Jesper Fast (born December 2, 1991) is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Fast was drafted by the New York Rangers in the sixth round (157th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and joined the Rangers organization in 2013.
134-645: A Nässjö native, Fast started his career with two seasons in the J20 SuperElit junior hockey league, leading his team in goals in his final season. He started his first extended season with the Swedish Hockey League in 2010 and spent three full seasons with the HV71 , tying for the team lead in goals in 2012–13 and earning the Rinkens riddare for most sportsmanlike player. Internationally, Fast played for Sweden at
268-532: A Ron Francis slapshot from outside the blue line that eluded goaltender Mike Richter as the series' turning point). The following year, injuries and a 1–11 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
402-467: A $ 900,000 annual cap hit. Since HV71 was eliminated from the 2012–13 playoffs earlier than expected, Fast had the opportunity to go to the New York Rangers organization sooner than originally planned. The Swedish Hockey League initially voiced objections, but eventually agreed to loan him to the Rangers. Fast practiced with New York for the first time on April 2, 2013, although he did not play with
536-477: A 2014 sixth-round draft pick. After the Rangers were eliminated in 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 former Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault as Tortorella's replacement. A trade late in the 2013–14 season contributed to the Rangers reaching the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals . On March 5, 2014,
670-510: A 2–0 series deficit. The team responded with consecutive 4–1 home wins in games 3 and 4 to tie the series at two games apiece. However, the Rangers lost the next two games and were eliminated by the Senators. On June 14, 2017, the Rangers announced a buyout of Dan Girardi's contract. Just over a week later, the Rangers traded Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for
804-511: A 4–7–2 record in December for only ten points. After the holiday break, the team gradually improved their play, going on a 10–3–1 run without any back-to-back losses in February. The Rangers finished the season with 101 points for back-to-back 100+ point seasons. Despite high hopes, the Rangers were eliminated in the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs by a Penguins team that would go on to win
938-467: A 5-goal-game against Washington on March 5 and ending up with 41 goals in 57 games played. By early March 2020, the Rangers were within striking distance of the second wild-card position when the coronavirus pandemic halted the regular season. In May 2020, the league announced a 24-team playoff tournament to complete the season, where the Rangers were seeded 11th and faced the Carolina Hurricanes;
1072-458: A bang for the Rangers, with the signing of two high-profile centerman; Scott Gomez on a seven-year contract, as well as Chris Drury on a five-year deal. The moves, along with retaining most other key players, had been met favorably, and the Rangers made the playoffs for the third consecutive season and the second round for the second season in a row. Despite these streaks, the Rangers failed to meet expectations, losing their second-round series to
1206-458: A first-round draft pick (seventh overall) and former first-round pick Tony DeAngelo . The Rangers' management was also successful in signing top free agent defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk on July 1, to a four-year deal. With injuries sidelining Shattenkirk, Kreider, and Zibanejad, the Rangers struggled to compete. By February 8, 2018, the team had a 25–24–5 record, leading the front office to issue
1340-439: A game is tied after regulation time, overtime ensues. During the regular season, overtime is a five-minute, four-on-four (four skaters, one goaltender) sudden death period, in which the first team to score a goal wins the game. In the playoffs, however, a 10-minute, four-on-four sudden death period (20 minutes in the final) is played to determine a winner. In the regular season as well as the playoffs, if both teams are tied after
1474-609: A game-tying goal in a September 22 loss to the New Jersey Devils , and two goals in a 6–3 victory over Philadelphia on September 28. For the second consecutive year, he made the Rangers roster out of training camp, with Vigneault calling him one of the most consistent players throughout the camp. But he again struggled once the regular season began, and on October 17 was sent back to the Hartford Wolf Pack, along with J. T. Miller. Fast had nine points (one goal, eight assists) over
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#17330936753661608-521: 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 6–3 and 4–1 to set up a seventh game, for the second consecutive series, at home. In
1742-693: A letter to fans announcing the Rangers would be committing to a rebuild and may "lose some familiar faces" in the process. Rick Nash was traded the day before the 2018 NHL trade deadline to the Bruins for a 2018 first-round pick, a 2019 seventh-round pick, Matt Beleskey , Ryan Spooner and Ryan Lindgren . The following day, the Rangers traded captain Ryan McDonagh and J. T. Miller to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Vladislav Namestnikov , prospects Brett Howden and Libor Hajek , and multiple draft picks. With
1876-642: 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 37-year-old former 1950s Montreal Canadiens star right wing Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion , signed out of retirement in 1966. The Rangers made
2010-410: A mediocre 2018–19 season , Gorton and his team remained committed to rebuilding the franchise. 2017 first-round draft pick Filip Chytil made his NHL debut, and early in the season Ryan Spooner was traded to Edmonton for Ryan Strome . With the trade deadline approaching and their playoff chances slim, the Rangers once again traded away veteran players, with fan-favorite Mats Zuccarello being sent to
2144-454: A neutral venue which is the same for all these games. The first round of the playoffs are the pre-qualifications for quarterfinals, known as the eighth finals, which consists of all teams from the Top 10 group and the six qualified teams from the continuation group. Each of the seven highest-ranked teams from the Top 10 group choose which of the teams ranked 9–16 overall (the two worst Top 10 teams and
