The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. They are members of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden, located in the borough of Manhattan. The Rangers are one of three NHL franchises in the New York metropolitan area, along with the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders. The club is also 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, which they have done four times, most recently in 1993â€"94.
History
Early years (1926â€"1967)
George Lewis "Tex" Rickard, president of Madison Square Garden, was awarded an NHL franchise for the 1926â€"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 were going to be the only hockey team to play there. The new team was quickly nicknamed "Tex's Rangers".
Rickard's franchise began play in the 1926â€"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. 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 seasonâ€"he was paid a then-hefty $2,500 to leave. Smythe was replaced by Pacific Coast Hockey Association co-founder Lester Patrick. 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.
The team's early success led to players becoming minor celebrities and fixtures in New York City's Roaring Twenties' 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 lost 7â€"6.
In only their second season, the Rangers won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Montreal Maroons three games to two. 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' starting 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 finals, allowing one goal to Maroons center Nels Stewart. Frank Boucher scored the game-winning goal in overtime for New York.
After a loss to the Bruins in the 1928â€"29 finals 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, defeated the Maple Leafs in the 1932â€"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 spent 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.
In 1939â€"40 season, the Rangers finished the regular season in second place behind Boston. The two teams then met 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 then played a best-of-three series to determine who played the Rangers in the finals, where Toronto swept Detroit, thus determining the match-up. The 1940 Stanley Cup finals commenced 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 1â€"0 series lead, but they won game two more easily with a 6â€"2 victory. The series then shifted to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs won the next two games, tying the series at two games apiece. In both games five and six, the Rangers won in overtime, taking the series four games to two to earn their third Stanley Cup.
The Rangers, however, collapsed by the mid-1940s, losing games by as much as 15â€"0 and having one goaltender post a 6.20 goals against average (GAA). They missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons before they earned the fourth and final playoff spot in 1948. They lost in the first round and missed the playoffs again in 1948â€"49 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 held at the Garden. They lost 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. 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.
Post-Original Six era (1967â€"1993)
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 1971â€"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 such as Brad Park, Jean Ratelle, Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert (the last three constructing the famed "GAG line", standing for "goal-a-game") carried them through the playoffs. They defeated the defending-champion Canadiens in the first round and the Chicago Black Hawks in the second, but lost to the Bruins in the finals.
The Rangers played a legendary conference semi-final series against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1973â€"74 playoffs, losing in seven games and becoming the first of the Original Six teams 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. The Rangers' new rivals, the New York Islanders, who entered the League in 1972 after paying a hefty territorial fee â€" some $4 million â€" to the Rangers, were their first round opponents in 1975. After splitting the first two games, the Islanders defeated the more-established Rangers 11 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, New York acquired Esposito and Carol Vadnais from the Bruins for Park, Ratelle and Joe Zanussi in 1975, while Swedish stars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson jumped to the Rangers from the League's rival, the World Hockey Association (WHA). In 1979, New York then defeated the surging Islanders in the conference semi-finals and returned to the finals again before bowing out to the Canadiens. The Islanders got their revenge, however, eliminating the Rangers in four consecutive playoff series beginning 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 1985â€"86 playoffs, the Rangers, behind the play of 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, however, 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. 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 played only 49 playoff games in 17 seasons with the Rangers, Kings and Detroit Red Wings.
Frustration was at its peak when the 1991â€"92 squad captured the Presidents' Trophy. They took a 2â€"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 goaltender Mike Richter as the series' turning point). The following year, injuries and a 1â€"11 regular season finish landed the Rangers at the bottom of the Patrick Division after being in a playoff position for much of the season. Head 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.
Ending the curse and expensive acquisitions (1993â€"2004)
The 1993â€"94 season was a successful one for Rangers fans, as Mike Keenan led the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years. 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 set a team record with 52 goals, breaking the prior record of 50 held by Vic Hadfield. The Rangers clinched the Presidents' Trophy by finishing with the best record in the NHL at 52â€"24â€"8, setting a franchise record with 112 points earned.
