20 years ago today, the New York Rangers signed Wayne Gretzky

Twenty years ago today, the New York Rangers signed Wayne Gretzky.

Twenty years ago today, they also blew Brian Leetch's mind.

Leetch played almost his entire career for the Rangers. He was an outstanding Hall of Famer, but he got to play with a number of other legends - including Gretzky himself.

And, as he details in the latest piece for the Players' Tribune, there are some things that no hockey player - not even one as good as Leetch - can get over. When it comes to someone like Gretzky, there's still that little intense fandom, no matter what.

Leetch describes being amazed as he played against Gretzky for the first time. From trying to convince his friends to come skate as kids, to facing off against the Great One himself - and how it went up even another level not just when Gretzky joined his team, but when they became friends.

Of course, it wasn't just Gretzky who made such a big impression on Leetch. As he puts it at the start of his piece, for his 21st birthday in Manhattan, then-teammate Guy Lafleur - and to even have Lafleur as a teammate! - saved a rookie drinker from a hangover.

As Leetch outright says in the Players' Tribune:

Hockey players will often tell you how special it is to play in New York, but I have the story to prove it.

Well, he's got a lot of stories.

And 20 years ago today was certainly the beginning of several to remember.