2278-701: A point in either match. He returned to the SuperElit league for the start of the 2010–11 season, scoring 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in six games with the HV71 U20 team, before permanently joining the Swedish Hockey League. At age 18, playing in a limited role for HV71 during the 2010–11 season, Fast scored 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists) in 36 games, with a +6 plus-minus , 6 penalty minutes and two power play goals, exceeded most observers' expectations. Fast credited playing alongside Johan Davidsson as part of
2412-533: A shoulder injury. Observers said Fast needed to adjust to the smaller North American ice surface, and did not get sufficient minutes to do so quickly enough to remain in the NHL. Fast recorded two assists during his October 30 debut with the Rangers AHL team, now called the Hartford Wolf Pack . However, he suffered a high ankle sprain after going into the boards during a November 2 game at Springfield. He missed
2546-681: A strong team, setting a new franchise record of 25 road game wins. New York defeated Philadelphia in seven games in the first round of the 2014 playoffs , and in the next round rallied from a 3–1 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 Cup Finals, their first visit in 20 years, to face 2012 champions Los Angeles Kings . The Rangers led
2680-418: A team record on January 24 for fastest goal to start a period, scoring in the first seven seconds of the game against Springfield, beating Hartford's previous record by two seconds. Fast had a season-high five-game point streak from January 24 to January 31, recording six goals and two assists. That included his first North American professional multi-goal game on January 25, in which he scored two goals against
2814-504: A tumultuous season, a major bright spot was the play of Adam Fox ; he led NHL defensemen with 42 assists, finished second in points with 47, and won the James Norris Memorial Trophy . In the 2021–22 season , the Rangers finished the regular season with a record of 52–24–6, making the playoffs for the first time since 2020. For the third time in franchise history, the Rangers overcame a 3–1 series deficit, this time against
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#17330936753662948-481: A two-year contract extension with HV71, which included a 900 percent raise to 5 million krona annually. Fast had a strong start to his 2012–13 season, scoring six points (four goals, two assists) in the first 10 games. He finished the regular season with 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) in 47 games, exceeding the 32 points (12 goals, 10 assists) he had scored in 57 games during his first two Swedish Hockey League seasons. Fast tied for HV71 lead in goals and ranked third on
3082-402: A win in regulation, one point for losing in overtime/shootout, two points for winning in overtime/shootout, and zero points for a loss in regulation. Based on geographical location, the 20 teams are divided into two groups: Norra ("North") and Södra ("South"). The groups are played as round-robins , where each team plays all other teams in their group three times. After 27 games for each team,
3216-588: The 1926–27 season to compete with the New York Americans , who had begun play at the Garden the previous season. The Americans' early success in their inaugural season exceeded expectations, 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
3350-524: The 1928 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 . When the Rangers' starting goaltender, Lorne Chabot , left a game with an eye injury , Maroons head coach Eddie Gerard vetoed Patrick's original choice for an emergency replacement, Alex Connell of
3484-520: The 1972 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
3618-705: The 2011 World Junior Championships . A native of Nässjö , Sweden , Jesper Fast was born on December 2, 1991. He changed his last name to "Fast" in 2012. Fast began his hockey career with the HV71 U18 team in Sweden's J20 SuperElit junior hockey league. He debuted in the 2007–08 season, tallying 26 points (15 goals , 11 assists ) in 30 games. The next season, as a 16-year-old, Fast played in 37 regular season games and seven playoff matches for HV71's U20 team. He scored 17 points (9 goals, 8 assists) and had 24 penalty minutes, including two goals, one assist and eight penalty minutes in
3752-615: The Atlanta Thrashers in the first round of the 2007 playoffs , the Rangers swept the series. However, they were eliminated in the next round by the Buffalo Sabres . At the 2007 NHL entry draft , the Rangers chose Alexei Cherepanov 17th overall, who had been ranked by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau as the number one European skater. Despite the departure of Michael Nylander, the 2007 free agency season started with
3886-581: The Chicago Black Hawks two games to none. The Maple Leafs then swept Detroit a best-of-three series to advance to the finals. The 1940 Stanley Cup Finals commenced in Madison Square Garden. In game 1, the Rangers needed overtime to gain a 1–0 series lead, but they won game two more easily with a 6–2 victory. The series then shifted to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs won the next two games, tying
4020-574: The Los Angeles Kings . In 1988, while a Ranger, Dionne moved into third place in NHL career goals scored . Dionne spent nine games in the minors before retiring during the 1988–89 season . Frustration was at its peak when the 1991–92 Rangers captured the Presidents' Trophy . They took a 2–1 series lead on the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins and then faltered in three-straight (some observers note
4154-755: The New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They are one of three NHL franchises located in the New York metropolitan area ; the others being the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders . 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
Jesper Fast - Misplaced Pages Continue
4288-531: The Norfolk Admirals on April 6, earning him First Star of the Game. Fast recorded a total of 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) in 48 games for the 2013–14 Hartford season , along with 30 penalty minutes and a +14 plus-minus. Despite missing time from his injury, Fast ranked seventh on the team in assists, fourth in goals, and second in plus-minus with +14. His eight power play goals led the team and tied eighth place in
