New York Rangers

New York Rangers
Conference Eastern
Division Metropolitan
Founded 1926
History New York Rangers
1926–present
Home arena Madison Square Garden
City New York City, New York
Colors Blue, red, white

              

Media MSG
MSG Plus
ESPN (98.7 FM)
Owner(s) The Madison Square Garden Company
(James Dolan, chairman)
General manager Glen Sather
Head coach Alain Vigneault
Captain Ryan McDonagh
Minor league affiliates Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)
Greenville Road Warriors (ECHL)
Stanley Cups 4 (1927–28, 1932–33, 1939–40, 1993–94)
Conference championships 2 (1993–94, 2013–14)
Presidents' Trophies 3 (1991–92, 1993–94, 2014–15)
Division championships 8 (1926–27, 1931–32, 1941–42, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1993–94, 2011–12, 2014–15)
Official website rangers.nhl.com

The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. They are members of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise. They are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six, along with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Rangers were the first NHL franchise in the United States to win the Stanley Cup,[1] which they have done four times, most recently in 1993–94.[2]

History

Early years

George Lewis "Tex" Rickard, president of Madison Square Garden, was awarded an NHL franchise for the 1926–27 season to compete with the now-defunct New York Americans, who had begun play at the Garden the previous season. The Americans (also known as the "Amerks") proved to be an even greater success than expected during their inaugural season, leading Rickard to pursue a second team for the Garden despite promising the Amerks that they would be the only hockey team to play there.[3] The new team was quickly nicknamed "Tex's Rangers".

Tex Rickard founded the Rangers in 1926.

Rickard's franchise began play in the 1926–27 season. The first team crest was a horse sketched in blue carrying a cowboy waving a hockey stick aloft, before being changed to the familiar R-A-N-G-E-R-S in diagonal.[4] Rickard managed to get future legendary Toronto Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe to assemble the team. However, Smythe had a falling-out with Rickard's hockey man, Col. John S. Hammond, and was fired as manager-coach on the eve of the first season—he was paid a then-hefty $2,500 to leave. Smythe was replaced by Pacific Coast Hockey Association co-founder Lester Patrick.[5] The new team Smythe assembled turned out to be a winner. The Rangers won the American Division title their first year but lost to the Boston Bruins in the playoffs.[6][7]

The team's early success led to players becoming minor celebrities and fixtures in New York City's Roaring 20's nightlife. It was also during this time, playing at the Garden on 48th Street, blocks away from Times Square, that the Rangers obtained their now-famous nickname "The Broadway Blueshirts". On December 13, 1929, the New York Rangers became the first team in the NHL to travel by plane when they hired the Curtiss-Wright Corporation to fly them to Toronto for a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs which they would lose 7–6.[8]

1927–28 Stanley Cup

In only their second season, the Rangers won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Montreal Maroons three games to two.[9] One of the most memorable stories that emerged from the Finals involved Patrick playing in goal at the age of 44. At the time, teams were not required to dress a backup goaltender so when the Rangers' regular goaltender, Lorne Chabot, left a game with an eye injury, Maroons head coach Eddie Gerard vetoed his original choice for a replacement (who was Alex Connell, another NHL goalie of the old Ottawa Senators who was in attendance for the game). An angry Patrick lined up between the pipes for two periods in game two of the Stanley Cup Finals, allowing one goal to Maroons center Nels Stewart. Frank Boucher would score the game-winning goal in overtime for New York.[10]

1932–33 Stanley Cup

After a loss to the Bruins in the 1928–29 finals[1] and an early struggle in the early 1930s, the Rangers, led by brothers Bill and Bun Cook on the right and left wings, respectively, and Frank Boucher at center, would defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1932–33 best-of-five finals, three games to one, to win their second Stanley Cup, exacting revenge on the Leafs' "Kid line" of Busher Jackson, Joe Primeau, and Charlie Conacher. The Rangers would spend the rest of the 1930s playing close to 0.500 hockey until their next Cup win. Lester Patrick stepped down as head coach and was replaced by Frank Boucher.[11]

1939–40 Stanley Cup

In 1939–40 NHL season, the Rangers finished the regular season in second place behind the Boston Bruins. The two teams would meet in the first round of the playoffs. The Bruins gained a two-games-to-one series lead from New York, but the Rangers recovered to win three straight games, defeating the first-place Bruins four games to two. The Rangers' first-round victory gave them a bye until the finals. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the New York Americans in their first round best-of-three series two games to one (even as the Americans had analytical and notorious ex-Bruins star Eddie Shore) and the Toronto Maple Leafs ousted the Chicago Black Hawks two games to none. The Maple Leafs and Red Wings would play a best-of-three series to determine who would go on to play the Rangers in the Cup Finals. The Maple Leafs swept the Red Wings and the Finals match-up was determined. The 1940 Stanley Cup Finals started in Madison Square Garden in New York. The first two games went to the Rangers. In game one the Rangers needed overtime to gain a 1–0 series lead, but they won game two more easily with a 6–2 victory. The series then headed to Toronto where the Maple Leafs won the next two games, tying the series 2–2. In games five and six, the Rangers won in overtime, taking the series four games to two to earn their third Stanley Cup.

The Rangers would collapse by the mid-1940s, losing games by as much as 15–0 and having one goaltender with a 6.20 goals-against average. They would miss the playoffs for five consecutive seasons before they got the fourth and final playoff spot in 1948. They lost in the first round and would miss the playoffs again in 1948–49 NHL season. In the 1950 Stanley Cup Finals, the Rangers were forced to play all of their games on the road (home games in Toronto) while the circus was at the Garden. They would eventually lose to the Detroit Red Wings in overtime in the seventh game of the finals.

