Question: The surgeon for the hockey team from New York City that joined the NHL in 1926 is credited with saving what Hall of Fame quarterback's career?
Context: John Vanbiesbrouck (born September 4, 1963), nicknamed "the Beezer" and "VBK", is an American professional ice hockey executive and former player.  A goaltender as a player, he was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.  Vanbiesbrouck played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils.  He began his career playing major junior hockey for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).  Following a successful season with the Greyhounds, he was drafted by the New York Rangers in the fourth round, 72nd overall, in the 1981 NHL Draft.  After his junior career ended, he played for the Rangers minor league affiliate, the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League.  Despite the team's near collapses due to financial concerns, Vanbiesbrouck led the Oilers to a league championship and shared the league's MVP honors. The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in Manhattan, New York.  They are members of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).  Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.  The Rangers were the first NHL franchise in the United States to win the Stanley Cup, which they have done four times (most recently in 1994).  The team is commonly referred to by its famous nickname, "The Broadway Blueshirts", or more commonly in New York media, as simply the "Blueshirts". Officially known as "Le Club de Hockey Canadien", the Montreal Canadiens (French: "Les Canadiens de Montréal" ) are a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec.  They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Hockey League (NHL).  In 1909, the Canadiens were founded as a charter member of the National Hockey Association (NHA).  In 1917, the franchise joined the NHL, and is one of the Original Six teams.  In their 100-year history, the Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cup championships, and are the last Canadian team to have won the Stanley Cup, having done so in 1993.  Having played in the Jubilee Arena (1909–1910,1918–1919), the Montreal Arena (1911–1918), the Mount Royal Arena (1919–1926), and the Montreal Forum (1926–1996), the Canadiens have played their home games at the Bell Centre, formerly known as the Molson Centre, since 1996.  The Canadiens are owned by the Molson Family.  The general manager position is filled by Marc Bergevin while their coaches consist of recently rehired Claude Julien as their head coach, with Daniel Lacroix, Clement Jodoin and J.J. Daigneault as his assistant coaches, Kirk Muller as his associated coach and as well as Stephane Waite as the goalie coach.  The current Captain of the Montreal Canadiens (as of the 2017-2018 Season) is Max Pacioretty. The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in Manhattan, New York.  They are members of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).  Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.  The Rangers were the first NHL franchise in the United States to win the Stanley Cup, which they have done four times (most recently in 1994).  The team is commonly referred to by its famous nickname, "The Broadway Blueshirts", or more commonly in New York media, as simply the "Blueshirts".  The team has had eleven general managers since their inception, not including Conn Smythe.  Smythe built the first Rangers team but was fired prior to the start of the inaugural season. The Hamilton Tigers were a professional ice hockey team based in Hamilton, Ontario, that competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1920–1925.  The Tigers were formed by the sale of the Quebec Bulldogs NHL franchise to Hamilton interests.  After years of struggling, the franchise finished first in the league in the 1924-25 NHL season, but a players' strike before the playoffs resulted in the franchise's dissolution.  The players' contracts were sold to New York City interests to stock the expansion New York Americans.  A name-sake amateur team existed prior to, and during the NHL team's existence, and a minor league professional team named the Hamilton Tigers existed from 1926 until 1930. James A. Nicholas (1921 – July 15, 2006) was an orthopedic surgeon and a pioneer in the treatment of athletic injuries who was best known for performing four knee operations that saved the career of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath.  Nicholas was among the best-known orthopedic surgeons in the United States as a physician for the New York Jets, the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.  In 1973 he established the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, New York.  Nicholas was a long time member of Westchester Country Club.  He died of colon cancer at age 85. The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City.  They are members of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).  The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden, located in the borough of Manhattan.  The Rangers are one of three NHL franchises in the New York metropolitan area, along with the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders.  The club is also one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise.  They are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six, along with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.  The Rangers were the first NHL franchise in the United States to win the Stanley Cup, which they have done four times, most recently in 1993–94. Estel S. "Zit" Tessmer (February 25, 1910 – June 1972) was an American football and basketball player.  A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Tessmer attended the University of Michigan where he played for the football and basketball teams.  He played as a quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1929 to 1931 and 1933.  He won the Chicago Alumni Trophy as a freshman in football.  He started three games at the quarterback position in 1930 and three more in 1931, but his playing time at quarterback was limited because the 1930 and 1931 Wolverines included College Football Hall of Fame quarterback Harry Newman.  After losing the starting quarterback job to Newman, Tessmer also played some games at the right halfback position.  Tessmer also played three years as a guard for the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team from 1931 to 1934.  He later became a teacher and basketball coach at Bay City Central High School.  He also threw two no-hit games as a baseball pitcher in intramural sports while attending Michigan.  He was basketball coach at Bay City through 1953 and remained athletic director at the school thereafter.  Tessmer died in 1972 at age 61.  He was a resident of Bay City, Michigan at the time of his death. Officially known as "Le Club de Hockey Canadien", the Montreal Canadiens (French: "Les Canadiens de Montréal" ) are a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec.  They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Hockey League (NHL).  In 1909, the Canadiens were founded as a charter member of the National Hockey Association (NHA).  In 1917, the franchise joined the NHL, and is one of the Original Six teams.  In their 100-year history, the Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cup championships, and are the last Canadian team to have won the Stanley Cup, having done so in 1993.  Having played in the Jubilee Arena (1909–1910,1918–1919), the Montreal Arena (1911–1918), the Mount Royal Arena (1919–1926), and the Montreal Forum (1926–1996), the Canadiens have played their home games at the Bell Centre, formerly known as the Molson Centre, since 1996.  The team has had seventeen general managers since their inception. The New York Americans, colloquially known as the Amerks, were a professional ice hockey team based in New York City, New York from 1925 to 1942.  They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the second to play in the United States.  The team never won the Stanley Cup, but reached the semifinals twice.  While it was the first team in New York City, it was eclipsed by the second, the New York Rangers, which arrived in 1926 under the ownership of the Amerks' landlord, Madison Square Garden.  The team operated as the Brooklyn Americans during the 1941–42 season before suspending operations in 1942 due to the World War II and long-standing financial difficulties.  The demise of the club marked the beginning of the NHL's Original Six era from 1942 to 1967, though the Amerks' franchise was not formally canceled until 1946.
Answer: Joe Namath