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 games. 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 3â€"1 and 4â€"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 4â€"2 win and set up a seventh game back at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers won game seven 2â€"1, when Stéphane 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 6â€"3 and 4â€"1 to set up a seventh game, for the second consecutive series, at home. In the seventh game, the Rangers took a 2â€"0 first period lead, with Messier scoring later to put the Rangers up 3â€"1, the eventual Cup winning goal as the home team won 3â€"2, becoming the first (and to this date, the only) player to captain two teams to the Stanley Cup. Brian Leetch became the first American-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, while Alexander Karpovtsev, Alexei Kovalev, Sergei Nemchinov and Sergei Zubov became the first Russians to have their names engraved on the Cup.
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 1994â€"95 lockout-shortened season, the Rangers won their first-round series with the Quebec Nordiques, but lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Philadelphia Flyers in four games 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 next season, the Rangers defeated the Canadiens in six games but lost their second round series to the Penguins in five games.
The then 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 4â€"1 to the Flyers, who were then led by Eric Lindros. Mark 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. The Rangers missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, finishing no higher than fourth in their division.
In March 2000, Smith was fired along with head coach John Muckler, and that summer, James Dolan hired Glen Sather to replace him. By the end of the 2000â€"01 season, the Rangers had landed a significant amount of star power. Messier had returned to New York, Theoren Fleury joined the Rangers after spending most of his career with the Calgary Flames and Eric Lindros was traded to the Rangers by the Flyers. The Rangers also acquired Pavel Bure late in the 2001â€"02 season from the Florida Panthers. It was also 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, 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 2002â€"03 and 2003â€"04, the team again missed the playoffs. Blackburn started strongly in 2002â€"03, but burned out after 17 games. He missed 2003â€"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 the age of 22.
Post-lockout revival (2004â€"2015)
Towards the end of the 2003â€"04 season, General Manager Glen Sather finally gave in to a rebuilding process by trading away Brian Leetch, Alexei Kovalev, and eight others for numerous prospects and draft picks. With the retirements of Pavel Bure and Mark Messier, as well as Eric Lindros signing with the Toronto 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 2005â€"06 season for their eighth consecutive season out of the post-season. For example, Sports Illustrated declared them the worst team in the League in their season preview, 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 1993â€"94 (44â€"26â€"12).
Jagr broke the Rangers' single-season points record with a first-period assist in a 5â€"1 win against the New York Islanders on March 29, 2006. The assist gave him 110 points on the season, breaking Jean Ratelle's record. 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. Two games prior, on April 4, the Rangers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3â€"2, in a shootout, to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since the 1996â€"97 season. On April 18, the Rangers lost to the Ottawa Senators 5â€"1, and, due to wins by Division rivals New Jersey and Philadelphia, the Rangers fell back to third place in the Atlantic and sixth in the Eastern Conference to end the season. 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 17â€"4, as New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur took two shutouts and a 1.00 GAA 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 progressed. He missed game two of the series and was back in the lineup for game three, though he was held to just one shot on goal. On his first shift of game four, however, Jagr re-injured his shoulder and was unable to return for the remainder of the game.
Jagr fell two points short of winning his sixth Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion in 2005â€"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 2006â€"07 season, Jagr was named the first team captain since Mark Messier's retirement. With the Rangers doing so well in 2005â€"06, expectations were raised for the 2006â€"07 season, evidenced by Sports Illustrated then predicting a first-place finish in their division. Realizing that the team had trouble scoring goals in the 2005â€"06 campaign, the Rangers went out and signed long-time Detroit 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.
Though the Rangers started a bit slow in the first half of the 2006â€"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 the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Islanders to face the Atlanta Thrashers 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 the Buffalo Sabres by four games to two.
At the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the Rangers chose Alexei Cherepanov 17th overall. Cherepanov had been ranked by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau 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. The 2007 free agency season started with a bang for the Rangers, signing two high-profile centerman, Scott Gomez from New Jersey on a seven-year, $51.5Â million contract, as well as Chris Drury from Buffalo on a five-year, $32.25Â million deal. The moves, along with retaining most other key players, have been met favorably, as the Rangers appeared to be strong Stanley Cup contenders, making the playoffs for the third consecutive season and the second round for the second season in a row. Despite these streaks, however, the Rangers failed to meet expectations, losing their second round series four games to one to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Rangers were one of four NHL teams to open their 2008â€"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 Tampa Bay in Prague on October 4 and 5, winning both games by 2â€"1 scorelines. A successful start to the season, however, was tempered with by the news of the death of 2007 first-round pick Alexei Cherepanov on October 13, 2008. After a disappointing second half of the season, coach Tom Renney was fired, with 2004 Stanley Cup winner John Tortorella named as his replacement. The Rangers made the 2009 playoffs, but lost their opening round series to the Washington Capitals four games to three after having a 3â€"1 series lead and a three chances to close the series.