4422-470: The Ottawa Senators , who was in attendance. An angry Patrick lined up between the pipes for two periods in game 2 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 1929 Stanley Cup Finals and an early struggle in the early 1930s, the Rangers, led by brothers Bill and Bun Cook on
4556-547: The Pittsburgh Penguins in a first round matchup that concluded with a game-winning overtime goal from Artemi Panarin . In the next round, they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games after trailing in the series 2–0 and 3–2, advancing to their first conference finals since 2015. There they faced the back-to-back defending champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning , and lost the series in six games despite having
4690-517: The Swedish Hockey League (SHL) or HockeyAllsvenskan in order to develop talented youth for the professional teams. The winning team of the J20 Nationell playoffs is awarded the Anton Cup . Each J20 Nationell game is an ice hockey game played between two teams and is 60 minutes long. The game is composed of three 20-minute periods. At the 60-minute mark, the team with the most goals wins the game. If
4824-495: The Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals, the only points he earned in that series. It marked Fast's first career multi-goal game, making him the first Rangers rookie to score multiple goals in a game since Brandon Dubinsky in 2008, and the first with a multi-goal playoff game on the road since Mike Ridley in 1986. After the conclusion of the 2019–20 season, having played in his seventh season with
4958-623: The Victoria Cup final, defeating the European Champions Cup winner Metallurg Magnitogorsk in Bern , Switzerland. This was followed by two NHL regular season games against Tampa Bay in Prague on October 4 and 5, and the Rangers won both games. The Rangers tied the 1983–84 Rangers for the best start in franchise history with a 5–0 record, and set the franchise record for best start in a season through
5092-405: The 1926–27 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 "RANGERS" in diagonal. Future Toronto Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe was hired to assemble the team, however he 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 season – he
5226-636: The 2011 IIHF World U20 Championship , where he tied the team lead with four goals in six tournament matches, also recording two assists and a +4 plus-minus. Sweden took fourth place in the tournament. In 2011–12, Fast represented Sweden in the Karjala Cup portion of the European Trophy tournament in October. He scored two assists in three games, which tied the Swedish team lead in scoring, and tied eighth scoring for
5360-529: The 2012–13 season, Fast was awarded the Rinkens riddare (Knight of the Rink) award, which is bestowed by the Swedish hockey journalists' association each season to the most sportsmanlike player. He was also voted favorite HV71 player of the year by readers of the Swedish publication Jnytt . Fast was drafted by the New York Rangers in the sixth round (157th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft , having obtained
5494-661: The Boston Bruins, breaking the club record previously held by Adam Graves. Two games prior, on April 4, the Rangers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3–2, in a shootout, to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 1996–97 . In the 2006 conference quarterfinals , the Rangers drew a matchup with the Devils and were defeated in a four-game sweep. Jagr fell two points short of winning his sixth Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion in 2005–06, but did win his third Pearson Award as
Jesper Fast - Misplaced Pages Continue
5628-506: The Columbus Blue Jackets and returned to New York to become the organization's new president. Davidson and Gorton addressed the team's defensive woes by acquiring top prospect Adam Fox from Carolina for a pair of picks, as well as veteran defenseman Jacob Trouba . The team also signed free agent Artemi Panarin to a seven-year deal on July 1. To help with salary cap restrictions, the Rangers then traded Jimmy Vesey and bought out
5762-530: The Dallas Stars in exchange for two draft picks and Kevin Hayes going to Winnipeg in exchange for a first-round pick, a conditional pick, and forward Brendan Lemieux . The Rangers received the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL entry draft , and subsequently used it to select forward Kaapo Kakko . On May 17, 2019, former Ranger goaltender and broadcaster John Davidson resigned from his position as president of
5896-541: The Devils a 4–2 series win and ending the Rangers' season. On July 23, 2012, the Rangers traded Brandon Dubinsky , Artem Anisimov , Tim Erixon and a 2013 first-round draft pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Rick Nash , Steven Delisle , and a 2013 conditional third-round pick. At the 2013 NHL trade deadline on April 3, the Rangers then traded Marian Gaborik and Steven Delisle to Columbus for Derick Brassard , Derek Dorsett , John Moore , and
6030-654: The Falcons. Fast followed that the next day with a second straight two-goal game, this time against the Adirondack Phantoms . Fast had another two-goal game, both on the power play, against the Phantoms on March 22, which marked the start of a run of seven points (four goals, three assists) in seven games up to April 6. Fast marked a North American single-game career high with three points (2 goals, 1 assist) in Hartford's 3–2 win over
6164-507: The Hurricanes swept the Rangers. After being eliminated from the playoffs the Rangers were entered into the second phase of the NHL draft lottery where the team won the lottery and were awarded the first pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft , which Gorton used to select Alexis Lafreniere . Later in the off-season, the team traded veteran defenseman Marc Staal to the Red Wings. In September 2020,
6298-748: The Hurricanes. On 29 August 2024, it was announced that Fast would miss the entirety of the 2024-25 season after undergoing neck surgery. In 2009–10, Fast skated in ten international matches for Sweden at the U18 and U19 levels, but did not participate in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship tournament . He scored one goal and one assist in four games for Sweden at the U20 USA National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, New York . At age 18, Fast represented Sweden in
