Position: Goaltender
Height: 5-11
Weight: 185
Catches: Left
Birthday: September 22, 1966
Birthplace: Abington, Pennsylvania

Olympic Experience
Will be skating in his third Winter Olympic Games for the United States. Mike also was a member of Team USA at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta and the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. He also represented Team USA at the 1998 Winter Olympics, posting a 1-3-0 record, along with a 3.55 goals against average in four contests.

• Appeared in 45 contests with the Rangers, posting a 20-21-3 record, along with a 3.28 goals against average and an .893 save percentage.
   
• Became the Rangers all-time wins leader (272) on Jan. 18, stopping 30 of 31 shots in a 2-1 overtime victory over the Maple Leafs, passing Ed Giacomin.
   
• Surpassed Lorne Worsley's record as the team's all-time leader in games played by a goalie (598) on Jan. 8 vs. Dallas, stopping 16 of 18 shots faced in a 2-1 defeat.
   
• Registered a 17-2-7 mark in his last 26 matches in which he faced 40-or-more shots, including a 1-1-0 record this season.
   
• Underwent successful surgery to repair a torn right ACL sustained on Feb. 19 vs. Chicago and missed the final 23 matches of the season (Feb. 23 to Apr. 7) due to the injury.

• Has appeared in 635 career matches with the New York Rangers recording 289 wins and 24 career shoutouts, posting a 2.88 goals against average.
   
• Was the starting goaltender for Team USA at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
   
• Was a member of the Rangers 1994 Stanley Cup Championship Team.
   
• Rangers second round choice, 28th overall, in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft.

Did you study hard when you were in school or was your mind on hockey? - Nicole, 4th grader, LI
It's so important to have a good balance between athletics and academics. I was always really involved in my studies, because without that, you weren't eligible to play. Even after I started playing professionally with the rangers, I continued to take college courses at Columbia and Cornell University..

What are you going to do with your silver medal? - Michael, 4th grader, LI
I'm going to share it with my whole family because they've all supported me so well during my career, then I'm going to keep it in a safe place so that when my son, Thomas, grows up he can see it.

Which team was the hardest to play against in the Olympics? - Joe, 4th grader, LI
That's a tough question because there were so many good teams at the games. I would have to say Canada, just because of all the talented players on the team and the fact that it was the gold medal game. A close second would have to be the Russians. I played them twice in the tournament and each game was awesome. They are so highly skilled.

Is it hard to get a shutout? - Tom, 4th grader, LI
Absolutely. You've got to have your best game, and that means not only the goaltender, but also the entire team. And then you've got to have luck on your side.

Is there a reason why you wear # 35? - Matthew & Chris, 4th graders, LI
Not really. That was the number they gave me as a rookie here, and I just stuck with it for the rest of my career. It's worked out pretty well!

Who chooses who will play on the Olympic hockey team? - Megan, 4th grader, LI
That decision is made by a group of hockey people at USA hockey.

Who choose the Olympic jerseys that you wore? - Johnny 4th grader, LI
Our captain, Chris Chelios, would get together with the coaching staff and make the decision.

Which is heavier a Gold medal or a Silver? - Joe, 4th grader, LI
Even though it is better to have the gold, both medals weigh the same and I am proud of what our team accomplished at the games. It was a great game and both teams represented their countries extremely well.

How does it feel playing against your Ranger teammates who will be representing their home countries? - Vitali, 8th grader, NYC
It's a bit difficult to compete against players who you are close with and who you share a common goal with, however we are all there competing for the gold medal and won't be satisfied coming home with anything less.

Who is the one player in these Olympics you would not like to see skating at you in a shootout for the gold metal? - Jude, 5th grader, LI
There are so many talented, elite players in the Olympics that it's very difficult to single out one particular player.

How do you keep your mind on the game? Do you get nervous when the puck is flying right toward you? - Jonathan, 6th grader, LI
Being focused is so vital to any player, but especially the goaltender. Things happen so fast in the game, you don't really have time to be nervous. I think it's more tense for the fans and people who are watching then for the players who are actually out there and have some control over the outcome.

In the Olympics the rink is bigger, does that mean it's harder to play the game? - Frank, 6th grader, LI
There is definitely an adjustment, particularly for the goaltenders with the angles shots come from. It's something that's more natural to the European players, but it's not totally foreign to the players who've played in international competition.

Why did you choose the position of goal tender? - Kathleen, 6th grader, LI
My older brother was a goalie and I just enjoyed it right from the beginning. It's a position where your teammates heavily count on you.

Do you think goalie is a lonely position? Why or why not? - Schuyler, 6th grader, LI
I don't find it lonely at all. You're being relied on heavily by your teammates which is something I really enjoy.

Is it really hard to get focused after getting hit really hard by the puck? - Andrew, 6th grader, LI
Fortunately, with the advancements in equipment, it's not nearly as bad to get hit as it used to be. It's never fun, but when you do get caught, you have to quickly focus to be sure you don't allow a goal or even worse, get hit again.

Did you ever score a goal from goalie position? - Tom, 6th grader, LI
I think my best year was 20 in one season. No, seriously, I haven't ever scored a goal. It's a difficult thing to do, something that very few goalies are able to accomplish. I try to focus on keeping the puck out of our net.