders...Was on nice nine times when Isles scored...Was never on ice for a Ranger even-strength goal...Still won hearts of Ranger fans with tenacious defense...Has booming shot from point

Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1983

(Rangers) Defense: Barry Beck is the dominant force among the corps of defenseman...

Perhaps the most dominant defenseman in the defensive end of the ice in the league because of his size, strength, and ability to neutralize rival forwards with jarring bodychecks...Capable of rushing with the puck and being a dynamic offensive threat but played more of a defensive role last season...Seldom makes a bad play...Feared so much as a fighter that few opposing players challenge him...Has developed into a forceful, respected team leader as Rangers' captain...

Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1984

(Rangers) Defense: His new teammate, 6-3 Barry Beck, is one of the fiercest checkers in the game...

At times one of the most dominant players in game...A feared bodychecker...Has powerful shot from point and handles puck well for a big man...Extremely competitive, takes losing hard...

Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1985

"He's a dominant force every time he's on the ice," says Buffalo GM-coach Scotty Bowman...Best known for neutralizing opposing forwards with smashing body checks...Has powerful, accurate shot form blue line but usually concentrates on defense more than offense...

Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1986

That he managed 56 games is a tribute to his character...Has not quite achieved the star status predicted but has been a fine performer for eight seasons...Devastating bodychecker and fine defensive defenseman, but has never scored like expected...Intelligent, articulate, but has a temper...

Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1987

Will he play again? That will be one of team's most important questions this season...Continued shoulder problems limited him to 25 games one year after he suffered a separation...When he's healthy he's one of game's most physically dominating players..."Bubba" is one of NHL's highest paid players...Garden fans, dreaming of Stanley Cup, booed Beck in his first two seasons...Now they love him

Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1988

(Rangers) Defense: Help is needed here for a team that finished 19th in the league with 323 goals allowed last season. And it could come in the form of Barry Beck, who returns after a year's self-imposed retirement.

Returns after sitting out 1986-1987 season in protest initially over differences with then Ranger coach Ted Sator...Bubba plagued by injuries throughout career...A huge defensive plus if he and his body can make the grade again...Devastating body checker and defensive defenseman who has never scored up to expectations...Year off cost him an estimated $450,000.

Articles

Originally Posted by Sports Illustrated - 10/23/1978

In 6'3", 216-pound Barry Beck he had the prize avocado of last year's exceptional crop. Beck is built like an unusually strong football player. His nickname is Bubba, after former NFL Defensive End Bubba Smith. When asked after whom he modeled himself as a young hockey player, Bubba says, " Dick Butkus." He is not, however, a "goon," as evidenced by his scoring totals as a rookie...

...Beck, who grew up in ex-Canadien brawler John Ferguson's Vancouver neighborhood, earned a reputation as a fighter. Early in the season, Philadelphia's Paul Holmgren inadvisedly challenged Bubba and got a pounding for his bravado, making Beck the unofficial heavyweight champ of the league, if a highly reluctant one.

...but it is Beck whose defensive skills most nearly match his offensive talents. "The western Canadian coaches teach you that the man who doesn't have the puck is the most dangerous guy," Beck says. "That's the Russian theory, too, and it's made it easier for me to adjust to the speed of this league. Still, it will be four or five years before I reach my peak. Defensemen take longer because there's more to learn. Guy Lafleur's a forward, and it took him three years. Denis Potvin just reached his peak after five." Well, avocados take time to ripen, too.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...26/2/index.htm

Originally Posted by Sports Illustrated - 2/6/1978

"Most teams rely on their veterans to provide leadership," says General Manager Ray Miron. "We can't. So we're asking these three kids to try to do it. Especially Beck. No other rookie is being asked to shoulder what he's shouldering. He's an all-star already, and he still hasn't begun to realize how good he is."

Although his steady accumulation of goals and his run at Denis Potvin's 54-point scoring record for rookie defense-men helped Beck gain all-star status, he is not an offensive defenseman in the style of Bobby Orr. He seldom rushes the puck, choosing to stay back while Van Boxmeer tries his Orr imitations.

"I've always preferred to be a defensive defenseman," says Beck. "My job is to prevent goals, not score them. The good teams always have the lowest goals-against averages. When I have to, I carry the puck, and when I see an opening in the offensive zone, I take it. But I'm not someone who likes to rush the puck all the time."

"It's ridiculous what Bubba has to do," says Goalie Doug Favell..."Not only is Beck our best defenseman, he often has to do it all by himself. No one can do that, although he certainly tries."

