New York Rangers

Lore & Background

Founded in 1926 by Tex Rickard, the Rangers are one of the Original Six teams that competed in the NHL before its 1967 expansion, along with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. The team attained success early on under the guidance of Lester Patrick, who coached a team containing Frank Boucher, Murray Murdoch, and Bun and Bill Cook to win the Stanley Cup in only their second season. In 1928, they became the first NHL franchise in the United States to win the trophy, and are still the fastest true expansion team in NHL history to do so. The team won two more Stanley Cups in 1933 and 1940.

In Their Own Story

The air in the Forum was thick enough to chew, smelling of stale beer, wet wool, and anticipation. In the opposing corner, a sea of blue and orange surged, their chants cutting through the roar of the Montreal faithful. The scoreboard glowed red with overtime time ticking down. A Ranger forward, battered and bleeding from a cut above his eye, checked the Canadiens' captain hard against the boards. The puck skittered loose into the neutral zone. For a heartbeat, the world narrowed to the ice, the stick, and the goal. There was no history here in that split second, only the primal need to win against the team that stood between you and immortality.

Reader's Guide

The Rangers made the Stanley Cup Final twice in the 1970s, losing to the Bruins in 1972 and the Canadiens in 1979. The team captured their fourth Stanley Cup in 1994, led by Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Adam Graves, and Mike Richter. After the arrival of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist in 2006, the Rangers thrived, missing the playoffs just once between 2006 and 2017. The Rangers returned to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, falling to the Los Angeles Kings in five games. Between 2012 and 2024, they reached the Eastern Conference finals five times.

Did You Know?

• The Rangers are one of the Original Six teams.
• The team won the Stanley Cup in 1928, 1933, 1940, and 1994.
• The Rangers were the first NHL franchise in the United States to win the Stanley Cup.
• The team's nickname is attributed to sports editor George Haley, who referred to the new team as 'Tex's Rangers'.

Foundational Growth and Early Volatility

The National Hockey League began its journey in 1917 as a direct successor to the National Hockey Association, initially fielding four teams including the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Arenas. This era of explosive expansion also introduced a divisional structure with American and Canadian divisions, fundamentally altering how the Stanley Cup was contested by ensuring it was decided exclusively between NHL teams for the first time.

The Original Six Era of Stability

This twenty-five-year span from 1942 to 1967 saw no franchise additions or subtractions, creating an unprecedented level of stability after decades of constant expansion and contraction. Prior to this quiet period, the league had fluctuated wildly in size, shrinking to seven teams by 1938 due to the withdrawal of the Montreal Maroons and the folding of the St. Louis Eagles.

The Great Expansion and Geographic Realignment

In 1967, the NHL shattered its long-standing stability by doubling in size through a massive expansion that added six new franchises to reach twelve teams. Louis Blues, each paying an upfront fee of $2 million. Notably, the Islanders paid a substantial additional sum to the Rangers for territorial rights during this phase.

Financial Dynamics and Competitive Pressures

The financial landscape of NHL expansion shifted dramatically as the league navigated competition from the rival World Hockey Association starting in 1972. While early expansion fees were set at $6 million for new franchises like the Sabres and Canucks, the presence of the WHA prevented the league from raising these costs significantly for subsequent entries. These financial maneuvers underscored how external competition and internal territorial disputes shaped the league's growth trajectory throughout the 1970s.