During this time, Red Wings owner James E. Norris became the largest stockholder in the Garden. However, he did not buy controlling interest in the arena, which would have violated the NHL's rule against one person owning more than one team. Nonetheless, he had enough support on the board to exercise de facto control.

1967–1993: The post-Original Six era

New York Rangers logo (used 1935/36-1946/47)

The Rangers remained a mark of futility in the NHL for most of the remainder of the Original Six era, missing the playoffs in 12 of the next 16 years. However, the team was rejuvenated in the late 1960s, symbolized by moving into the fourth version of Madison Square Garden in 1968. A year earlier, they made the playoffs for the first time in five years on the strength of rookie goaltender Eddie Giacomin and acquired 1950s Montreal Canadiens star right wing Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion.

The Rangers made the Finals twice in the 1970s, but lost both times to two '70s powerhouses; in six games to the Boston Bruins in 1972, who were led by such stars as Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge, Johnny Bucyk, and Wayne Cashman; and in five games to the Canadiens in 1979, who had Bob Gainey, Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Ken Dryden, Guy Lapointe, and Serge Savard.

By 1971–72, the Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Finals despite losing high-scoring center Jean Ratelle (who had been on pace over Bruin Phil Esposito to become the first Ranger since Bryan Hextall in 1942 to lead the NHL in scoring) to injury during the stretch drive of the regular season. The strength of players like Brad Park, Jean Ratelle, Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert (the last three constructing the famed GAG line meaning "goal-a-game") would still carry them through the playoffs. They would defeat the defending-champion Canadiens in the first round and the Chicago Blackhawks in the second, but lost to the Bruins in the finals.

The Rangers played a legendary semifinal series against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1973–74 playoffs, losing in 7 games and becoming the first of the "Original Six" to lose a playoff series to a 1967 expansion team. This series was noted for a game seven fight between Dale Rolfe of the Rangers and Dave Schultz of the Flyers.[12]

Their new rivals, the New York Islanders, who entered the league in 1972 after paying a huge territorial fee—some $4 million—to the Rangers, were their first-round opponent in 1975. After splitting the first two games, the Islanders defeated the more-established Rangers eleven seconds into overtime of the deciding game three, establishing a rivalry that continued to grow for years.

After some off years in the mid-to-late 1970s, they picked up Esposito and Carol Vadnais from the Bruins for Park, Ratelle, and Joe Zanussi in 1975. Swedish stars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson jumped to the Rangers from the maverick World Hockey Association. And in 1979 they defeated the surging Islanders in the semi-finals and would return to the finals again before bowing out to the Canadiens. The Islanders got their revenge, however, eliminating the Rangers in four consecutive playoff series starting in 1981 en route to their second of four consecutive Stanley Cup titles.

The Rangers stayed competitive through the 1980s and early 1990s, making the playoffs each year. In the 1985–1986 NHL playoffs, the Rangers, behind rookie goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, upended the Patrick Division-winning Flyers in five games followed by a six-game win over the Washington Capitals in the Patrick Division Finals. Montreal disposed of the Rangers in the Wales Conference Finals behind a rookie goaltender of their own, Patrick Roy. The next year, the Rangers acquired superstar center Marcel Dionne after almost 12 years as a Los Angeles King.[13] In 1988, Dionne moved into third place in career goals scored (since bettered by Brett Hull). "Because you love the game so much, you think it will never end", said Dionne, who spent nine games in the minors before retiring in 1989. He would only play 49 playoff games in 17 seasons with the Rangers, Kings, and Detroit Red Wings.

Frustration was at its peak when the 1991–92 squad captured the Presidents' Trophy. They took a 2–1 series lead on the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins and then faltered in three straight (some observers note a Ron Francis slapshot from the blue line that eluded Mike Richter as the series' turning point).[14][15] The following year, injuries and a 1–11 finish landed the Rangers at the bottom of the Patrick Division after being in a playoff position for much of the season. Coach Roger Neilson did not finish the season.

During this period, the Rangers were owned by Gulf+Western, which was renamed to Paramount Communications in 1989, and sold to Viacom in 1994. Viacom then sold the team to ITT Corporation and Cablevision, and a couple of years later, ITT sold their ownership stake to Cablevision, who owned the team until 2010, when they spun off the MSG properties as their own company.

1993–94 Stanley Cup: the ending of the curse

The 1993–94 season was a successful one for Rangers fans, as Mike Keenan led the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years.[2] Two years prior, they picked up center Mark Messier, a part of the Edmonton Oilers' Cup-winning teams. Other ex-Oilers on the Rangers included Adam Graves, Kevin Lowe, Jeff Beukeboom, Esa Tikkanen, Craig MacTavish and Glenn Anderson. Graves would set a team record with 52 goals, breaking the old record of 50 held by Vic Hadfield.

The Rangers clinched the Presidents' Trophy by finishing with the best record in the NHL at 52–24–8, setting a franchise record with 112 points.[16]

The Rangers successfully made it past the first two rounds of the playoffs, sweeping the New York Islanders, and then defeating the Washington Capitals in five. However, in the Conference Finals against the third-seeded New Jersey Devils, the Rangers lost the series opener at home in double overtime, but won the next two games before the Devils defeated them 3–1 and 4–1. The series headed back to the Meadowlands for the sixth game, in which Messier scored three times in the final period to lead the Rangers to a 4–2 win and set up a seventh game back at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers won game seven 2–1, when Stephane Matteau scored a goal in double overtime, leading the team to the finals for the first time since 1979.