6432-559: The Metropolitan Division Semifinal against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 17. At the conclusion of the season, the Rangers coaching staff told Fast to add strength, so he worked on his upper body and leg strength during the off-season, adding 10 to 15 pounds of muscle, bringing him to 20 pounds heavier than when he was drafted in 2010. Fast scored three goals during the Rangers' 2014 preseason, including
6566-545: The Penguins in five games. The Rangers then acquired Wayne Gretzky in 1996. Gretzky's greatest accomplishment with the Rangers was leading them to the 1997 conference finals , where they lost 4–1 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
6700-504: 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 Rangers defeated the Canadiens in six games in the 1996 playoffs , but lost their second-round series to
6834-441: The Philadelphia Flyers. Miller, his long-time AHL teammate, assisted on the goal, and Fast assisted on a Miller goal that same game. Fast recorded his second goal in as many games on December 1, scoring against Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning . Fast had played most of the season on the fourth line, often with Moore and Tanner Glass , or with Hagelin and Kevin Hayes , and had been an occasional healthy scratch. Fast finished
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#17330936753666968-803: The Pittsburgh Penguins. The following off-season saw the departures of captain Jaromir Jagr to the KHL, and alternate captains Martin Straka and Brendan Shanahan, who left to play in the Czech Republic and with the New Jersey Devils, respectively. Following Jagr's departure, Chris Drury was named captain on October 3, 2008. The Rangers were one of four NHL teams to open the 2008–09 season in Europe, being featured in
7102-484: The Rangers $ 250,000 for their comments. Two days later, Rangers owner James Dolan fired president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton . Despite the timing, Dolan stated the firings were not related to the Wilson incident and statement, citing "culture" issues within the organization. Chris Drury was then announced as the Rangers' new president and general manager. On May 12, Drury fired head coach David Quinn, and replaced him with Gerard Gallant . Despite
7236-551: 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 2001–02 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 2002–03 and 2003–04 ,
7370-411: The Rangers bought out the final year of Henrik Lundqvist 's contract, ending his tenure in New York after 15 years. On January 31, 2021, defenseman Tony DeAngelo was placed on waivers, following reports that he had an altercation with teammate Alexandar Georgiev following an overtime loss. According to The Athletic , his continued "maturity" issues, combined with a marked decline in his play, led
7504-402: The Rangers finished the season with a record of 44–26–12, their best record since 1993–94. Jagr broke the Rangers' single-season points record with a first-period assist in a 5–1 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
7638-448: The Rangers roster, partially because the team needed a right-handed shot to replace the injured captain Ryan Callahan . Fast made his NHL debut on October 3 against the Phoenix Coyotes , taking one shot on goal in 10:13 of ice time. Fast played in eight of the Rangers' first 10 games of the season, playing on the fourth line and recording no points and a -5 plus-minus, before returning to the AHL to make room for Carl Hagelin 's return from
7772-443: The Rangers signed superstar Marian Gaborik on the first day of free agency. In the 2009–10 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 Gaborik had not paid off, despite Gaborik scoring 42 goals and 86 points in the season. The final two games of the season were a home-and-home against the Philadelphia Flyers, with both teams competing for
7906-548: The Rangers to put him on the market; there were no takers. In a game against the Washington Capitals on May 3, 2021, Capitals forward Tom Wilson cross-checked Pavel Buchnevich in the head and slammed Artemi Panarin into the ice, ending his season. Wilson, a repeat offender, was fined the league maximum of $ 5,000 for the incident. The Rangers organization released a statement expressing disappointment in this decision, calling head of player safety George Parros "unfit to continue in his current role". The NHL subsequently fined
8040-412: The Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup championship , winning their fourth Cup. By the 1993–94 season, the Rangers had acquired seven players who had been part of the Edmonton Oilers ' Cup-winning teams: Oilers captain (and new Rangers captain) Mark Messier , Adam Graves , Kevin Lowe , Jeff Beukeboom , Esa Tikkanen , Craig MacTavish and Glenn Anderson . Graves set a team record with 52 goals, breaking
8174-479: The Rangers traded their captain Ryan Callahan, along with a first-round draft pick in 2015 , a conditional second-round pick in 2014 , and a conditional seventh-round pick in 2015, for Tampa Bay captain Martin St. Louis . The trade occurred both due to the Rangers' and Callahan's inability to reach a contract extension, as well as St. Louis' growing tension with the Lightning organization and subsequent request to be traded to New York. The 2013–14 Rangers were already
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#17330936753668308-421: The Rangers unveiled the new Heritage Jersey for the first time at the ice 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 Rangers' playoff chances came down to the final day of the regular season for
8442-433: The Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy for the third time in franchise history and their seventh division title by finishing with the best record in the NHL at 53–22–7. The 53 wins and 113 points both set franchise records. The team also won 28 road games in the regular season, breaking the franchise record set the previous season. In the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs , the Rangers dispatched the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games in
8576-403: The Rangers, Fast left the club as a free agent. On 11 October 2020, Fast joined his second NHL club, agreeing to a three-year, $ 6 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes . On May 11, 2023, Fast scored the overtime and series winning goal against the New Jersey Devils in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. On 1 July 2023, Fast signed a two-year $ 4.8 million contract extension with
8710-457: 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 . For the 1986–87 season , the team acquired superstar center Marcel Dionne after almost 12 years with
