New York Rangers in History

Events in Sport

Stanley Cup Final

1933-04-13 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: New York Rangers beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 1-0 in OT for a 3-1 series win; first best-of-4 Finals series

1934-01-23 New York Rangers' left wing Murray Murdoch plays his 400th straight NHL game in a 5-2 win over Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden, NYC; streak reaches 508 consecutive games
1934-12-11 1st successful penalty shot by a Toronto Maple Leaf - Charlie Conacher stopped by New York Rangers Andy Aitkenhead at Madison Square Garden
1934-12-30 New York Rangers and Boston Bruins battle out a 0-0 tie; first of a 37-game overtime undefeated streak for the Bruins, the longest in NHL history; streak spans over 4 years and includes 27 ties
1937-04-15 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings beat New York Rangers, 3-0 for a 3-2 series win; back-to-back titles for Red Wings
1939-03-16 NHL record 10 goals in 1 period-NY Rangers (7), NY Americans (3) & a record 26 points in the 3rd period
1940-02-25 1st televised hockey game in US - New York Rangers defeat visiting Montreal Canadians 6-2 at Maison Square Garden; W2XBS broadcasts to up to 300 receivers in NYC
1940-04-13 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario: New York Rangers beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-2 for 4-2 series victory; Rangers last Cup win for 54 years
1940-12-01 Four sets of brothers play in one NHL game when Chicago Blackhawks beat NY Rangers, 4-1; Lynn & Muzz Patrick and Neil & Mac Colville (Rangers); Max & Doug Bentley and Bob & Bill Carse (Chicago)
1943-01-01 Chicago Black Hawks field first trio of brothers to play together in an NHL game; Max, Doug and Reggie Bentley appear for the Hawks in a 6-5 win over the New York Rangers at Chicago Stadium
1943-01-28 Chic Blackhawks beats NY Rangers 10-1, Max Bentley scores 4 goals
1944-01-23 Detroit Red Wings score 15 goals against New York Rangers with an NHL record 37 points; also record consecutive goals & most lopsided game, 15-0
1944-11-11 New York Rangers beat Detroit Red Wings, 5-2 to end NHL record 25 game winless streak (0-21-4)

Sawchuk's 1st Shutout

1950-01-15 Red Wings' rookie goalie Terry Sawchuk records his first of 115 career NHL shutouts, as Detroit beats the New York Rangers, 1-0 at Madison Square Garden

1950-04-23 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Pete Babando scores Cup-winning goal in double overtime of Game 7 as Detroit Red Wings beat NY Rangers, 4-3 for a 4-3 series win

Richards #2 Goal Scorer

1951-01-10 Maurice Richard scores his 16th career hat trick in the Montreal Canadiens' 3-0 win over NY Rangers to bring his career total to 274 goals; passes Howie Morenz as NHL's #2 all-time leading goal scorer

1952-02-17 Montreal Canadiens center Elmer Lach picks up his 354th career assist in a 3-2 loss at the NY Rangers to become NHL's all-time assists leader; passes Bill Cowley's mark
1952-03-23 NY Rangers blow 6-2 lead, lose 7-6 to Chicago Black Hawks; Bill Mosienko scores fastest hat trick in NHL history, 21 seconds
1953-10-03 7th NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC: All-Stars beat Montreal Canadiens, 3-1

Howe's Christmas Hat Trick

1956-12-25 Detroit's future Hockey Hall of Fame right wing Gordie Howe picks up a Xmas hat-trick & 3 assists in Red Wings' 8-1 win over NY Rangers; most points he scores in a single game in entire 26-year NHL career

1957-03-16 Toronto Maple Leafs tie NHL record 37 points beating NY Rangers 14-1
1957-10-05 11th NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC: All-Stars beat Montreal Canadiens, 5-3
1959-12-22 NY Ranger goalie Marcel Paille wears a customized mask

Bobby Hull's Record 300

1966-01-16 Chicago Black Hawks' right wing Bobby Hull scores 4 goals (his 17th career hat trick) in a 6-5 loss to NY Rangers; becomes the first player in team history to score 300 goals

1968-12-26 Bruin Ted Green sets NHL penalty record of 3 minors, 2 majors & 2 game misconducts in a game against NY Rangers in NY's Madison Square Garden

NHL Record

1969-03-01 Phil Esposito has a goal and assist in Boston Bruins' 8-5 win over NY Rangers to give him 99 points for the season, breaking the NHL record for most points in a season (97) held by Stan Mikita