Up against the Vancouver Canucks, the Rangers again lost the series opener at home in overtime. The Rangers bounced back and they won the next three games, allowing the Canucks just four goals. However, the Canucks won the next two 6–3 and 4–1 to set up a seventh game, for the second consecutive series, at home.[17]

In the seventh game, the Rangers took a 2–0 first period lead, with Messier scoring later to put the Rangers up 3–1, the eventual Cup winning goal as the home team won 3–2, becoming the first (and to this date, the only) player to captain two teams to the Stanley Cup.[18] Brian Leetch became the first American-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.[19] Alexander Karpovtsev, Alexei Kovalev, Sergei Nemchinov, and Sergei Zubov became the first Russians to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup.[20]

1994–2004: expensive acquisitions

Wayne Gretzky as a Ranger in 1997

Despite having coached the Rangers to a regular season first-place finish and the Stanley Cup, head coach Mike Keenan left after a dispute with General Manager Neil Smith. During the 1994–95 lockout-shortened season, the Rangers lost in the second round of the playoffs with succeeding head coach Colin Campbell. General Manager Neil Smith orchestrated a deal that sent Sergei Zubov and center Petr Nedved to Pittsburgh in exchange for defenseman Ulf Samuelsson and left winger Luc Robitaille in the summer of 1995.

The Rangers acquired Wayne Gretzky in 1996. Gretzky's greatest accomplishment with the Rangers was leading them to the 1997 Eastern Conference finals, where they lost 4–1 to the Eric Lindros-led Philadelphia Flyers. Messier, a former Oiler teammate of Gretzky's, left in the summer of 1997 and the team failed in a bid to replace him with Colorado Avalanche superstar Joe Sakic.[21]

In March 2000, Smith was fired along with head coach John Muckler, and, that summer, James Dolan hired Glen Sather to replace him.[22] By the end of the 2000–01 season, the Rangers had landed a lot of star power. Mark Messier had returned to New York, Theoren Fleury joined the Rangers after spending most of his career with the Calgary Flames,[23] and Eric Lindros was traded to the Rangers by the Flyers.[24] The Rangers also acquired Pavel Bure late in the 2001–02 season from the Florida Panthers.[25] It was the rookie season of goalie Dan Blackburn, who made the NHL All-Rookie Team even as the Rangers fell back to last place in the conference,[26] and finished out of the playoffs. Later years saw other stars such as Alexei Kovalev, Jaromir Jagr, Martin Rucinsky and Bobby Holik added, but in 2002–03 and 2003–04, the team again missed the playoffs. Blackburn started strongly in 2002–03, but burned out after 17 games. He missed 2003–04 due to mononucleosis and a damaged nerve in his left shoulder. Blackburn could not rehabilitate the damaged nerve, and was forced to retire at age 22.[27]

2005–2013: post-lockout revival

Towards the end of the 2003–04 season Sather finally gave in to a rebuilding process by trading away Leetch, Kovalev, and eight others for numerous prospects and draft picks. With the retirements of Bure and Messier as well as Lindros signing with the Maple Leafs, the post-lockout Rangers, under new head coach Tom Renney, moved away from high-priced veterans towards a group of talented young players, such as Petr Prucha, Dominic Moore, and Blair Betts. However, the focus of the team remained on veteran superstar Jaromir Jagr. The Rangers were expected to struggle during the 2005–06 season for their eighth consecutive season out of the postseason. For example, Sports Illustrated declared them the worst team in the league in their season preview,[28] but behind stellar performances by Swedish rookie goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, Martin Straka, Prucha, and Jagr, the Rangers finished the season with their best record since 1993–94 (44–26–12).

Jaromir Jagr broke the Rangers' single-season points record with a first-period assist in a 5–1 win against the New York Islanders on March 29, 2006.[29] The assist gave him 110 points on the season, breaking Jean Ratelle's record.[30] Less than two weeks later, on April 8, Jagr scored his 53rd goal of the season against the Boston Bruins, breaking the club record previously held by Adam Graves.[31] Two games prior, on April 4, the Rangers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3–2, in a shootout, to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since the 1996–97 season.[32] On April 18, the Rangers lost to the Ottawa Senators 5–1, and, due to wins by division rivals New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers, the Rangers fell back to third place in the Atlantic Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference to end the season.[33] In the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals the Rangers drew a matchup with the Devils and were defeated in a four-game sweep. In the process they were outscored 17–4, as New Jersey net-minder Martin Brodeur took two shutouts and a 1.00 goals-against average to Lundqvist's 4.25. In the first game of the series Jagr suffered an undisclosed injury to his left shoulder, diminishing his usefulness as the series went on. Jagr missed game two of the series and was back in the lineup for game three. He was held to one shot on goal. On his first shift of game four, Jagr re-injured his shoulder and was unable to return.