In the 2009â€"10 season, the Rangers failed to make the playoffs for the first time in five 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, an impressive return for the team. In spite of a strong start (8â€"2) to the season, the Rangers appeared to play inconsistently with numerous losing streaks. By March 2010, the Rangers were in danger of falling out of the 2010 playoff race entirely, but they registered a respectable 7â€"1â€"2 record to finish the season. The final two games of the season were a home-and-home against the Philadelphia Flyers. The first was April 9, 2010, in New York, and the Rangers skated away with the victory, keeping their post-season hopes alive. The final game of the season became the deciding game to determine who would make the playoffs. The Flyers peppered the Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist with 47 shots, but scored only once. The game went to a shootout, and the Flyers prevailed to move on to the playoffs despite the strong overall finish to the season by the Rangers.
For the 2010â€"11 season, the Rangers waived defenseman Wade Redden and brought in several players to achieve more balanced scoring. They wore a third jersey for the first time in several years. On November 12, the Rangers unveiled the new Heritage Jersey for the first time at the rink at Rockefeller Center in a special ceremony featuring Rangers alumni and current players discussing the history of the storied franchise. The club wore the jersey for the first time on November 17 when they played the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden. The jersey was to 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 came down to the final day of the regular season for the second-straight year. The team defeated the New Jersey Devils on the final day of the season to finish with 93 points on the year. In order to qualify for the 2011 playoffs, however, they needed the Carolina Hurricanes to lose their final game of the season, as Carolina owned the tiebreaker as both teams finished with the same number of points. Carolina lost its final game to Tampa Bay, 6â€"2, putting the Rangers in the playoffs after missing-out the previous season. The Rangers then faced Washington in the first round. After blowing a 3â€"0 third period lead in game four, with Washington ahead in the best-of-seven series two games to one, the Rangers lost the series in five 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. On July 2, 2011, Brad Richards, an unrestricted free agent who had played with the Dallas Stars during the prior season, signed a nine-year, $60Â million contract to play for the Rangers. On September 12, 2011, Ryan Callahan was named the 26th captain in New York Rangers history. He became the fifth-youngest captain in team history. Brad Richards and Marc Staal were named alternate captains on the same day.
In the 2011â€"12 season, the Rangers finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Recording 51 wins, 24 regulation losses and seven overtime losses, the team 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, however, missed-out on the Presidents' Trophy on the final day of the season to the Vancouver Canucks after a 4â€"1 loss to Washington. In the first round of the playoffs, the Rangers faced the eighth-seeded Ottawa Senators. After falling behind 3â€"2 in the series, the Rangers bounced back to win game six in Ottawa, as well as the deciding game seven at home, propelling them to the conference semi-finals. In the semi-finals, the Rangers faced the Capitals. In game three, Marian Gaborik received a pass from Brad Richards to seal a victory 14:41 into the third overtime, giving the Rangers a 2â€"1 lead in the series. Washington then came back to tie the series 2â€"2 in game four. The Rangers avoided going down 3â€"2 in the series when Richards tied game five at 2â€"2 with just 6.6 seconds left in the third 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 3â€"2 series lead. The Rangers went on to win the series 4â€"3, sending them to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1997. In the conference finals, they faced the New Jersey Devils, a major divisional rival. The Rangers lost game six in New Jersey, giving the Devils a 4â€"2 series win and ending the Rangers' season.
Return to the final and third Presidents' Trophy
After the 2011â€"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 off-season, they also traded Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a 2013 first-round draft pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for All-Star Rick Nash, Steven Delisle and a 2013 conditional third-round pick. At the NHL trade deadline, the Rangers then traded Marian Gaborik to Columbus for Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett and John Moore. After the Rangers were eliminated from the second round of the playoffs by Boston, management fired Head Coach John Tortorella, and on June 21, 2013, General Manager Glen Sather formally introduced ex-Canucks Head Coach Alain Vigneault as Tortorella's replacement, becoming the 35th head coach in franchise history.
On March 5, 2014, the Rangers traded their captain Ryan Callahan, a first-round draft pick in 2015, and a second-rounder in 2014 for Tampa Bay captain Martin St. Louis. The trade occurred in large part 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 25 road games, setting a new franchise best. In the first round of the 2014 playoffs, New York defeated Philadelphia in seven games, and in the next round, the Rangers rallied from a 3â€"1 series deficit for the first time in their history to defeat Pittsburgh in seven games. They then defeated the Montreal Canadiens in six games to become the Eastern Conference champions, moving on to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 20 years. In the finals they faced the Los Angeles Kings, the Western Conference champions and champions in 2012. The Rangers led the first two games by two goals and eventually fell in overtime, and were then shut-out at home 3â€"0 in game three. The Kings outshot the Rangers in game four, but the Rangers staved off elimination by winning the game 2â€"1 to force a game five in Los Angeles. They had another lead in game five, but after the game was tied and subsequently sent to overtime, Kings defenseman Alec Martinez scored with 5:17 left in the second overtime period to win the game for Los Angeles, 3â€"2, as well as the Stanley Cup.
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. This move left Marc Staal and Dan Girardi as the team's remaining alternate captains. On October 6, 2014, defenseman Ryan McDonagh was named the Rangers' 27th captain in team history, with Derek Stepan, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Martin St. Louis serving as alternates.
The Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy for the third time in franchise history, also finishing in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 113 points. After dispatching the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games in the first round, they came back from a 3â€"1 series deficit to win their series against the Capitals in seven games. However, after winning the first game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers lost game two by four goals. The two teams split the first four games of the series, but the Rangers lost game five by a 2â€"0 scoreline at home, which gave the Lightning an opportunity to clinch the conference finals in Tampa Bay. This did not happen in game six, however, as Derick Brassard scored a hat trick and assisted on two other goals in an emphatic 7â€"3 Rangers victory to force a game seven in New York. In game seven, however, the Lightning shutout the Rangers 2â€"0, thereby ending the Rangers' season and marking the first occasion the Rangers had ever lost a game seven at home in franchise history (and the first time they lost an elimination game at home since they lost to Buffalo in 2007).
Jeff Gorton era (2015â€"present)
On July 1, 2015, Glen Sather stepped down as the general manager, and Jeff Gorton took his place, becoming the eleventh general manager in team history. The team then signed Dylan McIlrath, Emerson Etem, and re-signed with J. T. Miller and Derek Stepan. On July 2, 2015, St. Louis announced his retirement. The Rangers subsequently traded Carl Hagelin and Cam Talbot for Emerson Etem and various draft picks, with Antti Raanta becoming the backup goaltender to Lundqvist. The Rangers started off the season well. After 18 games, they had a 14â€"2â€"2 record and a 9-game winning streak, which was eventually halted by the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, the organization soon went downhill in the winter, losing three straight games against the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers. They eventually posted a 4â€"7â€"2 record in December for only 10 points. In January the Rangers started playing more efficiently, posting a fair 6â€"4â€"1 record, and improved in February by going on a 10â€"3â€"1 run without any back-to-back losses. On February 29, 2016, the Rangers acquired the Carolina Hurricanes' captain Eric Staal, who later left the team after the season. The Rangers finished the season with 101 points for back-to-back 100+ point seasons. Despite high hopes, the Rangers were eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2016 playoffs in five games. During the off-season, the Rangers released Dominic Moore among several other players, while re-signing Ranta and signing Pavel Buchnevich on an entry-level contract. The team also added Michael Grabner, Brandon Pirri, Josh Jooris, traded their leading scorer Derick Brassard in exchange for Mika Zibanejad, and signed the much-anticipated Jimmy Vesey.
The Rangers finished the 2016â€"17 season in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with 102 points. In the first round of the playoffs, they won their series with the Montreal Canadiens in six games. In the second game of their second round series with the Ottawa Senators, the Rangers held a two-goal lead on three different occasions, but lost in the second overtime, putting themselves in a 2â€"0 series deficit. The team responded with consecutive 4â€"1 home wins in games 3 and 4 to tie the series at two games apiece. However, in the next two games of the series, the Rangers faltered, and were eliminated by the Senators in six games. On June 14, 2017, the Rangers announced a buyout of the remaining three years on Dan Girardi's contract. Just over a week later, the Rangers traded Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a 1st-round draft pick and former 1st-round pick, Anthony DeAngelo. The Rangers management were also successful in signing top free agent defenseman, Kevin Shattenkirk on July 1, 2017, to a four-year deal.