1970-03-04 NY Rangers set then NHL record of 126 games without being shut-out
1971-11-21 NY Rangers scores a NHL record 8 goals in 1 period
1972-05-11 Stanley Cup Final, Madison Square Garden, NYC: Wayne Cashman scores twice as Boston Bruins beat NY Rangers, 3-0 to take title, 4-2
1973-01-30 26th NHL All-Star Game, Madison Square Garden, NYC: Eastern Division beats Western Division, 5-4; MVP: Greg Polis, Pittsburgh Penguins, LW
1974-10-09 Washington Capitals 1st NHL game, losing 6-3 to NY Rangers at Madison Square Garden; start of a 37 game road losing streak for Washington
1975-04-11 J. P. Parisé scores an 11 sec OT goal, to see the NY Islanders eliminate the NY Rangers in their ever 1st playoff advance
1975-12-17 NHL NY Islanders shut-out NY Rangers, for 1st time in 3-0 win with Billy Smith in goal
1975-12-28 In the aftermath of the Cold War, the New York Rangers become first team in NHL history to face a touring Soviet hockey squad; Soviet Army beats the Rangers, 7-3 at Madison Square Garden
1976-01-23 Washington Capitals end 25 game winless streak (0-22-3) beat NY Rangers 7-5
1977-02-06 4th time New York Rangers shut-out New York Islanders, 4-0
1977-02-19 Right wing Rod Gilbert scores a goal and adds an assist in a 5-2 defeat at the NY Islanders to become first player in NY Rangers history (11th in NHL) to score 1,000 career points

Trootier Sets Scoring Record

1978-12-23 NY Islanders center Bryan Trottier sets NHL record scoring 6 points - 4 goals & 2 assists - in 2nd period of 9-4 win over rival NY Rangers; adds goal & assist for game total 8 points; Islanders undefeated home streak stands at 16 games

1979-05-21 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: 4 consecutive titles for Montreal Canadiens; beat NY Rangers, 4-1 for a 4 games to 1 series win
1979-12-27 Red Army beats NY Rangers 5-2 at Madison Square Garden
1982-10-08 New Jersey Devils 1st NHL victory; beat New York Rangers 3-2 at Meadowlands
1983-04-14 NY Islanders tie own record with 2 shorthanded playoff goals (vs NY Rangers)
1983-04-17 NY Islanders tie NHL record with 3 shorthanded playoff goals vs NY Rangers
1983-11-05 NY Rangers & Quebec Nordiques both score in 1st 14 secs of 3rd period
1984-01-31 36th NHL All-Star Game, Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford: Wales Conference beats Campbell Conference, 7-6; MVP: Don Maloney, NY Rangers, LW
1984-11-09 Most shots in a NY Islander game (88 - Isles 45, NY Rangers 43)
1984-11-18 NJ Devils shutout NY Rangers 6-0
1986-05-09 NHL Prince of Wales Conference Final: Montreal Canadians beat New York Rangers, 4 games to 1
1987-10-10 Hartford center Doug Jarvis ends his career having played an NHL record 964 consecutive games as the Whalers lose 6-2 to the New York Rangers

Sports History

1987-11-03 New York Rangers' center Marcel Dionne becomes just the 2nd NHL player to register 1,700 career points, scoring a goal in 5-3 loss at Calgary

1988-01-28 New York Rangers' Marcel Dionne scores a 2nd period power play goal in 5-2 win in Philadelphia; becomes 1st first player in NHL history to get 20 goals in each of his first 17 seasons

Sports History

1988-08-19 NY Rangers sign ex-Canadien great Guy LaFleur out of retirement

1988-12-04 Edmonton center Jimmy Carson becomes just the third player to score 6 NHL hat tricks before the age of 21 in the Oilers 10-6 win over the New York Rangers
1989-03-15 NY Rangers retire goalie Eddie Giacomin's #1 uniform
1989-05-24 NHL's NY Rangers fire GM & coach Phil Esposito
1990-04-05 NY Rangers beat NY Islanders 2-1 in 1st game of preliminary
1990-04-07 NY Rangers beat NY Islanders 5-2, Rangers lead 2-0 in preliminary
1990-04-09 NY Islanders beat NY Rangers 4-3 in double overtime-Rangers lead 2-1
1990-04-11 NY Rangers beat NY Islanders 6-1, Rangers lead 3-1 in preliminary playoffs
1990-04-13 NY Rangers beat NY Islanders 6-5, Rangers win preliminary, 4-1

