Nhl History: New York Rangers

By Author: Orlando Bray
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The New York Rangers were formed on the heels of the success of another New York hockey team, the New York Americans of the NHL. The Americans had proven that hockey could be successful in New York, leading Madison Square Garden president G.I. Tex Rickard to want to bring another team into the Garden.

The team was initially known as the New York Giants, but the media referred to them as Tex's Rangers. Rickard took the name and ran with it, formally adopting it and placing on the team's uniforms.

The Rangers enjoyed great success in their early years. They won Stanley Cups in each decade from the 20s to the 40s, winning three in all.

In 1942, the New York Americans folded, making the Rangers the only hockey team in New York. From 1942 until 1967, the Rangers were one of six teams left in the NHL. The six teams would be forever known as the Original Six.

The Rangers were not very successful during the Original Six era. From 1943 to 1955, the Rangers made the playoffs just twice. The second time, however, proved to be a Cinderella story as the Rangers advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup ...
... Finals. They would lose the series to Detroit in a dramatic Game 7 which featured two overtimes.

As the Original Six era was nearing its end, the Rangers had become one of the league's top teams. Beginning with the last Original Six season in 1966-67, the Rangers made the playoffs nine consecutive years.

The Rangers had become perennial contenders in the NHL for the first time in almost 30 years. They advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1972, losing to the Boston Bruins (another member of the Original Six). They returned to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1979 after defeating a heavily favored New York Islanders team in the semifinals. They lost in the finals to another Original Six member, the Montreal Canadiens, in a five-game series.

The Rangers continued to be a very successful team, but each season ended with them going home without the Stanley Cup. After winning three Cups in their early years, they had gone on a drought which left their fans anxious for a return to the top.

All the pieces came together in 1994. The team had acquired future hall-of-fame center Mark Messier from the Edmonton Oilers and he made immediate contributions. He saved the Rangers from elimination against the New Jersey Devils in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals by scoring three goals in the third period. They went on to win Game 7 in a double overtime thriller, earning the opportunity to play against the Vancouver Canucks in the Finals. They defeated the Canucks in seven games, giving them their fourth Stanley Cup and first in 54 years.

Wayne Gretzky, the greatest hockey player ever, made the New York Rangers his final stop before retiring. He played for them for three seasons, helping them advance to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997. Gretzky ended his career as a Ranger on April 18, 1999.

The team has made the playoffs for the past four seasons and appears to be a team on the rise. Last season was a transitional season for them, as they brought in new coach John Tortorella. In spite of the coaching change, the Rangers still made it to the playoffs and nearly upset the heavily favored Washington Capitals in the first round.

AUTHOR:-
Orlando Bray writes reviews on various sporting events including the different sportsbook websites. In this piece of write up he highlights on some of legends of NHL and NHL Betting odds. He also takes the readers thought on how to bet on hockey.