New York Rangers

One of the "Original Six," the New York Rangers play in the Atlantic Division of the NHL's Eastern Conference. Playing at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the Rangers have won the Stanley Cup four times, most recently in 1994.

On February 23, 2009, the Rangers fired coach Tom Renney. and replaced him with former Tampa Bay Lightning mentor John Tortorella, who guide the Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004. The Rangers made the playoffs in their first season under Tortorella, but lost to the Washington Capitals in seven games in the Eastern Conference qurterfinals after leading the series three game to one. .

The New York Rangers joined the NHL in 1926. Under head coach and general manager Lester Patrick, the team won their first Stanley Cup in 1928. They played in the championship series a total of four times in their first seven years as a franchise, winning the Stanley Cup again in 1933. Patrick went on to help the Rangers win their third championship in 1940.

On June 14, 1994, the Rangers ended decades of frustration. In front of a delirious crowd at Madison Square Garden, New York defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 3-2, in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals to win their first championship since 1940. Appropriately, Mark Messier's goal midway through the second period turned out to be the game winner. Messier became the first player in NHL history to serve as captain of two different Cup-winning teams. "The Messiah" was a part of five championship teams in Edmonton before joining the Rangers in 1991. Brian Leetch, who also scored a goal in Game Seven and recorded 34 points in the postseason, was named the Conn Smythe Trophy wnner as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs. He was the first - and only - Amerian-born player to earn that honor.

Game Six of the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals against the New Jersey Devils always will be remembered for "The Guarantee". With the Rangers facing elimination, Mark Messier guaranteed a victory, and his comments were plastered all over the back pages of the New York papers. Things didn't look good, as the Rangers fell behind, 2-0. But Messier assisted on a goal late in the second period, then scored a natural hat trick - three straight goals - in the third period, as the Rangers rallied for a 4-2 victory. The Rangers then won Game Seven, 2-1, on Stephane Matteau's goal in double overtime. New York advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 15 years.

The Rangers have retired the uniform numbers of eight players. They are:

• Rod Gilbert (7)
• Ed Giacomin (1)
• Mike Richter (35)
• Mark Messier (11)
• Brian Leetch (2)
• Adam Graves (9)
• Andy Bathgate (9)
• Harry Howell (3)

• 1.Brian Leetch
• 2.Mark Messier
• 3 Rod Gilbert
• 4Mike Richter
• 5Ed Giacomin
• 6John Ratelle
• 7Brad Park
• 8Vic Hadfield
• 9Andy Bathgate
• 10Harry Howell

Forwards

• 42 Artem Anisimov
• 16 Sean Avery
• 22 Brian Boyle
• 87 Donald Brashear
• 24 Ryan Callahan
• 26 Erik Christensen
• 23 Chris Drury
• 17 Brandon Dubinsky
• 10 Marian Gaborik
• 12 Olli Jokinen
• 81 Enver Lisin
• 20 Vinny Prospal
• 8 Brandon Prust
• 45Jody Shelley
• 34 Aaron Voros

'Defensemen

• 4 Michael Del Zotto
• 97 Matt Gilroy
• 5 Dan Girardi
• 6 Wade Redden
• 33 Michal Rozsival
• 18 Marc Staal

'Goalies

• 29 Chad Johnson
• 30 Henrik Lundqvist

Nicknamed the "Silver Fox" because of his greying hair, Lester Patrick joined the expansion Rangers as coach and general manager in 1926. Patrick's Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1928 in their second year of existence. In Game Two of the 1928 Finals, Rangers goaltender Lorne Chabot suffered. an injury. In those days, teams didn't carry backup goaltenders, so the Rangers were in quite a bind. Even though he was 44 years old, Patrick donned the pads in emergency duty and led the Rangers to victory. Patrick stayed with the Rangers through 1946. He continued to coach the team until 1939. Under his stewardship, the "Blueshirts" won three Stanley Cups. Patrick was inducted into the hockey Hall of Fame in 1947. Since 1966, the NHL has presented the Lester Patrick Award to honor a recipient's contribution to hockey in the United States.

Born in Texas but raised in Connecticut, Brian Leetch is one of the finest American-born players to ever play the game. He was inducted into the hockey Hall of Fame in September of 2009 in his first year of eligibility. The NHL's last great offensive defenseman, Leetch is the Rangers' second all-time leading scorer, trailing only Rod Gilbert. In 1994, he became the first - and to date, only - American-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is presented to the most valuable player of the playoffs. Leetch won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 1989 and was twice voted the league's best defenseman. He is one of only five defenseman in NHL history to surpass 100 points in a season, registering 102 in 1991-92.. Leetch scored 981 points with the Rangers, including a team-record 741 assists.