NHL Trade

1991-10-04 Edmonton Oilers trade captain Mark Messier (on the team for all 5 Stanley Cups) to the NY Rangers in exchange for Bernie Nicholls, Steven Rice & Louie DeBrusk; Messier leads Rangers to Cup 2 seasons later

Sports History

1991-10-14 NY Rangers right wing Mike Gartner becomes 1st NHL player to score his 500th goal, 500th assist, and 1000th point all in the same season

1992-03-26 NHL NY Rangers clinch 1st NHL regular season championship in 50 years
1992-04-16 NY Rangers win team record 50th game

NHL Trade

1992-06-29 NHL arbitrator decides Eric Lindros goes to Philadelphia Flyers instead of New York Rangers, after Quebec traded him twice; Quebec received 6 player, two draft picks and $15M

1993-02-06 44th NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC: Wales beats Campbell, 16-6; MVP: Mike Gartner, NY Rangers, RW
1994-01-22 45th NHL All-Star Game, Madison Square Garden, NYC: East beats West, 9-8; MVP: Mike Richter, NY Rangers, G
1994-04-24 NY Rangers sweep NY Islanders in NHL playoffs
1994-05-25 Mark Messier scores a natural hat trick for the New York Rangers in game 6 of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals
1994-05-27 NHL Eastern Conference Final: New York Rangers beat New Jersey Devils, 4 games to 3
1994-06-14 Stanley Cup Final, Madison Square Garden: New York Rangers beat Vancouver Canucks, 3-2 for a 4-3 series victory; Rangers end their record 54-year Championship drought

Sports History

1996-07-21 Wayne Gretzky signs a 2 year deal with NY Rangers

1996-12-01 Wayne Gretzky becomes first and only player in NHL history to reach 3,000-point plateau (including playoffs); records an assist in NY Rangers' 6-2 win over Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden
1997-05-25 NHL Eastern Conference Final: Philadelphia Flyers beat New York Rangers, 4 games to 1
1997-07-28 NY Ranger center Mark Messier signs with Vancouver for $20M for 3 yrs
1997-10-09 NY Rangers are 1st NHL team to open with 4 straight ties
1997-10-22 NHL superstar Wayne Gretzky's wife Janet is knocked unconscious and gets 2 stitches after plexiglass falls on her watching a game
1999-01-24 49th NHL All-Star Game, Ice Palace, Tampa, FL: North America beats World, 8-6; MVP: Wayne Gretzky, NY Rangers, C
1999-02-15 Wayne Gretzky records 5 assists in NY Rangers' 7-4 win over the Predators; takes a 1,000 point lead over Gordie Howe in all time NHL scoring lead; Gretzky's only appearance in Nashville
1999-04-18 Wayne Gretzky plays his last game in the NHL, as his New York Rangers lose 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins
1999-10-01 Edmonton Oilers retire Wayne Gretzky's #99 in a pre-game ceremony before a 1-1 tie v NY Rangers, the last team for which 'The Great One' suited up in an NHL game
2006-01-12 During an emotional ceremony, Mark Messier's #11 jersey is retired by the New York Rangers
2012-01-29 59th NHL All-Star Game, Scotiabank Place, Ottawa: Team Chara beats Team Alfredsson, 12-9; Marián Gáborík, NY Rangers, LW
2012-05-25 NHL Eastern Conference Finals: New Jersey Devils beat New York Rangers, 4 games to 2
2014-05-29 NHL Eastern Conference Final: New York Rangers beat Montreal Canadians, 4 games to 2
2014-06-13 Stanley Cup Final, Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA: LA Kings edge New York Rangers, 3-2 in double OT for a 4-1 series win; second Championship in LA franchise history
2015-05-29 NHL Eastern Conference Finals: Tampa Bay Lightning beat New York Rangers, 4 games to 3

Birthdays in Sport

1870-01-02 Tex Rickard, American boxing promoter and entrepreneur (founder NHL New York Rangers; builder third incarnation of Madison Square Garden, NYC), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1929)
1901-10-07 Frank Boucher, Canadian Hockey HOF center (Ottawa Sens, Vancouver Maroons, NY Rangers), coach (Stanley Cup 1939–40 NY Rangers) and executive (GM NY Rangers), born in Ottawa, Ontario (d. 1977)