Beck averaged more than 200 penalty minutes a year in the juniors, but he has had just two fights in the NHL. Coach Pat Kelly doesn't want him in the box and, anyway, he doesn't have to fight. From the waist up, he may be the biggest man in the league. One frown from Beck tends to discourage most rivals from crowding Colorado's goaltender.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...99/3/index.htm

Originally Posted by Sports Illustrated - 10/13/1980

2) Barry Beck, New York Rangers. Shero practically mortgaged the franchise last November to acquire Beck from Colorado. Supposedly a muscle-flexing, puck-carrying defenseman, Beck rarely hit anybody and made no rink-long rushes that reminded people of Bobby Orr. Harry Howell, maybe, but definitely not Orr. Beck also suffers from a lack of quickness and mobility. Now he has got headaches, too. But the biggest migraine in New York belongs to those Ranger diehards who have gone 40 years without seeing their team win the Stanley Cup. Too bad, but the best advice for this season is to keep the aspirin at the ready.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...64/2/index.htm

Originally Posted by Sports Illustrated - 12/8/1980

Beck, the 6'3", 215-pound monster man, a franchise type, was supposed to guarantee New York's return to the finals—if not another banner. But Beck has played without a great deal of verve in New York; he has been reluctant to carry the puck, or even to attempt to gain control of a game. His biggest hits have come against small players, and at home. The same people who once saw the Beck trade as cause for celebration, now believe it to be the downfall of the organization. They contend that it cost the Rangers their youth, speed and depth.
Beck himself says, "Anybody who thinks it was a bad trade is stupid." He contends his game was limited by Shero, and maybe it was. Patrick has loosened the reins Shero kept on Beck, and Beck has been more offense-minded and more physical since the coaching change. But he lacks the mobility to beat fore-checkers one-on-one, a la Montreal's Larry Robinson, and he lacks the passing talent to spring forwards, a la the Islanders' Denis Potvin.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...35/2/index.htm

Originally Posted by Sports Illustrated - 5/4/1981

In the end, which came last Friday night when the New York Rangers eliminated the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of their Stanley Cup quarterfinal series, it may have been Barry (Bubba) Beck who gained the most.

Beck's reward for his playoff performance has been peace of mind. He didn't silence his critics, who had called him overrated, so much as the nagging voice at the back of his mind that had him wondering if he would ever again play as well as he had as a rookie...

"Beck emerged as the leader in that stretch," says injured Ranger Goaltender John Davidson. When Esposito retired and Tkaczuk was injured, there was a void at the top, and the players looked to Beck. The Ranger management made him captain, and the extra responsibility had a marked effect on his play. His selection also affected the rest of the team. "He doesn't have to say very much, but you listen because he's so damn big," says one teammate.

"The main thing is, people believe in me now," says Beck. "That means a lot to me. When I first came here I was supposed to be [Denis] Potvin, [Larry] Robinson and [Bobby] Orr all rolled into one, but I still had a lot to learn. Now I'm playing with confidence, and there's no doubt in my mind I'm at the top of my game."

The top of his game, it turns out, is pretty far up there. Against St. Louis, which missed finishing first in the regular-season standings by three points, he knocked people down, scored, blocked shots and generally controlled the games in the way that separates the great from the merely good. "Beck gave them a lot of poise and authority," said losing Coach Red Berenson.

They also did a lot of intimidating. Not the kind you hear about most often—the intimidation of my fist in your face—but six straight games of clean, hard bodychecking. Led by Beck, New York simply pounded the Blues into giving up the puck.

Blake Dunlop: "Every aspect of their game has picked up. Beck was taking the man out. I've never seen him play with as much control."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...37/3/index.htm

Originally Posted by Sports Illustrated - 5/11/1981

Beck is the defenseman who led the Rangers—13th place in the regular-season standings—to lopsided upsets over fourth-place Los Angeles and second-place St. Louis in the first two rounds of the come-one, come-all playoffs. Those triumphs set up the second semifinal Battle for New York showdown between the Islanders and Rangers in three years, which opened last week on the Isles' ice. Despite having finished 36 points behind the Islanders (110-74), the Rangers were confident they would be the team to advance to the finals; they remembered '79, and the Islanders hadn't beaten them in Madison Square Garden since then. But by late last Saturday night, the Rangers' confidence had been shattered. After two lopsided defeats in the Nassau Coliseum, the Rangers succumbed at last on home ice. That 5-1 rout gave the Islanders a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. "The Islanders are the best team I've ever played against," said Beck.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...58/2/index.htm