8844-420: The Stanley Cup Finals in 2014, falling to the Los Angeles Kings in five games. Several former members of the Rangers have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame , four of whom – Buddy O'Connor , Chuck Rayner , Andy Bathgate , and Messier – have won the Hart Memorial Trophy while playing for the team. George Lewis "Tex" Rickard , president of Madison Square Garden , was awarded an NHL franchise for
8978-423: The Stanley Cup Finals. While the Rangers lost to the Boston Bruins in six games, Tkaczuk earned much respect for holding the Bruins' Phil Esposito without a goal in the series. The Rangers played a legendary conference semifinals series against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1974 playoffs , losing in seven games and becoming the first Original Six club to lose a playoff series to a 1967 expansion team. This series
9112-419: The Stanley Cup. That summer, the Rangers extended Antti Raanta's contract, signed Pavel Buchnevich to an entry-level contract, and re-signed J. T. Miller, Chris Kreider , and Kevin Hayes . On July 18, 2016, the Rangers traded Derick Brassard and a 2018 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for Mika Zibanejad and a 2018 second-round draft pick. The team also signed Michael Grabner to a two-year deal and
9246-427: The Whale's 4–3 victory, and was the Third Star of the Game. However, he injured his knee during the match and did not play another AHL game that season. Fast participated in the Rangers' training camp that preceded the 2013–14 season , during which he impressed New York's head coach Alain Vigneault , and head European scout Anders Hedberg . Although it was his first North American professional training camp, Fast made
9380-401: The beginning of each season. As of the 2019–20 season. The J20 Nationell season is divided into a regular season from mid-September through the beginning of March, where teams play each other in a predefined schedule; and the playoffs starting in March and ending in the beginning of April, which is an elimination tournament where two teams play against each other in order to advance to
9514-399: The continuation group have to play in a relegation-and-promotion playoff series against the two winners from the second-tier league J20 Elit in order to qualify for the next season of J20 Nationell. The playoff series are played as best-of-three series where the two teams that win two games qualify for the next season of J20 Nationell. The two J20 Nationell teams get home-ice advantage for
9648-560: The deciding game 3, establishing a rivalry that continued to grow for years. In a blockbuster trade with the Boston Bruins , the Rangers 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 1978 . In the 1979 Stanley Cup playoffs , New York defeated
9782-404: The finals twice in the 1970s, but lost both times to two 1970s 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 . The Rangers reached
9916-469: The first 13 games by going 10–2–1 for 21 points, with the 10 wins and 21 points each becoming franchise records. A successful start to the season, however, was tempered with by the news of the sudden death of 2007 first-round pick Alexei Cherepanov, which occurred during a KHL game in Russia on October 13. A disappointing second half of the season followed. After the Rangers went 2–7–3 in 12 games, coach Tom Renney
10050-569: 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 victory, head coach Mike Keenan left after a dispute with general manager Neil Smith . During the lockout -shortened 1994–95 season , the Rangers won their first-round series with the Quebec Nordiques , but lost in the second round of the playoffs to
10184-509: The first four games of the series, but the Rangers lost game 5 by a 2–0 scoreline at home. In game 6, Derick Brassard scored a hat-trick and assisted on two other goals in an emphatic 7–3 victory to force game 7 in New York. There, the Lightning shutout the Rangers 2–0, ending the Rangers' season, and marking the first occasion the Rangers had ever lost a game 7 at home in franchise history as well as
10318-539: The first half of the 2006–07 season, the second half was dominated by the stellar goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist. On February 5, 2007, the Rangers acquired agitating forward Sean Avery in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings, which brought further intensity to the team. Despite losing several players to injury in March, the Rangers went 10–2–3 in the month and clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season. Facing
10452-544: 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, and the Toronto Maple Leafs ousted
10586-562: The first round. The Rangers then came back from a 3–1 series deficit to win their second-round series against the Capitals in seven games, becoming the first team in NHL history to battle back from a 3–1 deficit in back-to-back seasons and sending the Rangers to the conference finals for the third time in four years. However, after winning the first game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers lost game 2 by four goals. The two teams split
10720-578: The first time they lost an elimination game at home since they lost to Buffalo in 2007 . On June 27, 2015, the Rangers traded Carl Hagelin to the Anaheim Ducks, Cam Talbot and a draft pick to the Edmonton Oilers, and prospect Ryan Haggerty to the Chicago Blackhawks for Antti Raanta , who replaced Talbot as Lundqvist's backup goaltender. Subsequently, on July 1, Glen Sather resigned as
10854-403: The first two games by two goals but lost each game in overtime, and were then shut-out at home 3–0 in game 3. The Kings outshot the Rangers in game 4, but the Rangers staved off elimination by winning the game 2–1. They had another lead in game 5, 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
10988-404: The fourth round, the finals, the two remaining teams face each other. The two teams that lose in the semifinals play for the bronze medal. In the first round and the second round, the higher-ranked team is said to be the team with home-ice advantage . Two of the three games are played at this team's home venue — the second game and, if necessary, the third game, with the first game being played at
11122-585: The franchise struggled between the 1940s and 1960s, wherein playoff appearances and successes were infrequent. The team enjoyed a mini-renaissance in the 1970s, where they made the Stanley Cup Finals 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, where the team, led by Mark Messier , Brian Leetch , Adam Graves , and Mike Richter , captured their fourth Stanley Cup. The team
