Rangers set to ‘recognize great moments, players’ with 8 Centennial theme nights
The New York Rangers will celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2025-26 with eight Centennial season theme nights that honor different aspects and eras of their time in the NHL. The campaign will honor the team’s legacy and deep roots in the community throughout the season at Madison Square Garden. There will also be unique fan experiences, community-driven programs, alumni appearances and more.
“We are looking forward to the celebration of the Rangers Centennial season – one that will be truly unforgettable for our fans and honors the Rangers’ storied history,” MSG Sports executive chairman and CEO James Dolan said. “This is a special opportunity to recognize the great moments, players, and so much more that has brought us all together for a century of Rangers hockey.”
Hall of Fame broadcaster Sam Rosen, who retired after last season after a 40-year run as the TV voice of the Rangers, will return to the Garden and serve as Master of Ceremonies for the on-ice portion of select theme nights.
Let’s take a look at the eight special theme nights to be held at MSG this season.
Related: Why former Rangers coach told Henrik Lundqvist ‘You’re not the f***ing King!’
Birth of a Franchise: Oct. 20 vs. Minnesota Wild
The Rangers were actually an offshoot of the long-departed New York Americans. The Amerks drew so well that Tex Rickard, who ran the Garden, decided MSG should have its own team. Thus were the Rangers born – they entered the NHL along with the Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Cougars (now the Red Wings) in the fall of 1926. The fledgling Rangers finished first in their division in 1926-27 and won the Stanley Cup the following season.
With Hall of Famers like Frank Boucher and Bill Cook leading the way, the Rangers were among the League’s most successful teams during their first 15 seasons in the NHL. They won the Cup again in 1933 and took it home for a third time in 1940, when another Hall of Famer, Bryan Hextall, scored the overtime winner in Game 6 of the Final in Toronto.
The Rangers of that era were known as “The Classiest Team in Hockey” – a night at the Garden was an event, with numerous celebrities often in attendance and many fans “dressing to the nines.” This night honors those early teams and their contribution toward building the franchise.
Milestones and Memories: Nov. 8 vs. New York Islanders
Vic Hadfield becoming the first Ranger to score 50 goals in a season. Ed Giacomin and Gilles Villemure sharing the Vezina Trophy. Triple-overtime goals by Pete Stemkowski and Marian Gaborik. And, of course, Mark Messier’s Cup-winning goal in Game 7 of the 1994 Final against the Vancouver Canucks that gave the Rangers their first championship in 54 years.
All these and more will be celebrated when the archrival Islanders make their first visit of the season to the Garden in early November. Don’t be surprised if there’s a mention of the first round of the 1994 playoffs, when the Rangers handed the Isles one of the worst beatings in postseason history, a four-game sweep that saw them outscore their biggest rival 22-3.
Original Six Era (1942-67): Nov. 16 vs. Detroit Red Wings
The Americans went out of business after the 1941-42 season, leaving the NHL with just six teams – none west of Chicago – for the next 25 years. The Rangers roster was decimated by World War II and they didn’t really recover until the mid-1950s, when a new wave of talent led by Hockey Hall of Famers Andy Bathgate and Gump Worsley arrived on the scene.
It’s appropriate that Detroit is the opponent on this night: Bathgate scored one of the most famous goals in Rangers history – a penalty-shot tally against the Red Wings on March 14, 1962, that was the key to getting the Rangers back into the playoffs. One of the most painful memories of that era also came against the Red Wings; Pete Babando’s double-overtime goal in Game 7 of the 1950 Final denied the Rangers another championship.
The New Garden (1967-91): Dec. 13 vs. Montreal Canadiens
The current Madison Square Garden opened midway through the 1967-68 season (the Rangers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1 in their first game). The opening of the new Garden, with its five levels of colored seats (red, orange, yellow, green and blue), coincided with the rebirth of the Rangers under coach-GM Emile Francis, who got the Blueshirts to the Stanley Cup Final in 1972 (Rangers fans had to watch the Bruins skate around with the Cup after winning Game 6 at MSG).
The first two-plus decades of the “new” Garden also saw the Rangers reach the Final in 1979 (they lost in five games to the Montreal Canadiens after upsetting the Islanders in the Semifinals), the Herb Brooks era, a surprise trip to the Semifinals in 1986 behind Vezina Trophy winner John Vanbiesbrouck, and a first-place finish (in the Patrick Division) in 1989-90 – their first since 1941-42.
Fan Favorites: Jan. 8 vs. Buffalo Sabres
Current Rangers forward Matt Rempe is proof that the most popular Rangers aren’t always the stars. Staten Island native Nick Fotiu was the Rempe of his era – he was beloved by Garden fans for his willingness to stand up for his teammates and hit opponents – and score the occasional goal. He was also renowned for tossing pucks into the stands at the end of warmups.
There also figure to be plenty of “Eddie” cheers for Giacomin, arguably the most popular Rangers goaltender of all time, who died Monday at age 86. Players like Stemkowski, John Davidson, Adam Graves and numerous others whose names still bring back fond memories for Blueshirts faithful can also expect a warm welcome.
Legendary Blueshirts: Jan. 26 vs. Boston Bruins
Want to get an idea of who will be here on this night? Start with Messier, whose No. 11 hangs in the rafters at MSG. Add Graves, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter, Hadfield, Jean Ratelle and Henrik Lundqvist. Then there are those who are no longer with us — Giacomin, Howell, Bathgate and arguably the greatest Blueshirt of them all, Rod Gilbert, who passed away in August 2022.
Hopefully early-era players such as Cook and Boucher are also remembered for their accomplishments despite not having their numbers retired.
Goaltenders: Feb. 5 vs. Carolina Hurricanes
The Rangers have been blessed with elite goaltending for most of their time in the NHL. Dave Kerr not only carried them to the 1940 Cup, he was the second hockey player ever featured on the cover of Time magazine (in March 1938).
Chuck Rayner got the Rangers within one goal of winning the Stanley Cup in 1950, Worsley excelled for the Rangers in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and Giacomin (by himself and then in a tandem with Villemure) was a key to the team’s revival under Francis.
Richter was the first Rangers goaltender to win 300 games and the last to win the Cup. Lundqvist is sixth in NHL history with 459 wins and owns the team record with 64 shutouts. He was succeeded by Igor Shesterkin, who has continued the Rangers tradition of elite goaltending.
The Modern Era (2004-Present): March 5 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Rangers haven’t won the Stanley Cup since play resumed after the 2004-05 lockout, but they’ve been among the more successful teams in the past two decades.
Their accomplishments include a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, five trips to the Eastern Conference Final (2012-14-15, 2022 and 2024), and winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024.
There have been plenty of individual accomplishments as well.
Jaromir Jagr set franchise single-season records for goals (54) and points (123) in 2005-06. Artemi Panarin reached the 120-point mark in 2023-24, