32 NHL Cities in 32 Days: New York Rangers

Alexis Bazydola
May 20, 2020
6 min read

The Location: New York, New York

The New York Rangers currently call Maddison Square Garden home. The current MSG opened in 1968. This iconic venue has welcomed many shows and sporting events throughout its historic career. It is the home of both the Rangers and the NBA’s New York Knicks. It has hosted various boxing fights throughout the years including the first Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazer bout. Three WrestleManias have been hosted at the Garden by WWE. It has also hosted countless concerts including greats like Elton John, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and so many others. The arena seats just over 18,000 for a home hockey game.

Team History

George Lewis “Tex” Rickard was awarded an NHL expansion bid in 1926. The team was nicknamed Tex’s Rangers. Rickard brought in Conn Smythe to help put together an initial roster but the two had a falling out and Smythe left before play began in 1926. Lester Patrick was brought in instead and the Rangers won the American Division their first season but lost to the Boston Bruins during the playoffs. In their second season, the team won their first Stanley Cup when they defeated the Montreal Maroons. They would win their second Cup in 1933 after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Throughout the 1930s the team dipped in and out of the playoffs. Patrick stepped down as head coach and was replaced by Frank Boucher. In 1940, the Rangers were awarded their third Stanley Cup as they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games. The rest of the 40s and 50s were hard for the Rangers as they faced competitive battles and failed to make traction in the playoffs.

In the late 1960s the team began to rejuvenate with additions like Eddie Giacomin and Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion. They did not find enough momentum to put their names back on the Cup, however as much of the 1970s saw playoff defeats. In 1975, the Rangers acquired Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais from the Boston Bruins. The team continued to be competitive throughout the 80s and 90s, but were unable to hoist another Cup.

The Rangers were awarded the 1991-92 Presidents’ Trophy. They would be knocked out of the playoffs by the Pittsburgh Penguins, however. The following season was plagued with injuries and forced the Rangers to miss the playoffs entirely. In 1994, the Rangers returned to the Stanley Cup Finals behind a roster heavy with talent in Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Craig MacTavish and many others. The Rangers faced the Vancouver Canucks and pushed the series to seven games. Messier scored the game winning goal and the Rangers once again found their names etched in to the Stanley Cup.

In the offseason of 1995, the Rangers traded for Ulf Samuelsson and Luc Robitaille. They would acquire Wayne Gretzky in 1996. With the departure of Messier in the summer of 1997, the Rangers continued to struggle and missed the playoffs for the next seven consecutive seasons. Gretzky retired following the 1998-99 season. This period of disgrace was not without star power on the roster. Greats like Pavel Bure, Jaromir Jagr, Martin Rucinsky were all part of the Rangers during this time, but to no avail.

Late in the 2003-04 season, general manager Glen Sather called for a rebuilding process and began clearing his roster in favor of prospects and draft picks. An all star season for Jagr in 2005-06 and other favorites boosting the roster like Henrik Lundqvist and Michael Nylander afforded the Rangers their first playoff spot since the 1996-97 season. They were swept by the New Jersey Devils in the first round.

During the 2006 offseason, the team signed Brendan Shanahan to a one-year contract to boost their offensive prowess. Jagr was also named team captain. They were able to clinch a playoff berth for the second year in a row. The Rangers swept the Atlanta Thrashers in the first round but fell to the Buffalo Sabres in the second round. That offseason saw the departure of Nylander but additions to the roster with Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. While they were able to make it back to the playoffs yet again in 2008, they ultimately fell in the second round to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Jagr departed the team in 2008 to return to play in the KHL. Drury was named the new captain. Another disappointing loss in the 2009 playoffs saw the Rangers continue to look to improve their roster in the offseason. They traded Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Chris Higgins, Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko, and Doug Janik. They also signed Marian Gaborik during free agency. In 2010, the Ranger failed to make the playoffs for the first time in five years.

In 2011, the Rangers returned to the playoffs. They faced the Washington Capitals and were eliminated in five games. The 2011 offseason saw many more roster changes for the Rangers: Drury’s contract was bought out, Brad Richards signed a nine-year free agency contract, and Ryan Callahan was named the new captain. After missing out on the Presidents’ Trophy, the Rangers faced the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the 2012 playoffs. They defeated Ottawa and played the Washington Capitals in the second round. They won the series in seven games and went on to their first Conference Finals appearance since 1997. They were defeated by the New Jersey Devils in six games.

More roster moves and head coaching changes were seen in 2012-13 after the Rangers were knocked out of the playoffs. In 2014, the Rangers returned to their first Stanley Cup Finals in 20 years after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Montreal Canadiens. They faced the LA Kings but lost in five games. Following this season, the Rangers bought out Brad Richards’s contract and named Ryan McDonagh as the new captain.

The Rangers won the 2014-15 Presidents’ Trophy. Facing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round they were able to win in five games. They forced seven games against the Washington Capitals and again won the series. They were able to force another seven-game series against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Conference Finals, but were not able to advance.

In July 2015, Glen Sather resigned as general manager and was replaced by Jeff Gorton. The addition of Emerson Etem and Antti Raanta started the 2015-16 season. While the team was able to make the playoffs, they were not able to make it past the first round as they were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The next summer the team traded for Mika Zibanjad and signed Michael Grabner and Jimmy Vesey. They competed in the 2017 playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens, defeating them in six games. The Rangers then faced the Ottawa Senators, but were eliminated in six games. Following this season, Dan Girardi was bought out, Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta were traded and Kevin Shattenkirk was signed to a contract.

Injuries plagued the Rangers during the 2018-19 season. The team issued a statement to fans acknowledging they were going in to a rebuilding period and some fan favorites would be lost. They finished outside of playoff contention for the first time since 2010. David Quinn was hired as the new head coach. More trades that season resulted in another lackluster end to the year. At the 2019-20 season’s pause, the team sits at 16th in the league with 79 points.

Fanbase & Traditions

With the iconic venue in Maddison Square Garden, the Rangers fans are known to heavily support their team throughout the game. The “blue-seaters” are known as the rowdiest in the building. There are a few iconic fans that have been known for years. Dancing Larry has been around since 1988 and helps hype up the crowd during the last TV timeout by dancing in between sections.

The Rangers celebrate goals by hearing three blasts from the NYC Fire Engine horn and the song “Slapshot” is played. This song made its debut in 1995. The Rangers also celebrate wins by listening to the “New York Rangers Victory Song” which was written for the team in 1940.

The New York Rangers are the only team in the NHL to have never had a mascot.