Jagr fell two points short of winning his sixth Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion in 2005–06 (the San Jose Sharks' Joe Thornton claimed the award, his first, with 125 points), but Jagr did win his third Pearson Award as the players' choice for the most outstanding player. On opening night of the 2006–07 season, Jagr was named the first team captain since Messier's retirement.[34]

With the Rangers doing so well in 2005–06, expectations were raised for the 2006–07 season, evidenced by Sports Illustrated then predicting the Rangers would finish first in their division.[35] Realizing that the team had trouble scoring goals in the 2005–06 campaign, the Rangers went out and signed long-time Red Wing Brendan Shanahan to a one-year contract. However, the organization remained committed to its rebuilding program despite the signing of the 37-year-old left winger.[36]

Though the Rangers started a bit slow in the first half of the 2006–07 season, the second half was dominated by the stellar goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist. The acquisition of Sean Avery brought new life to the team, and the Rangers finished ahead of Tampa Bay and the Islanders to face Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs. The Rangers swept the series thanks to play from all around the ice. However, the Rangers lost the next round to Buffalo four games to two.

At the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the Rangers chose Alexei Cherepanov 17th overall. Cherepanov had been ranked by Central Scouting as the number one European skater and was considered to be a top five pick leading up to the draft, but fell due to teams being unsure whether he would ever come to the NHL from Russia.[37] The 2007 free agency season started with a bang for the Rangers signing two high profile centerman, Scott Gomez from the New Jersey Devils for a seven-year, $51.5 million contract as well as Chris Drury from the Buffalo Sabres for a five-year deal worth $32.25 million.[38] The moves, along with retaining most other key players, have been met favorably as the Rangers appeared to be strong Stanley Cup contenders,[39] making the playoffs for the third consecutive season and the second round for the second season in a row. Despite these streaks, the Rangers failed to meet expectations as they lost their second round series 4–1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The New York Rangers were one of four NHL teams to open their 2008–09 season in Europe, being featured in the Victoria Cup final, defeating the European Champions Cup winner Metallurg Magnitogorsk, in Bern, Switzerland. The Rangers followed by playing two NHL regular-season games against the Tampa Bay Lightning team in Prague on October 4 and 5, winning both games 2–1. A successful early start was tempered with the news of the death of 2007 first round draft choice Alexei Cherepanov on October 13, 2008.[40] After a disappointing 2nd half of the season, coach Tom Renney was fired and John Tortorella named as his replacement.[41] The Rangers made the playoffs, but lost their opening round series to the Washington Capitals four games to three after having a 3–1 lead and a chance to close the series.

In the 2009–2010 season, the Rangers failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 5 years. There was some criticism that the off-season acquisition of superstar Marian Gaborik amongst other top tier players had not paid off. Gaborik, however, scored 42 goals in the season. In spite of an impressive start (8–2), the Rangers appeared to play inconsistently with numerous losing streaks. By March 2010, the Rangers were in danger of falling out of the playoff race entirely, but they registered a respectable 7–1–2 record to finish the season. The final 2 games of the season were a home and home versus the Philadelphia Flyers. The first was April 9, 2010 in New York. The Rangers skated away with the victory keeping their hopes alive. The final game of the season would become the deciding game to see who would make the playoffs. The Flyers peppered the Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist with 47 shots, but only scored once. The game would then go into a shootout seeing the Flyers prevail to move on to the post season, despite a strong finish to the season by the Rangers.

For the 2010–2011 season, the Rangers waived Wade Redden and brought in several players to get more balanced scoring. They wore a third jersey for the first time in several years. On Friday, November 12 the Rangers unveiled the new Heritage Jersey for the first time at the rink at Rockefeller Center in a special ceremony. The event featured Rangers alumni and current players discussing the history of the storied franchise. The club wore the jersey for the first time on Wednesday, November 17 when they played the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden. The jersey will be worn every time the Rangers play an Original Six team or on a Sunday afternoon game at home. The Rangers' fate of making or missing the playoffs would come down to the final day of the regular season for the second straight year. The Rangers defeated the New Jersey Devils on the final day of the season to finish with 93 points. In order to qualify for the playoffs, they would need the Carolina Hurricanes to lose their final game of the season as Carolina owned the tiebreaker had both teams finished with the same number of points. Carolina lost its final game to Tampa Bay by a 6–2 score, putting the Rangers in the playoffs after missing them in 2010. The Rangers would go on to face the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs. After blowing a 3–0 third period lead in game 4 with Washington ahead in the best of seven series 2–1, the Rangers would go on to lose the series in 5 games. It was the second time in three years that the Capitals eliminated the Rangers from the playoffs.

On May 13, 2011, Derek Boogaard, a player whom the Rangers signed for four years, was found dead in his Minnesota apartment.[42] On July 2, 2011, Brad Richards, a free agent who had played with the Dallas Stars during the prior season, signed a nine-year, $60 million contract to play for the Rangers.[43]

On September 12, 2011, Ryan Callahan was named the 26th Captain in New York Rangers history.[44] He was the 5th youngest captain in team history.[45] Brad Richards and Marc Staal were named alternate captains on the same day.