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 1946â€"47 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 1929â€"30 season.
The white jerseys were first unveiled in the 1951â€"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.
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 1976â€"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 1977â€"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.
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. 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. The white jerseys followed suit in 1999, and the design was carried over to the Reebok Edge template in 2007.
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 1998â€"99 season, this jersey was used from 1996 to 2007, and proved to be highly popular with fans.
During the 2010â€"11 season, the Rangers debuted a heritage blue jersey as their new alternate uniform. The jersey features a darker shade a blue, as well as a cream trim. Unlike the regular jerseys, the font of the alternate is in sans-serif and does not feature a dropshadow, much like the original Rangers jersey. The Rangers wore the jerseys at home on Saturdays and when they played against Original Six teams. For the 2017â€"18 season, the heritage jersey was retired because of the league-wide switch to the Adidas uniform format.
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 Winter Classic jerseys are. 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.
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
Players and personnel
Current roster
Updated December 28, 2017
Team captains
General managers
The current general manager is Jeff Gorton, who was named on July 1, 2015.
Head coaches
The current head coach is Alain Vigneault, who was named on June 21, 2013. He has previously coached the Montreal Canadiens (1997â€"2001) and the Vancouver Canucks (2006â€"2013).
Team and league honors
Retired numbers
The Rangers have retired eight numbers for nine players in their history, and the NHL retired Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 for all its member teams at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game.
Notes:
- 1 The number was retired in honor of two different players.
The Rangers will retire the No. 19 jersey in honor of Jean Ratelle during the 2017â€"18 season.
Hall of Famers (Hockey Hall of Fame)
Players
Builders
Broadcasters (Foster Hewitt Memorial Award)
First-round draft picks
Single-season records
- Points: Jaromir Jagr (2005â€"06) â€" 123
- Points by a defenseman: Brian Leetch (1991â€"92) â€" 102
- Points by a rookie: Mark Pavelich (1981â€"82) â€" 76
- Goals: Jaromir Jagr (2005â€"06) â€" 54
- Goals by a defenseman: Reijo Ruotsalainen (1984â€"85) â€" 28
- Goals by a rookie: Tony Granato (1988â€"89) â€" 36
- Assists: Brian Leetch (1991â€"92) â€" 80
- Assists by a forward: Mark Messier (1991â€"92) & Wayne Gretzky (1996â€"97) â€" 72
- Assists by a rookie: Brian Leetch (1988â€"89) â€" 48
- Power play goals: Jaromir Jagr (2005â€"06) â€" 24
- Power play goals by a defenseman: Brian Leetch (1993â€"94) â€" 17
- Power play goals by a rookie: Camille Henry (1953â€"54) â€" 20
- Power play points: Brian Leetch (1993â€"94) â€" 53
- Power play points by a forward: Jaromir Jagr (2005â€"06) â€" 52
- Power play points by a rookie: Camille Henry (1953â€"54) â€" 32
- Power play assists: Brian Leetch (1990â€"91) â€" 45
- Power play assists by a forward: Jaromir Jagr (2006â€"07) â€" 34
- Power play assists by a rookie: Brian Leetch (1988â€"89) â€" 23
- Even strength goals: Jean Ratelle (1971â€"72) â€" 40
- Even strength goals by a defenseman: Brad Park (1973â€"74) & Ron Greschner (1980â€"81) â€" 21
- Even strength goals by a rookie: Steve Vickers (1972â€"73) & Tony Granato (1988â€"89) â€" 28
- Even strength points: Jean Ratelle (1971â€"72) â€" 82