11256-471: The game for Los Angeles, 3–2, 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 . On October 6, 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. In 2014–15 ,
11390-420: The general manager, with Jeff Gorton taking his place to become the 11th general manager in team history. On July 2, Martin St. Louis announced his retirement. The team then re-signed Jesper Fast , J. T. Miller , and Derek Stepan. The Rangers started the 2015–16 season with a 14–2–2 record after 18 games, including a nine-game winning streak. However, the team lost their momentum and floundered, posting
11524-525: 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. They were 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. Following this initial grace period,
11658-404: The last two years of Shattenkirk's contract. The 2019–20 season was a step forward for the rebuilding Rangers; Panarin lived up expectations and earned a Hart Trophy nomination, rookie goaltender Igor Shesterkin proved to be a worthy successor to aging superstar Henrik Lundqvist, Chris Kreider signed a seven-year contract extension, and Mika Zibanejad emerged as an elite forward, recording
11792-694: The league among AHL rookies, and his six game-winning goals tied for first in Hartford and fourth in the overall league. Fast was a staple on the Wolf Pack's penalty kill unit, and played most of the season on a line with J. T. Miller and Ryan Bourque . Fast was called up to the Rangers in April 2014 to replace Chris Kreider , who suffered a left hand injury. Playing on a line with Hagelin and Brad Richards , Fast played in New York's last three regular season games, as well as three post-season matches. He recorded his first career NHL playoff point with an assist in Game 1 of
11926-776: The lower-ranked team's home venue. At the end of the J20 Nationell playoffs, the Swedish Junior Champions are awarded the Anton Cup . New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City . The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference . The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden , an arena they share with
12060-611: The much-anticipated college sensation Jimmy Vesey to a two-year entry-level contract. The Rangers finished 2016–17 in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with 102 points. In the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup 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 double overtime, putting themselves in
12194-588: The next 11 matches for Hartford, including two 2-assist games on October 24, and November 8, notching his sole goal in a 4–3 win over the Worcester Sharks on November 2. He was recalled by the Rangers on November 10. Fast scored his first NHL regular season career point on November 23 with an assist on Dominic Moore 's goal against the Montreal Canadiens . He scored his first NHL goal on November 29, three days before his 23rd birthday, against Ray Emery of
12328-449: The next 14 games as a result, not returning until December 20, but was given enough minutes upon his return that he was quickly able to get back into shape. Fast scored his first goal of the season on December 26, notching the game winner on the power play against Bridgeport Sound Tigers goalie Anders Nilsson . The game was part of a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists) that stretched from December 21 to December 29. Fast also set
12462-447: The next round, the Rangers once again faced the Capitals. In game 3, Gaborik scored to win 14:41 into the third overtime, giving the Rangers a 2–1 lead in the series, but Washington came back to tie the series 2–2 in game 4. Washington was up by one during the final minutes of game 5 when Joel Ward committed a high-sticking double-minor. Richards scored to tie with just 6.6 seconds remaining, and in overtime, defenseman Marc Staal scored on
12596-496: The next round. The final remaining team wins the Anton Cup and is crowned the Swedish Junior Champions, or Svenska juniormästare in Swedish . In the regular season, each team may ice up to two skaters and one goaltender aged 20 or higher in each game. In the playoffs, however, no over-aged players are allowed in any game. In the regular season, each team plays 45 games. Points are awarded for each game, with three points awarded for
12730-504: The nicknames " Quickie " and " Fasty ". J20 SuperElit J20 Nationell is a junior ice hockey league composed of 20 teams in Sweden . Previously known as the J20 SuperElit, it is the highest-level junior ice hockey league in Sweden. The teams are divided in two groups, or divisions, Norra (North) and Södra (South), and are usually associated with a professional team in either
12864-491: The overall tournament. Fast is considered a skilled forward with good skating ability, hockey sense, and speed, the latter of which gives him an edge in retrieving pucks along the boards. He excels on the forecheck , is a reliable defensive forward, and plays well in the offensive, defensive, and neutral zones. Alain Vigneault has praised his work ethic and dependability, and former teammate Tanner Glass has noted his ability to make responsible decisions and skillful plays with
12998-462: The overtime period, penalty shots ensues. Best team of three penalty shots wins; if both teams are still tied, sudden death penalty shots will ensue until a winning team has been determined. The J20 Nationell currently consists of 20 teams divided into two divisions, Norra (North) and Södra (South). The five best teams from each of these two divisions play in the Winter series known as Top 10 , while
13132-410: The players' choice for the most outstanding player. Realizing that the team had trouble scoring goals in the 2005–06 campaign, the Rangers signed Triple Gold Club winner and 12-time 30-goal scorer Brendan Shanahan to a one-year contract. On October 5, 2006, opening night of the 2006–07 season , Jagr was named the first team captain since Mark Messier's retirement. Though the Rangers started slow in
13266-438: The playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, finishing no higher than fourth in their division. Gretzky retired at the end of the 1998–99 season . 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 2000–01 season , the Rangers had landed a significant amount of star power. Messier had returned to New York, Theoren Fleury joined