In the 2011–12 season, the Rangers finished as the 1st seed in the Eastern Conference. Recording 51 wins, 24 regulation losses and 7 overtime losses, the Rangers finished with 109 points for the regular season. Their leading goal-scorer for the regular season was Marian Gaborik, who finished the season with 41 goals while playing all 82 games. The Rangers lost the President's Trophy on the final day of the regular season to the Vancouver Canucks after a 4–1 loss to the Washington Capitals. In the 1st round of the playoffs, the Rangers faced the 8th-seeded Ottawa Senators. After falling behind 3–2 in the series, the Rangers bounced back to win game 6 in Ottawa, as well as the pivotal game 7 at home, propelling them to the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. In the Semi-finals, the Rangers faced the Washington Capitals. In game 3, Marian Gaborik received a pass from Brad Richards to seal a victory 14:41 into the third overtime, giving the Rangers a 2–1 lead in the series. Washington then came back to tie the series 2–2 in game 4. The Rangers avoided going down 3–2 in the series when Brad Richards tied game 5, 2–2 with just 6.6 seconds left in the 3rd period. The goal was scored on a power-play as a result of a high-sticking double-minor committed by Washington's Joel Ward on Rangers' forward Carl Hagelin. Then in overtime, Rangers' defenseman Marc Staal scored on the second penalty of the double-minor just 1:35 into overtime, giving the Rangers a 3–2 series lead. The Rangers went on to win the series 4–3, sending them to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1997. In the Eastern Conference finals, they faced the New Jersey Devils, a major divisional rival. The Rangers lost game 6 in New Jersey, giving the Devils a 4–2 series win and ending the Rangers' season.

2013–2014: Return to the Final

After the 2011–12 season and during the 2013 season, the Rangers signed Aaron Asham, Matt Gilroy, Micheal Haley, Jeff Halpern, Darroll Powe, and Roman Hamrlik. During that offseason, they also traded Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a 2013 first round draft pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for All-Star Rick Nash, Steven Delisle, and a 2013 conditional third round pick.[46] At the trade deadline, the Rangers traded Marian Gaborik to Columbus for Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett, and John Moore.[47] After the Rangers were eliminated from the second round of the playoffs by the Boston Bruins, they fired head coach John Tortorella, and on June 21, 2013, Glen Sather formally introduced ex-Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault as the replacement to John Tortorella, becoming the 35th head coach in franchise history.[48] On March 5, 2014, the Rangers traded their captain Ryan Callahan, a 1st round draft pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, and a 2nd rounder in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft for the Tampa Bay Lightning's captain Martin St. Louis. This happened after the Rangers and Callahan were unable to reach a contract extension in the days leading up to the deadline. During the regular season, the Rangers won twenty five road games, setting a new franchise best. In the first round of the 2013–14 playoffs, the Rangers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games. In the next round, the Rangers rallied from a 3–1 series deficit for the first time in their history, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games. They defeated the Montreal Canadiens in 6 games to become the Eastern Conference champions and moved on to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years. They faced the Los Angeles Kings, the Western Conference champions. The Rangers led the first 2 games by 2 goals and eventually fell in OT. They had another lead in game 5 but the Rangers lost the game, 3-2 in a second overtime. They lost the series 4 games to 1 to the Los Angeles Kings.[49]

On June 20, 2014, a week after their season ended, the Rangers bought out the remaining six years of Brad Richards' contract in order to free up salary cap space.[50] This move left Marc Staal and Dan Girardi as the remaining alternate captains.

On October 6, 2014, Ryan McDonagh was named the 27th captain in team history, with Derek Stepan, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, and Martin St. Louis serving as the alternate captains.

Uniforms

The classic Rangers sweater has been in use since the franchise's foundation, with several alterations along the way. The current blue uniform has the serifed word 'Rangers' in red and white drop shadow arranged diagonally, with red and white stripes on the sleeves and tail. Originally the uniform was light blue, before it switched to a darker classic Rangers "Broadway Blue" in 1929. In addition, the original versions neither had a drop shadow nor were serifed. During the 1946–47 NHL season, the word 'Rangers' was arranged in an arch form above the sweater number. It adopted its current form the next season, along with dropshadowed numbers, except for a brief period where the city name was used, a tie-down collar was not used, and the tail and sleeve stripes were separated by thin blue stripes. Red pants have been used with the uniform since the 1929–30 season.[51]

The white jerseys were first unveiled in the 1951–52 season, as part of a mandate that regulated NHL teams to have a dark home jersey and a light away jersey. The serifed word 'Rangers' is also arranged diagonally, but in blue with red drop shadow. A quinticolor of blue, white and red stripes accentuate the tail and sleeves, while a blue shoulder yoke with white and red stripes completes the look. The white sweaters, with minor changes such as a tie-down collar and arched player names, have remained virtually unchanged since.[51]

During the tenure of general manager John Ferguson, Sr., he sought to modernize the Rangers sweater by featuring rounded numbers, a darker shade of blue, and the shield logo, which was unveiled in the 1976–77 season. A blue and red stripe (white and red stripe in the blue sweaters) extend from the yoke to the sleeves, while blue pants were used. However, it proved unpopular with the fans, and following the 1977–78 season it was replaced by an updated version of their classic uniforms. Ferguson used this similar design when he became GM of the original Winnipeg Jets.[52]

The modernized classic uniforms introduced in 1978 featured some subtle changes. Both jerseys featured a V-neck collar in a red-white-red pattern, and bolder stripes on the sleeves and waistline. On the blue jersey, the red and white stripes were separated by thin blue stripes, and the waistline stripes were raised above the hemline, so that the patterns on both jerseys matched. From 1978 to 1987, the blue jersey (then the road jersey) featured "NEW YORK" diagonally across the front instead of the traditional "RANGERS" wordmark, similar to their current heritage alternate jerseys.[53] In 1997, the Rangers reverted the blue jersey's design, restoring the old striping pattern, and becoming the first team to re-introduce lace-up collars.[54] The white jerseys followed suit in 1999,[55] and the design was carried over to the Reebok Edge template in 2007.[56]