- Even strength points by a defenseman: Brian Leetch (1991â€"92) â€" 55
- Even strength points by a rookie: Mark Pavelich (1981â€"82) & Tony Amonte (1991â€"92) â€" 52
- Even strength assists: Mark Messier (1991â€"92) & Wayne Gretzky (1996â€"97) â€" 46
- Even strength assists by a defenseman: Brian Leetch (1991â€"92) â€" 44
- Even strength assists by a rookie: Mark Pavelich (1981â€"82) â€" 34
- Short-handed goals: Theoren Fleury (2000â€"01) â€" 7
- Short-handed goals by a defenseman: Brian Leetch (1988â€"89) & Ryan McDonagh (2013â€"14) â€" 3
- Short-handed goals by a rookie: Tony Granato (1988â€"89) â€" 4
- Short-handed points: Mark Messier (1996â€"97) â€" 11
- Short-handed points by a defenseman: Brian Leetch (2000â€"01) â€" 5
- Short-handed points by a rookie: Tony Granato (1988â€"89) â€" 5
- Short-handed assists: Mark Messier (1993â€"94) â€" 7
- Short-handed assists by a defenseman: James Patrick (1986â€"87) & Brian Leetch (2000â€"01) â€" 4
- Short-handed assists by a rookie: Mark Heaslip (1977â€"78) & Ryan McDonagh (2010â€"11) â€" 2
- Game-winning goals: 6 players 9
- Game-winning goals by a defenseman: Ron Greschner (1977â€"78) & Tom Poti (2003â€"04) â€" 5
- Game-winning goals by a rookie: Bill Cook (1926â€"27) & Camille Henry (1953â€"54) â€" 7
- Overtime goals: Tomas Sandstrom (1986â€"87), Adam Graves (1998â€"99), & Marian Gaborik (2011â€"12) â€" 3
- Overtime goals by a defenseman: Brian Leetch (2001â€"02), Tom Poti (2003â€"04), & Kevin Klein (2014â€"15) â€" 2
- Empty net goals: Brandon Dubinsky (2010â€"11) â€" 5
- Empty net goals by a defenseman: Ron Greschner (1985â€"86), James Patrick (1991â€"92), & Ryan McDonagh (2013â€"14) â€" 2
- Plus/minus: Brad Park (1971â€"72) â€" +63 / Ron Greschner (1975â€"76) â€" -50
- Plus/minus by a forward: Jean Ratelle (1971â€"72) â€" +61 / Rick Middleton (1975â€"76) â€" -39
- Plus/minus by a rookie: Steve Vickers (1972â€"73) â€" +35 / Rod Seiling (1964â€"65) â€" -37
- Shots on goal: Jaromir Jagr (2005â€"06) â€" 368
- Shots on goal by a defenseman: Brian Leetch (1993â€"94) â€" 328
- Shots on goal by a rookie: Brian Leetch (1988â€"89) â€" 268
- Penalty minutes: Troy Mallette (1989â€"90) â€" 305
- Penalty minutes by a defenseman: Barry Beck (1980â€"81) â€" 231
- Goaltending wins: Mike Richter (1993â€"94) â€" 42
- Goaltending wins by a rookie: Henrik Lundqvist (2005â€"06) â€" 30
- Goaltending shutouts: John Ross Roach (1928â€"1929) â€" 13
- Goaltending shutouts by a rookie: Lorne Chabot (1926â€"1927) â€" 10
All single-season records verifiable from: Official Site of the National Hockey League | NHL.com
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten-point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
-  * â€" current Rangers player
NHL awards and trophies
The following lists the league awards which have been won by the Rangers team and its players and alumni:
Broadcast history
Notes
References
- Boucher, Frank; Frayne, Trent (1973). When The Rangers Were Young. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company. ISBNÂ 0-396-06852-9.Â
- Halligan, John (2000). New York Rangers: Seventy-Five Years. ISBNÂ 0-7607-2298-6.Â
- Halligan, John (2003). The New York Rangers (Images of Sports). ISBNÂ 0-7385-1228-1.Â
- Kreiser, John; Friedman, Lou (1997). The New York Rangers: Broadway's Longest Running Hit. ISBNÂ 1-57167-041-6.Â
- McFarlane, Brian (1997). The Rangers. ISBNÂ 0-7737-6007-5.Â
- Meisel, Barry (1995). Losing the Edge: The Rise and Fall of the Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers. ISBNÂ 0-684-81519-2.Â
- NY Daily News (2000). New York Rangers: Millennium Memories. ISBNÂ 1-58261-147-5.Â
- Sloman, Larry (1981). Thin Ice: A Season in Hell With the New York Rangers. ISBNÂ 0-440-18571-8.Â
- Rangers' Biggest Trades Since 1990 (October 6, 2006)
External links
- Official website
- Madison Square Garden
- MSG Network