Mike Richter Michael Thomas " Mike " Richter ( born September 22 , 1966 in Abington , Pennsylvania ) is a former National Hockey League ( NHL ) goaltender . One of the most successful American - born goaltenders in history , he is best known for having led the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup title in 1994 and for repeatedly representing the United States in international play . He attended and played for Germantown Academy , Fort Washington , Pennsylvania . After playing for the United States in the World Junior championships in 1985 , he played for the University of Wisconsin - Madison from 1985 - 1987 , and the Rangers made him the 28th overall pick in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft . He would again represent the US in the World Junior championships , World championships , and the 1988 Calgary Olympics before making his NHL debut in the 1989 playoffs . Though he lost the one game in which he played , he was soon a regular member of the club , posting 12 wins against 5 losses in his rookie season as the Rangers ' backup goaltender . The next two seasons , he would split playing time with the Rangers ' veteran goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck , he was selected to represent the U . S . in the Canada Cup . Vanbiesbrouck was traded before the 1993 - 94 season and Richter had his first season as the team ' s number one goaltender , posting a career - best 42 wins and 2 . 57 goals - against average as the Rangers won the Presidents Trophy . His play was a key factor in the Rangers ' Stanley Cup championship win over the Vancouver Canucks . He become the eighth goaltender in history to post four shutouts in one playoff season , and over the next few years he would consistently be ranked among the world ' s top goaltenders . He led the United States to victory in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey , with his efforts earning him Most Valuable Player honors . His last appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs would be 1997 , as a series of knee injuries and a string of mediocre Ranger teams saw his personal statistics suffer . Nevertheless , he was selected as the top goalie for Team USA in the 1998 and 2002 Olympics , winning a silver medal in the 2002 Games . A year later a skull fracture and concussion forced him to retire , but not until after he became the first Ranger to record 300 wins . His jersey ( # 35 ) became the third number retired by the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on February 4 2004 , joining Rod Gilbert and Ed Giacomin . Though he played his entire career for the Rangers , he twice changed teams between seasons due to a quirk in the NHL rules of free agency , returning to the Rangers each time . Mike Richter returned to college in 2004 and will graduate in 2007 from Yale University . He is majoring in Ethics , Politics & Economics ( EP & E ) . Richter entered Yale through the Eli Whitney Students Program . His admission was notable in that Yale admits very few older students into the College and he was among this highly select group in 2004 . Richter also volunteers as a coach for Yale ' s men ' s hockey team coaching alongside head Keith Allain . Allain was an assistant coach for Team USA in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey . According to Nathan Gonzales of the " Rothenberg Political Report " , Richter , who lives in Guilford , Connecticut is considering running for U . S . Congress in 2008 as a Democrat . Among the seats Richter is considering contesting is Connecticut ' s 4th congressional district , currently held by Republican Chris Shays . However , on March 23 , 2007 , he stated that he would not run . Richter competed in Ironman Lake Placid on July 22 , 2007 . The triathlon involves a 2 . 4 mile swim , 112 mile bike ride , and a 26 . 2 mile run . He completed the grueling race in 12 hours 49 minutes 10 seconds . On November 4th , 2007 Richter ran in his first NYC Marathon finishing with a time of 3 : 54 : 35 .