1957-07-06 Ron Duguay, Canadian hockey player (NY Rangers, Detroit Red Wings), born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
1958-02-28 Mark Pavelich, American ice hockey forward (Olympic gold 1980 'Miracle on Ice'; NY Rangers, Minnesota North Stars, San Jose Sharks), born in Eveleth, Minnesota (d. 2021)
1959-04-15 Kevin Lowe, Canadian NHL defenceman, coach and executive (Edmonton Oilers; Stanley Cup x 6), born in Lachute, Quebec
1960-10-18 Doug Lidster, Kamloops, NHL defenseman (NY Rangers)

Mark Messier (63 years old)

1961-01-18 Canadian NHL Center (Edmonton, NY Rangers), born in Edmonton, Alberta

1961-05-14 Alain Vigneault, Canadian NHL ice hockey coach, since 1997 (New York Rangers, 2013-18; Philadelphia Flyers, 2019-present; and two other teams), born in Quebec City, Quebec
1962-04-29 Bruce Driver, Canadian NHL defenseman (NY Rangers), born in Toronto, Ontario
1962-08-23 Glenn Healy, Canadian NHL goalie (NY Rangers), born in Pickering, Ontario, Canada
1963-05-18 Marty McSorley, Canadian ice hockey defenseman (Stanley Cup 1987, 88 Edmonton Oilers; NHL Plus-Minus Award 1991 LA Kings), born in Hamilton, Ontario
1964-03-26 Ulf Samuelsson, Swedish American ice hockey defenseman who won Stanley Cup 1991, 92 Pittsburgh Penguins; first European 2,000 career penalty minutes, born in Fagersta, Sweden
1964-05-24 Pat Verbeek, Canadian NHL forward, 1982-2002 (New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers, and 3 other teams; Team Canada), and executive (Detroit Red Wings), born in Sarnia, Ontario
1964-05-25 David Shaw, Canadian NHL defenseman, 1982-98 (Quebec Nordiques, New York Rangers, and 4 other teams), born in St. Thomas, Ontario

Pat LaFontaine (59 years old)

1965-02-22 American NHL center, 1983-98 (NY Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, NY Rangers), born in St. Louis, Missouri

Weddings in Sport

1983-11-21 NY Ranger Ron Greschner marries model Carol Alt

Deaths in Sport

1929-01-06 Tex Rickard, American boxing promoter and entrepreneur (founder NHL New York Rangers; builder third incarnation of Madison Square Garden, NYC), dies of complications from an appendectomy at 59
1984-07-25 Bryan Hextall, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame right wing (NY Rangers; 3-time 1st team NHL All Star), dies from a heart attack at 70
1991-02-01 Phil Watson, Canadian NHL right wing (Stanley Cup 1940 [NYR], 1944 [Montreal Canadiens]) and coach (NY Rangers), dies at 76
1991-09-13 Paul Thompson, Canadian ice hockey forward (1926-39), won 3 Stanley Cups (1928 with NY Rangers, 1934 and 1938 with Chicago Black Hawks), and Black Hawks coach (1938-45), dies at 84
2002-10-06 Chuck Rayner, Canadian Hockey HOF goaltender (Hart Memorial Trophy 1950; NHL All-Star 1949, 50, 51; New York Americans, New York Rangers), dies from a heart attack at 82
2006-03-11 Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, Canadian Hockey HOF right wing (11 x NHL All-star; 6 x Stanley Cup - Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers) and coach (NY Rangers, Atlanta Flames, Montreal Canadiens), dies at 75
2016-02-26 Andy Bathgate, professional ice hockey player (New York Rangers, 1958 NHL MVP), dies at 83
2019-01-29 Andy Hebenton, Canadian ice hockey right wing (record 630 consecutive games; NY Rangers, Boston Bruins), dies at 89
2019-03-09 Harry Howell, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman (NY Rangers 1952-69), dies of dementia at 86
2020-04-10 Tom Webster, Canadian ice hockey right wing (Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings) and coach (NY Rangers, LA Kings), dies of brain cancer at 71
2020-09-21 Bob Nevin, Canadian ice hockey right wing (Stanley Cup 1962, 63; Toronto Maple Leafs; NY Rangers; 1,128 career NHL games), dies at 82
2022-12-08 Jackie McLeod, Canadian ice hockey right wing (World C'ship gold 1961; New York Rangers) and coach (Canada 1966-69, Olympic bronze 1968), dies at 92