The Rangers currently use a heritage blue alternate jersey, which was unveiled in the 2010–11 season. The front of the sweater features the city name in a sans-serif block lettering and in red with cream trim. The inside of the collar features the franchise's foundation year while retired player numbers are added inside the sweater below the back stripes. Unlike in their regular jerseys, the script is not dropshadowed, while the player name is in cream and in a different, almost horizontal, arch form. These third jerseys are currently worn when the Rangers play home games on Saturdays or against Original Six teams.[51]

The Rangers previously had a navy alternate jersey featuring the head of the Statue of Liberty with the team abbreviation (NYR) below in a futuristic script. Silver was used as an accent color, but the player names and numbers retain the same color schemes as the regular jerseys, except for a darker shade of blue. With the exception of a white version used in the 1998–99 season, this jersey was used from 1996–2007, and proved to be highly popular with fans.[57]

In the 2012 NHL Winter Classic, the Rangers wore a cream jersey combining classic and current styles. A different version of the shield logo was used, while the player names were arranged in a straight line. The stripes were also lessened, giving it a minimalist, vintage look, as most Classic jerseys are.[58]

For the 2014 NHL Stadium Series, the Rangers used white jerseys with the city name in navy, silver, and red. In addition, they feature diagonal stripes and sleeve numbers, and enlarged numbers on the back to make them more readable to spectators. The chrome version of the shield logo is placed in the left shoulder. Like the Winter Classic sweaters, player names are in a straight position.[59]

Season-by-season record

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Rangers. For the full season-by-season history, see List of New York Rangers seasons.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime/Shootout Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Records as of April 27, 2013

Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs
2009–10 82 38 33 11 87 222 217 4th, Atlantic Did not qualify
2010–11 82 44 33 5 93 233 198 3rd, Atlantic Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Capitals)
2011–12 82 51 24 7 109 226 187 1st, Atlantic Lost in Conference Finals, 2–4 (Devils)
2012–13 48 26 18 4 56 130 112 2nd, Atlantic Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1–4 (Bruins)
2013–14 82 45 31 6 96 218 194 2nd, Metropolitan Lost in Stanley Cup finals, 1–4 (Kings)

Players

Current roster

Updated April 9, 2015.[60]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
25 United States Bourque, RyanRyan Bourque C L 24 2009 Boxford, Massachusetts
22 Canada Boyle, DanDan Boyle D R 38 2014 Ottawa, Ontario
16 Canada Brassard, DerickDerick Brassard C L 27 2013 Hull, Quebec
19 Sweden Fast, JesperJesper Fast LW L 24 2012 Nässjö, Sweden
5 Canada Girardi, DanDan Girardi (A) D R 31 2006 Welland, Ontario
15 Canada Glass, TannerTanner Glass LW L 31 2014 Regina, Saskatchewan
62 Sweden Hagelin, CarlCarl Hagelin LW L 26 2007 Sodertalje, Sweden
13 United States Hayes, KevinKevin Hayes C L 22 2014 Boston, Massachusetts
44 United States Hunwick, MattMatt Hunwick D L 29 2014 Warren, Michigan
8 Canada Klein, KevinKevin Klein  D R 30 2014 Kitchener, Ontario
20 United States Kreider, ChrisChris Kreider LW L 24 2009 Boxford, Massachusetts
30 Sweden Lundqvist, HenrikHenrik Lundqvist G L 33 2000 Are, Sweden
27 United States McDonagh, RyanRyan McDonagh (C) D L 25 2009 St. Paul, Minnesota
10 United States Miller, J. T.J. T. Miller RW L 22 2011 East Palestine, Ohio
28 Canada Moore, DominicDominic Moore C L 34 2013 Sarnia, Ontario
61 Canada Nash, RickRick Nash LW L 30 2012 Brampton, Ontario
45 Canada Sheppard, JamesJames Sheppard LW L 27 2015 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
26 Canada St. Louis, MartinMartin St. Louis (A) RW L 39 2014 Laval, Quebec
18 Canada Staal, MarcMarc Staal (A) D L 28 2005 Thunder Bay, Ontario
21 United States Stepan, DerekDerek Stepan (A) C R 24 2008 Hastings, Minnesota
55 United States Summers, ChrisChris Summers D L 27 2015 Ann Arbor, Michigan
33 Canada Talbot, CamCam Talbot G L 27 2010 Caledonia, Ontario
93 United States Yandle, KeithKeith Yandle D L 28 2015 Boston, Massachusetts
36 Norway Zuccarello, MatsMats Zuccarello RW L 27 2010 Oslo, Norway

Retired numbers

The Rangers have retired eight numbers, for nine players, in their history. 99 (Wayne Gretzky) was retired by the NHL in 2000, who finished his career here.

New York Rangers retired numbers
No. Player Position Career Date No. Retired
1 Eddie Giacomin G 1965–76 March 15, 1989
2 Brian Leetch D 1987–2004 January 24, 2008 [61]
3 Harry Howell D 1952–69 February 22, 2009 [62]
7 Rod Gilbert RW 1960–78 October 14, 1979
9 1 Andy Bathgate C 1954–64 February 22, 2009 [62]
9 1 Adam Graves LW 1991–2001 February 3, 2009 [63]
11 Mark Messier C 1991–97, 2000–04 January 12, 2006 [64]
35 Mike Richter G 1990–2003 February 4, 2004[65]
Notes:

Hall-of-Famers (Hockey Hall of Fame)

Players

Builders

Broadcasters (Foster Hewitt Memorial Award)

  • Sal Messina, broadcaster, 1974–2003, awarded 2005
  • John Davidson, G, 1975–83, broadcaster, 1983–2006, awarded 2009

First-round draft picks

Single-season records

Franchise scoring leaders

For more details on this topic, see List of New York Rangers records.

