Richter, Messier Remember John Amirante

It's hard for Mike Richter to even think of a time he didn't see John Amirante before a game at Madison Square Garden. As Richter remembers, Amirante's presence at the World's Most Famous Arena was as much a staple as the Rangers' logo emblazed at center ice.
"I don't remember him missing a game," Richter said of Amirante, who passed away Tuesday at 83. "We were never at MSG when he wasn't there. He was a staple. John Amirante was always part of it."
Amirante, who began signing the Star Spangled Banner at Madison Square Garden back in 1980, set the bar high for anthem singers. But if it was possible, Richter said he was an even better man.

"He was a beautiful singer," the netminder said, "but he was an even more beautiful person."
Richter had a front-row seat to hundreds of Amirante's performances at The Garden, where he also performed for the Knicks. All players have off nights where they just don't have it. That was never the case with Amirante.
"I don't recall a time where he performed and it wasn't fantastic in terms of giving it his all," Richter said. "He was so excited to be there and so involved. Each [game] was special to him."
Like the players he sang before, Amirante upped his game come the spring time and the postseason. Richter said on those nights, like Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 1994 against Vancouver, Amirante's enthusiasm was the last push he and his teammates got before the puck dropped.
"He got more intense in the playoffs just like the players on the ice did," Richter said. "There was never a time you couldn't feel his energy and his excitement and his love for being there. He truly loved being there and we loved him being there. It was a perfect match."

Amirante's impact on the players he performed in front of has lasted for decades. Legend Mark Messier, who once said he knew it was a big game when Amirante performed on the tips of his toes, said the loss of Amirante is a loss for that 1994 squad.
"I sit here with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart after hearing of John's passing," Messier said. "I will never forget speaking with John before Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final. I remember how focused and engaged he was to make sure he did his part for the team. Never again did I stand on the blueline and hear a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner sung with such heart and conviction.
"Today," Messier continued, "we lost a valued member of our '94 team who will be remembered forever by all of us. Rest in peace, John."
It's difficult to find a constant in sports, but Amirante was that in New York and at MSG. A bridge between generations of Blueshirts fans, he was an extension of those in the seats just as much as he was a performer on the ice.
Richter can't picture MSG without Amirante, and now he hopes the two are never apart.
"For all I know he never left that building," Richter said before pausing. "Hopefully he never does."