“It’s only one game…” The Rise and Fall of The New York Rangers

October 9, 2025: This “rebuild” of the NEW YORK RANGERS will be EIGHT (8) years in the making, a total of ….3117 days. In May it will be 32 years since MARK MESSIER hoisted THE CUP in MSG.

   Let me take you back in time when a perennial playoff team, a team that sells out an 18,000 seat arena each and every game, a team playing in front of a rabid fan base until… February 8, 2018  you/we find out that management is throwing in the towel, giving up on attempting to make the playoffs that season and would embark on a rebuild. They, the management ask “stars” for their “no-trade list” while telling the fans that our seats are basically worthless for the rest of the season and that scorecards with the new players names, many unknowns, might be needed to identify those you are cheering for all while paying for the highest price tickets in the NHL.The NEW YORK STRANGERS arrived at MSG.

  (Feb 8,2018) “As we approach the trade deadline later this month and into the summer, we will be focused on adding young, competitive players that combine speed, skill and character. This may mean we lose some familiar faces, guys we all care about and respect. While this is part of the game, it’s never easy. Our promise to you is that our plans will be guided by our singular commitment: ensuring we are building the foundation for our next Stanley Cup contender.”Signed, Glen Sather and Jeff Gorton.

   Thanks guys. So what happened in the intervening years…new GM (Drury), new coach(es), no captain, a new captain, a different captain…simplistically…NO CUP.

   2025-2026 Season begins…Game 1: an “L” to the bottom feeding, rebuilding with a new coach Pittsburgh Penguins. In a few words the team (NYR) was lackluster with poor line changes, showed no enthusiasm, skated like shit (is Miller hurt or just lazy), with a new coach (fired from The Penguins)  that pulled Igor with 2 plus minutes left in a 1-zip game,. Mika played like Mika which is good but the NYR lose 3-1…Only 81 games to go…If Igor goes down, the NYR will finish last in the division. 

   We as NEW YORK RANGER fans are anticipating a promised STANLEY CUP. We are/were contenders but await the moment when LORD STANLEY’S CUP will be hoisted.Let’s Go Rangers… to be continued…

Oh, Ye, gentle mistresses and most distinguished gentlemen, and others… The opinions and observations are solely my own views, and I take full responsibility for any errors of fact, not to mention any predictions that prove to be wildly inaccurate.