Neil Smith Neil Smith ( born January 9 , 1955 in Toronto , Ontario ) is a Canadian ice hockey broadcaster and previously the general manager of the New York Rangers from 1989 – 2000 . Biography . Early career . Smith played junior hockey before attending Western Michigan University . As a freshman , he was selected to the All - American team as a defenceman , and was named team captain his sophomore season . He was drafted in 1974 by the New York Islanders ( His neighbor was the GM and selected him in the 13th round 204th overall . ) He spent several seasons in the minor leagues before working for the organization as a talent scout . With Neil Smith working in an important capacity for the Islanders minor league system , the Islanders CHL affiliate , the Indianapolis Checkers ( which at the time was the Islanders most prominent minor league team ) won the Adams Cup in 1981 – 1982 . While on the island , he worked closely with the Islanders chief scout and assistant GM , Jim Devellano , and when Devellano was contacted by the new Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch to become GM in the summer of 1982 , Smith moved with him to the Detroit Red Wings , where he won two Calder Cup championships as the General Manager of the team ' s minor league affiliate , the Adirondack Red Wings in 1985 – 1986 and 1988 – 1989 . Success with the New York Rangers . Smith was hired by the Rangers in 1989 to be their General Manager , inheriting a team that included future stars Brian Leetch and Mike Richter . Under Smith ' s watch , the Rangers groomed Tony Amonte . Neil Smith was also responsible for drafting star players such as Sergei Nemchinov , Alexei Kovalev , Doug Weight , and Sergei Zubov before he made his mark in 1991 with a blockbuster trade for superstar Mark Messier . Mark Messier was immediately given the captaincy by the Rangers organization and this decision would pay huge dividends . Over the next three seasons , Smith continued to shape the team through trades and free - agent signings , acquiring several players from the Edmonton Oilers dynasty of the 1980s , such as Kevin Lowe , Adam Graves , Esa Tikkanen , Jeff Beukeboom , Craig McTavish and Glenn Anderson . Messier become one of the most popular athletes in New York , winning the Hart Trophy in 1992 , and the Rangers grew into an elite team . The Rangers won the Presidents Trophy , for the NHL ' s best regular season record , twice , and , in 1994 won their long - awaited fourth Stanley Cup championship . Neil Smith remains the only GM in the modern era to win a Stanley Cup with the Rangers . Fall of the Rangers . The next few years would see the team struggle to stay in contention , but , having traded away many of its prospects for the Stanley Cup run , the team had to increasingly rely on aging veterans acquired through expensive free agency . A major dispute between Smith and hard - driving coach Mike Keenan ended when Keenan left for St . Louis after the championship season . Unfortunately , none of the coaches that succeeded Keenan could motivate the highly paid stars that played for the Rangers in the mid to late 90 ' s . Attempting to one more time bring in an older superstar to re - ignite the magic of 1994 , Neil Smith signed Wayne Gretzky in 1996 , reuniting him with his old teammate Messier . During the 1996 – 1997 playoffs the Rangers earned their way into the semifinals , where they were beaten by a bigger and younger Flyers squad . The reunion would last only a year , however , as Messier left amid an acrimonious dispute with the organization . With his departure the Rangers sank into mediocrity ; though Smith acquired a succession of veteran players with expensive contracts and drafted a host of promising young players , the team continued to underperform and miss the playoffs until Smith ' s departure from the organization following the 1999 – 2000 NHL season . The Rangers did not again reach the playoffs until 2006 . Short tenure with the New York Islanders . On June 8 , 2006 , Smith was introduced as the New York Islanders ' general manager , making him the only person in professional hockey history serve as general manager with both New York teams . Said Smith of his new job : " Knowing that I ' ll be working in the same office where one of my mentors , Bill Torrey , created a dynasty is an unbelievable feeling . Al Arbour , whom I owe everything to , gave me my first hockey job as an advance scout . I wear my Islanders Stanley Cup ring with immense pride . To be able to come full circle and return home to the Islanders is a dream . " But , on July 18 , 2006 , months before the season began , Smith was fired and replaced by Islanders goaltender Garth Snow , who retired from his position on the team upon being hired . Smith reportedly had grown frustrated with his lack of authority on personnel and staffing decisions , as owner Charles Wang had instituted a setup where decisions were made collectively by a group of advisers rather than by the general manager alone . Wang realized that Smith was incapable of fitting within this model and therefore let him go . Pat LaFontaine , who had recently been hired by the team as a senior adviser , quit his post the same day . Smith was named as an assistant to Dallas Stars General Manager Doug Armstrong shortly after being let go by Wang , October 27 , 2006 . Broadcasting . Smith has spent time broadcasting NHL games for various networks , and has also done some studio work . Smith has worked for ESPN , TSN , Versus and NHL Network . Neil Smith has also served as a guest host on Hockey Night in Canada Radio on Sirius offering his unique insight along side host Jeff Marek .