The New York Rangers have a near-century of history and four Stanley Cup championships. They have great players like Mark Messier and teams like the 1994 Rangers who will top the list.
From the pre-Original Six era to a powerhouse in recent years, the Rangers are an integral part of NHL history. Which teams, champions or not, finish out the list?
Greatest Rangers team of all time: 1993-94
The greatest team in Rangers history is their most recent championship squad. The 1994 team won the President's Trophy for the best regular season record led by Adam Graves' 52 goals and Sergei Zubov's 77 assists and 89 points. 27-year-old Mike Richter won 42 of his 64 starts in the regular season in the net.
The playoffs started on an 8-1 run, sweeping the New York Islanders and beating the Washington Capitals in five games. They were down 3-2 to the Devils in the Eastern Conference Final but Mark Messier's game six hat trick and Stefan Matteau's game seven overtime winner pushed them to the Stanley Cup Final. They beat the Canucks in game seven to lift their fourth Stanley Cup.
#2: 1939-40
The 1940 team shares the same points percentage as the 1994 squad, .667, and also won the Stanley Cup. The Rangers beat the Bruins and Maple Leafs in six games to win their third title. The Rangers were led by Bryan Hextall's 24 goals and 40 points in the regular season. They finished behind the Bruins in the regular season standings.
Despite the title, 1940 became a sore subject in Rangers fandom before the '94 triumph. The year became a chant used by rival fans to taunt Ranger fans about their championship drought. Seven teams were in the league this season, with the Original Six and the New York Americans representing the NHL.
#3: 1971-72
Tied for the best regular season record in franchise history, the 1972 Rangers lost in the Stanley Cup Final to Bobby Orr's Boston Bruins. Jean Ratelle led the team with 63 assists and 109 points despite playing only 63 of their 78 games. Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert rounded out one of the most dominant lines in hockey.
The Rangers went 8-2 in the first round, beating the Canadiens in six games and sweeping the Black Hawks to reach the Final. Orr and the Bruins won in six games in the Cup Final. They were looking for revenge after a great regular season was spoiled the year before
#4: 1970-71
Posting an equal 109 points, the 1971 team falls behind the following year because of their playoff performance. Walt Tkaczuk led the team with 49 assists and 75 points in the regular season. Hadfield, Gilbert, and Ratelle were one year away from their breakouts and still finished top-ten in team points,
The Rangers finished behind the Bruins in the regular season but did not face them in the playoffs. After beating the Maple Leafs in the first round, New York lost game seven to the Black Hawks. Chicago lost the Cup Final to the Canadiens. who beat the Bruins in the first round.
#5: 1931-32
Back to the pre-Original Six days, the Rangers finished first in the regular season with a .581 points percentage in 1931-32. They were led by captain Bill Cook's 33 goals and 47 points while Frank Boucher led with 24 assists. The team won 23 of their 48 games.
The playoffs were two best-of-five rounds. The Canadiens won game one of the semi-final, but the Rangers won three straight including a triple overtime victory. They were swept by the Maple Leafs in the Cup Final. Each game was a multi-goal loss.
#6: 2023-24
Last season's Blueshirts posted the third-highest points percentage in Rangers history and won the President's Trophy. Artemi Panarin finished fifth in Hart Trophy voting and led the team with 49 goals, 71 assists, and 120 points. The Rangers had a dominant goalie as well with Igor Shesterkin between the pipes.
They swept the Capitals in the first round and took a 3-0 lead against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round. The Rangers beat the Hurricanes in six games, but cracks were beginning to show. They lost in six games to eventual champion Florida Panthers. Vincent Trochek was phenomenal in the playoffs, leading the team with 20 points.
#7: 1978-79
This entry on the list has almost nothing to do with the regular season. The Rangers lost their division by 25 points to the New York Islanders but still squeaked into the postseason. Phil Esposito led the team with 42 goals at 36 years old, with Anders Hedberg nothing 45 assists and equaling Esposito's 78 points.
They swept the Los Angeles Kings in the best-of-three first round and beat the Flyers in five games in the second round. In the conference final, they beat the Islanders in six games, considered one of the biggest upsets of the era. The Islanders would go on to win 19 consecutive playoff series. The Rangers lost to the Canadiens in the Cup Final.
#8: 1932-33
Another Stanley Cup title clocks in at number eight. The 1933 team finished third in their division in the regular season. Bill Cook was dominant against, with 28 goals and 50 points, both team highs. He led the best offense in the league, scoring a league-high 135 goals in 48 games.
This was a dominant playoff run for the Rangers, posting a 6-1-1 record on their way to the title. Cecil Dionne led the team with eight goals in eight games after scoring 21 goals in the regular season. Cook led the league in regular-season goals and was a first-team All-Star this season.
#9: 2014-15
The most recent Stanley Cup Final loss in Rangers history comes in at number nine. The 2014-15 team was not an offensive powerhouse, with no sixty-point scorers in the regular season. Instead, they were led by Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist. He posted a .922 save percentage and 2.25 goals against average in the regular season.
In the playoffs, Martin St Louis was the big story. The veteran had been dealt from the Lightning and was making a final run at the Stanley Cup. His mother had just passed away and he led the team with eight goals. Unfortunately, they fell short in five games to the Los Angeles Kings. Three of the Kings' four victories came in overtime.
#10: 1927-28
The first title in Rangers history takes the final spot on the list. They finished fifth in a ten-team league with 47 points in 44 games but got hot at the right time. The Rangers were led by Frank Boucher's 23 goals and 35 points in the regular season.
They posted a 6-3-1 record in the playoffs, splitting their first-round series with the Pittsburgh Pirates and advancing on aggregate. They beat the Montreal Maroons in a decisive game five to win the first Stanley Cup in Rangers history.
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