Tikkanen and Courtnall depart in 4-player trade
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The New York Rangers, who have won just two of their last 11 games, acquired wingers Russ Courtnall and Esa Tikkanen from the Vancouver Canucks late Saturday night for forwards Sergei Nemchinov and Brian Noonan.
The trade was announced by Vancouver GM Pat Quinn after his team's 5-3 loss at home to the Detroit Red Wings. Courtnall had two assists and Tikkanen scored a goal in that game.
Courtnall, 32, is a speedy right wing who has struggled this season with nine goals and 19 assists in 47 games. He has been playing better recently, however, collecting three goals and six assists in a seven-game stretch at the end of February.
With his two assists on Saturday, Courtnall has 700 points in 900 NHL games.
Tikkanen, also 32, returns to New York, where he helped the Rangers win the Stanley Cup in 1994. He had 12 goals and 15 assists in 62 games this season for Vancouver.
Nemchinov, a 33-year-old center, will be reunited in Vancouver with winger Alexander Mogilny, his linemate on Team Russia at last fall's World Cup of Hockey. Nemchinov is better known for his defensive ability and had six goals and 13 assists in 63 games with New York. He has been on injured reserve since Feb. 28 with a rib problem, but should return this week.
"Nemchinov gives us a center, one that played with Alex (Mogilny) in the World Cup this year," Quinn said. "And certainly, we remember him playing very well against us in the Stanley Cup final a few years ago."
Noonan, 31, joins his third team this season. He began the year with the St. Louis Blues, who traded him back to the Rangers last November. The right wing has eight goals and 14 assists in 57 games, but has only one goal since Dec. 31.
"He's a guy who works the boards real well," Quinn said of Noonan. "He doesn't have terrific offensive stats, but he brings some ingredients to a team that allows them to win."
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