These are the top-ten-point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.[71]

Player Seasons Pos GP G A Pts +/- − PIM
Rod Gilbert 1960–78 RW 1,065 406 615 1,021 — 508
Brian Leetch 1987–04 D 1,129 240 741 981 +24 525
Jean Ratelle 1960–76 C 862 336 481 817 — 192
Andy Bathgate 1952–64 RW 719 272 457 729 — 444
Mark Messier 1991–97, 2000–04 C 698 250 441 691 +74 667
Walt Tkaczuk 1967–81 C 945 227 451 678 +185 556
Ron Greschner 1974–90 D 982 179 431 610 -80 −80 1,226
Steve Vickers 1972–82 LW 698 246 340 586 +54 330
Vic Hadfield 1961–74 LW 839 262 310 572 — 1,036
Adam Graves 1991–01 LW 772 280 227 507 +6 810

NHL awards and trophies

The following lists the league awards which have been won by the Rangers team and its players and alumni:

Leaders

Team captains

General managers

For more details on this topic, see List of New York Rangers general managers.

The current manager is Glen Sather, who was named on June 1, 2000. He had previously been the General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers, a title he had held from 1979 to 2000.

Head coaches

For more details on this topic, see List of New York Rangers head coaches.

The current head coach is Alain Vigneault, named June 21, 2013. He has previously coached the Montreal Canadiens (1997–2001) and the Vancouver Canucks (2006–2013).