13400-528: 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. In the 1972 playoffs, with Ratelle sidelined with a broken ankle and Gilbert hampered by injuries, Walt Tkaczuk played a key role as the Rangers defeated the defending champion Canadiens and the previous year's finalists, the Black Hawks, to reach
13534-477: The postseason. In 2009–10, Fast recorded 49 points (23 goals, 26 assists), the highest he had scored in all three categories during his SuperElit league career. He led the team in goals and placing second in points and third in assists. He tied for fifth in the overall league for regular season points, and also had two assists in three playoff games. Fast also made his Swedish Hockey League debut in 2009–10, playing in two games with HV71, although he failed to record
13668-586: 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 52–24–8, 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
13802-494: The puck along the defensive zone wall. One of Fast's drawbacks is he lacks the ideal frame for National Hockey League play, but his physical game improved after he added muscle in the 2014 offseason. Fast is the cousin of fellow hockey players Adam and Anton Bengtsson , who play in the Swedish Hockey League. Adam has said Fast was "supernaturally good" at hockey as a youth and he was not surprised by his future success. Fast also enjoys playing golf . Fast's teammates have given him
13936-543: The reason for his success and growth in confidence. He was held scoreless with a -3 plus-minute in three postseason games as the first-place HV71 was swept from the first round of the playoffs by Allmänna Idrottsklubben (AIK) in an upset. In the 2011–12 season, Fast had three multi-point games, including a career-high four assists and five points against AIK on October 4. That game started a streak of 10 points (one goal, nine assists) over six games, which continued to an October 20 match against Frölunda HC . However, Fast's season
14070-464: The regular season with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 58 games, and had been promoted to a top six forward role by the playoffs, playing on the second line with Kreider and Derek Stepan. Vigneault praised him as "a real smart, hard-working player". Fast scored one goal and three assists in the seven-game playoff series against the Washington Capitals , and he scored twice in Game 3 against
14204-502: The remaining teams from Norra and Södra have to play in a "continuation group" during winter. In the continuation group, the two worst teams have to play in a relegation-and-promotion playoff series to stay in J20 Nationell for the next season and avoid relegation to the second-tier league J20 Elit . Clubs whose senior team is in the SHL cannot be relegated. Theoretically, there is a possibility that two 'new' teams will play in J20 Nationell at
14338-458: 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 . The Rangers were expected to struggle during the 2005–06 season , but behind stellar performances by Swedish rookie goaltender Henrik Lundqvist ,
14472-457: The right and left wings, respectively, and Frank Boucher at center, defeated the Maple Leafs in the 1933 Stanley Cup Finals to win their second Stanley Cup. 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 the 1939–40 season , the Rangers finished the regular season in second place behind Boston. The two teams then met in
14606-514: The same day. In the 2011–12 season , the team finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, recording 51 wins and 109 points. Their leading scorer was Marian Gaborik, who finished the season with 41 goals and 76 points while playing all 82 games. In the first round of the playoffs, the Rangers faced the eighth-seeded Ottawa Senators. After falling behind 3–2 in the series, the Rangers bounced back to win game 6 in Ottawa as well as game 7 at home. In
14740-446: The same playoff spot. The Rangers skated away with the victory in the first game, keeping their postseason hopes alive. In the second game, the Flyers peppered 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. For the 2010–11 season , the team waived defenseman Wade Redden and brought in several players to achieve more balanced scoring. On November 12,
14874-498: The second game and, if necessary, the third game; the J20 Elit teams get home-ice advantage for the first game. The J20 Playoffs, also known as the Anton Cup playoffs, is an elimination tournament. In the pre-qualification games as well as the quarterfinals, two teams battle to win a best-of-three series in order to advance to the next round. The semifinals, the final as well as the bronze medal game, are all played as one-game series, at
15008-481: The second penalty of the double-minor just 1:35 into overtime. Rangers went on to win the series 4–3, sending them to the conference finals for the first time since 1997. In the conference finals, they faced the New Jersey Devils, a major divisional rival. After leading the series 2–1, the Rangers lost three games in a row, losing game 6 in New Jersey with a goal by Devils forward Adam Henrique at 1:03 in overtime, giving
15142-474: The second-straight year. The team defeated the New Jersey Devils and passed the Carolina Hurricanes in the standings, putting the Rangers in the playoffs after missing out the previous season. The Rangers faced Washington in the first round and lost the series in five games. It was the second time in three years that the Capitals eliminated the Rangers from the playoffs, fueling a rivalry that lasted several seasons. On May 13, 2011, Rangers forward Derek Boogaard
15276-402: The series at two games apiece. In games 5 and 6, the Rangers won in overtime, taking the series four games to two to earn their third Stanley Cup. However, the Rangers collapsed by the mid-1940s, losing games by scores as lopsided as 15–0. In 1943–44 , goaltender Ken McAuley led the league with 39 losses and 310 goals allowed in 50 games played; his 6.24 goals-against average that year remains
15410-517: The seventh game, the Rangers took a 2–0 first period lead, with Messier scoring later to put the Rangers up 3–1, the eventual Cup winning goal as the home team won 3–2, becoming the first (and to this date, 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
15544-436: The six continuation teams) to play, with the highest-ranked team choosing first. In the second round, known as the quarterfinals, the 1st–3rd overall ranked teams of the remaining ones choose which of the teams ranked 5–8 from round one to play. In the third round, the semifinals, the top remaining seed chooses which of the two lowest remaining seeds to play. In each round, the two remaining teams are matched against each other. In
