The Rangers' Fake Identities Stunt | New York Rangers News

**Corey** (0:00)
It's July 14th. You're listening to New York Rangers News Today, AI-powered coverage of your team. I'm Corey with the story. So, picture this. Way back when the New York Rangers first hit the ice, there were actually two imposters in the lineup.
We're talking about the goalie, Lauren Schabotsky, and a defenseman named Olly Rocco. It all went down because the team's press agent, Johnny Bruno, had this wild idea to make the team more marketable. He thought changing their backgrounds would draw in more fans. Bruno convinced Lester Patrick, the Rangers' boss, that it would be a good move to make Schabotsky appear Jewish and Rocco Italian.
He figured a Jewish goalie named Schabotsky and an Italian defenseman named Rocco would resonate more with the diverse New York City crowd. It was a bold, if not entirely honest, marketing strategy. The press agent even managed to get these fabricated identities into major newspapers like the New York Times. The story was that Schabotsky was the goalie, and Bruno himself was listed as a defenseman, which is pretty wild to think about.
It was all part of Bruno's hustle to create buzz and get people excited about the new team. However, this charade couldn't last forever. When the Rangers traveled to Canada, the hockey writers there saw right through the deception. By the time the team returned to New York, both Schabotsky and Rocco had reverted to their real names. It became a bit of a running joke, and thankfully, no one was seriously harmed by the stunt. Ultimately, the whole thing was a testament to Bruno's overzealous promotion tactics.
He was so focused on making a splash that he pushed the boundaries a little too far.
It's a funny piece of hockey history that shows how much things have changed and how teams connect with their fan bases.