Broadcast history

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Anderson, Dave (May 14, 1995). "Sports of The Times; At Boston Garden, There's Much More Gold Than Green". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Vecsey, George (June 24, 1994). "Sports of The Times; Houston Finally Has an Edge". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  3. ↑ Boland Jr., Ed (2003-02-16). "F.Y.I.". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  4. ↑ Boucher, Frank; Frayne, Trent (1973). When the Rangers Were Young. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company. p. 74. ISBN 0-396-06852-9. LCCN 73007485. OCLC 799524. OL 5415647M. Even before our training camp opened we were widely known as Tex's Rangers, a name given us by George Daley, the sports editor of the New York Herald Tribune, and one that seemed likely to stick. In fact, our first team crest was that of a horse sketched in blue carrying a cowboy waving a hockey stick aloft. The horse was rearing, with the word TEX'S in a crescent at the top of the emblem with RANGERS looped below. But Rickard didn't like the idea and before the season opened our insignia was changed to the present diagonal splash of the word RANGERS.
  5. ↑ Anderson, Dave (1994-05-15). "Sports of The Times; The Original Ranger, Murray Murdoch, Turns 90". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  6. ↑ "NHL Standings". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  7. ↑ "1926–27 NHL Playoff Results". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  8. ↑ Dryden, Steve (2000). The Hockey News: Century Of Hockey. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Ltd. p. 32. ISBN 0-7710-4179-9.
  9. ↑ "Stanley Cup history". USA Today. 2002-06-14. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  10. ↑ Brink, Graham (2004-06-05). "Injuries sideline players only rarely". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  11. ↑ "Team History". New York Rangers. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  12. ↑ Sielski, Mike (April 26, 2014). "Schultz vs. Rolfe: Fight resonates 40 years later". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  13. ↑ Craig Wolff (March 11, 1987). "Rangers Get Kings' Dionne". New York Times. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  14. ↑ Kay, Jason (31 December 2013). "Greatest Teams of All-Time: 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins". The Hockey News. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  15. ↑ Bondy, Filip (10 May 1992). "HOCKEY; Rangers Squander Lead and Lose". New York Times. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  16. ↑ "Caps spoil Rangers' chance to claim Presidents' Trophy". CBS Sports. 7 April 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  17. ↑ Morrison, Scott (2008). Hockey Night in Canada: My Greatest Day. Toronto: Key Porter Books. pp. 106–109. ISBN 978-1-55470-086-8.
  18. ↑ Popplewell, Brett (10 October 2014). "How Messier emerged from Gretzky’s shadow". Sportsnet. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  19. ↑ Rappaport, Michael (November 21, 2012). "Brian Leetch: The Road to the 1994 Conn Smythe Trophy Part One". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  20. ↑ Vecsey, George (15 June 1994). "STANLEY CUP FINALS; Russian Rangers Say Nyet to Possible Defeat". New York Times. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  21. ↑ The Hockey Rodent (2004-02-09). "The Curse". Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  22. ↑ "Rangers Hire Sather". CBS News. Associated Press. 2000-05-31. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  23. ↑ "Theo Fleury signs with Rangers". Associated Press. 1999-07-08. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  24. ↑ "Lindros joins Rangers nine years after first trade". CNN. Associated Press. 2001-08-24. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  25. ↑ Allen, Kevin (2002-03-19). "Panthers trade Pavel Bure to Rangers". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  26. ↑ "Dan Blackburn Selected to 2001–02 NHL All-Rookie Team" (Press release). New York Rangers. 2002-06-20. Archived from the original on 2006-05-09. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  27. ↑ "Dan Blackburn to Retire" (Press release). New York Rangers. 2005-05-25. Archived from the original on 2006-05-09. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  28. ↑ Kennedy, Kostya (2005-10-03). "Sports Illustrated's NHL Preview – New York Rangers". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  29. ↑ "Box Score – Rangers 5, Islanders 1". 2006-03-29. Archived from the original on 2007-04-17. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  30. ↑ "Game Notes – Rangers 5, Islanders 1". 2006-03-29. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  31. ↑ "Game Notes – Rangers 4, Boston Bruins 3 (OT)". 2006-04-08. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  32. ↑ "Game Notes – Rangers 3, Philadelphia Flyers 2 (SO)". 2006-04-04. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  33. ↑ "Game Notes – Rangers 1, Ottawa Senators 5". 2006-04-18. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  34. ↑ "Jagr named 24th captain in Rangers history" (Press release). New York Rangers. 2006-10-05. Archived from the original on 2006-11-25. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  35. ↑ "SI's 2006–07 NHL Preview: Atlantic Division". Sports Illustrated. 2006-09-25. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  36. ↑ Silverstein, Dubi (2007-07-27). "Rangers Rebuild While Winning". Blueshirt Bulletin. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  37. ↑ Weinman, Sam (2007-06-27). "Rangers have high hopes for top pick Cherepanov". The Journal News. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  38. ↑ Weinman, Sam (2007-07-02). "Rangers sign top tier centers Drury, Gomez". The Journal News. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  39. ↑ Greenstein, Kevin (2007-08-16). "Peca Would Complete Renovation of Ranger Offense". The New York Sun. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  40. ↑ Brooks, Larry (November 6, 2008). "Rangers Seek Pick for Late Prospect Cherpanov". New York Post. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
  41. ↑ "NHL notes: Renney rendered by Rangers". Journal Star news services. 2009-02-23. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
  42. ↑ "New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard found dead at 28". Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  43. ↑ Brooks, Larry (2011-07-02). "Rangers sign Richards to nine-year, $58.5M contract". New York Post. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
  44. ↑ Klein, Jeff Z.; Belson, Ken (12 September 2011). "Callahan Fills Drury’s Role as Captain of Rangers". New York Times. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  45. ↑ Urtz Jr., Tom (20 September 2011). "New York Rangers: Where Could Ryan Callahan Rank in Lineage of Ranger Captains?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  46. ↑ Lozo, Dave (July 23, 2012). "Nash traded to Rangers in five-player deal". NHL.com. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  47. ↑ Strang, Katie (April 3, 2013). "Rangers trade Marian Gaborik". ESPNNewYork.com. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  48. ↑ Podell, Ira (June 22, 2013). "Rangers hire new coach Vigneault with 5-year deal". CBC.com. Associated Press. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  49. ↑ "Los Angeles Kings win Stanley Cup in thriller". CNN.com. 2014-06-14. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
  50. ↑ "Brad Richards bought out by Rangers - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings". Cbc.ca. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 51.2 "New York Rangers uniform history". The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  52. ↑ "1976–77 New York Rangers uniforms". The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  53. ↑ "1978–87 New York Rangers uniforms". The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database. Retrieved 2014-06-09.
  54. ↑ "1997–98 New York Rangers uniforms". The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database. Retrieved 2014-06-09.
  55. ↑ "1999–2007 New York Rangers uniforms". The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database. Retrieved 2014-06-09.
  56. ↑ "1999–2007 New York Rangers uniforms". The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database. Retrieved 2014-06-09.
  57. ↑ "1996–97 New York Rangers uniforms". The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  58. ↑ "2011–12 New York Rangers uniforms". The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  59. ↑ "2013–14 New York Rangers uniforms". The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
  60. ↑ "New York Rangers - Team: Roster". New York Rangers. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  61. ↑ Dellapina, John (2007-09-06). "Leetch's number headed for Garden rafters". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 "Rangers raise No. 3, No. 9 to rafters", ESPN, 22 February 2009
  63. ↑ "Rangers retire Adam Graves' No. 9 jersey", USA Today, 4 February 2009
  64. ↑ "Rangers hoist Messier's No. 11 to Garden rafters". Associated Press. 2006-01-13. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
  65. ↑ "Goalie won 301 games with New York". Associated Press. 2004-02-05. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 66.3 66.4 "Rangers Records – Single-Season Leaders". Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  67. ↑ Diamos, Jason (2006-03-19). "Jagr Continues Assault on Rangers' Records". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  68. ↑ 68.0 68.1 "Jaromir Jagr Official Player Page". Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  69. ↑ Sexton, Joe (1990-04-18). "Mallette Gives Rangers More Than A Rough Edge". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  70. ↑ "New York Rangers goaltending records". Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  71. ↑ "Regular Season – All Skaters – Career for Franchise – Career Points – NHL.com – Stats". National Hockey League. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  72. ↑ "Andy Hebenton's profile at hockeydb.com". Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  73. ↑ "Terry Sawchuk – Career Statistics". Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  74. ↑ "Emile Francis – Biography". Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  75. ↑ "Frank Boucher – Biography". Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  76. ↑ "Brian Patrick Mullen". Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  77. ↑ "Herb Brooks – Biography". Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  78. ↑ Podell, Ira (2007-11-07). "Leetch, Cammi Granato among 4 winners of Lester Patrick Award". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  79. ↑ "NHL Plus Minus Award Winners". Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  80. ↑ "Rangers Records – Captains". Retrieved 2007-11-27.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to New York Rangers.