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

Inside Maple Leaf Gardens, the air hung heavy with smoke and tension. The score sat tied deep in the third period, the clock ticking down like a fuse. On one side, the blue and white of Toronto; on the other, the red, white, and blue of New York. A Rangers forward drove hard into the corner, his stick clashing against a Leafs defender with a crack that echoed through the rafters. The crowd roared, a singular, deafening wave that shook the floorboards. In the center of the chaos, two goaltenders stood ready, pads stained from the grind, eyes locked on the puck as it deflected unpredictably in front of the crease. This was more than a game; it was a battle for supremacy, fought stick to glove under the bright lights of history.

Reader's Guide

Following this initial grace period, the franchise struggled between the 1940s and 1960s, where playoff appearances and successes were infrequent. The team enjoyed a mini-renaissance in the 1970s, making the Stanley Cup Final twice, losing to the Bruins in 1972 and the Canadiens in 1979. The Rangers subsequently embraced a rebuild for much of the 1980s and early 1990s, which eventually paid dividends in 1994, the team, led by Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Adam Graves, and Mike Richter, captured their fourth Stanley Cup. The team was unable to duplicate that success in the years that followed, and entered into another period of mediocrity, enduring a franchise-record seven-year postseason drought from 1998 to 2005. 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 were founded in 1926 by Tex Rickard.
• They are one of the Original Six teams, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• The Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1928, 1933, 1940, and 1994.
• In 1928, they became the first NHL franchise in the United States to win the Stanley Cup.