15678-421: The sixth round pick from the Carolina Hurricanes earlier in the day in exchange for defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti . Fast was the fifth of six players the Rangers drafted in 2010, along with Dylan McIlrath , Christian Thomas , Andrew Yogan , Jason Wilson and Randy McNaught . On May 29, 2012, the Rangers announced Fast had been signed to a two-way, three-year entry-level contract, valued at $ 2.145 million, with
15812-422: The surging Islanders in the conference semifinals and advanced to the 1979 Stanley Cup Finals , losing to the Canadiens. In the three consecutive 1982 through 1984 playoffs, the Rangers were eliminated by the rival Islanders, who went on to win the Stanley Cup each of those years. The Rangers stayed competitive through the 1980s and early 1990s, making the playoffs each year. In the 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs ,
15946-503: The team again missed the playoffs. Blackburn started strongly in 2002–03, but burned out after 17 games. He missed 2003–04 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. Towards the end of the 2003–04 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
16080-414: The team in points, behind Jason Krog (43) and Rhett Rakhshani (39). Fast also had a career-high +13 plus-minus. Despite ranking third in the league, HV71 was eliminated from the playoffs in five games against Linköpings HC , during which Fast recorded five points (1 goal, 4 assists), and a +4 plus-minus. He tied with Rakhshani for second on the team in postseason points and assists. At the conclusion of
16214-436: The team missing the playoffs for the first time since 2010 , finishing under .500 for the first time since 2004 , and placing last in the Metropolitan Division, head coach Vigneault was fired after the conclusion of the season. On May 23, David Quinn was hired as the team's new head coach. During the off-season, Hayes, Vesey, Brady Skjei and Spooner all filed for salary arbitration and all of them were re-signed. Despite
16348-467: The team that season. When the media asked about the Rangers organization's plan for Fast, head coach John Tortorella replied: "There isn't one." He made his North American professional debut on April 5, 2013, with the Connecticut Whale , the Rangers' American Hockey League minor league affiliate, during which he scored a power play goal against Springfield Falcons goaltender Curtis McElhinney in
16482-537: 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 3–1 and 4–1. The series headed back to the Meadowlands for the sixth game, in which Messier, who had guaranteed a win to the press, scored three times in the final period to lead the Rangers to a 4–2 win and set up a seventh game back at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers won game 7, 2–1, when Stephane Matteau scored
16616-465: The top five teams in each group advance to a spring series called the Top 10 group. The remaining teams from each group play in a "continuation group". In both the Top 10 group and the continuation group, each team plays all other teams in their group twice. The ten teams from the Top 10 group, and the six highest-ranked teams from the continuation group, qualify for the playoffs. The two worst-ranked teams from
16750-460: The worst in NHL history by a goaltender playing at least 25 games in a season. They missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons before earning the fourth and final playoff spot in 1947–48 . They lost in the first round and missed the playoffs again in 1948–49 . In the 1950 Stanley Cup Finals , the Rangers were forced to play all of their games, including "home" games, in Toronto, while the circus
16884-442: Was cut short after he suffered a fractured ankle during a November 29 game against Brynäs IF . He missed three months as a result, but nevertheless recorded 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 21 games for the season, matching his Swedish Hockey League career high in points and establishing new career highs in assists and plus-minus (+9). He also scored two goals and one assist in five postseason games. In December 2011, Fast signed
17018-486: Was during this time, playing at the Garden on 49th Street, blocks away from Times Square , that the Rangers obtained their nickname "The Broadway Blueshirts". On December 13, 1929, the 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 Maple Leafs, which they lost 7–6. In only the second season , they won
17152-452: Was fired, with 2004 Stanley Cup and Jack Adams Award 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. On June 30, 2009, the Rangers traded Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt , and Michael Busto to the Montreal Canadiens for Ryan McDonagh , Chris Higgins , Pavel Valentenko , and Doug Janik . With Gomez's salary cap hit gone,
17286-454: Was found dead in his Minnesota apartment. On June 29, the Rangers bought out captain Chris Drury's contract. On July 3, the Rangers signed free agent Brad Richards to a nine-year contract. On September 12, Ryan Callahan was named the 26th captain in the Rangers' history. He became the fifth-youngest captain in team history. Brad Richards and Marc Staal were named alternate captains on
17420-510: 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
17554-545: Was noted for a game 7 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 1972–73 after paying a hefty territorial fee – some $ 4 million – to the Rangers, were their first-round opponents in the 1975 playoffs . After splitting the first two games, the Islanders defeated the more-established Rangers 11 seconds into overtime of
17688-546: 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
17822-459: 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. The 1993–94 New York Rangers season was their most successful in 54 years, as Mike Keenan coached
17956-454: Was unable to duplicate that success in the years that followed, and entered into another period of mediocrity. They endured a franchise-record seven-year postseason drought from 1998 to 2005 and languished for the majority of the 2000s before enjoying another period of prosperity after the 2004–05 NHL Lockout . After the arrival of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist , the Rangers thrived, missing the playoffs just once between 2006 and 2017. They reached
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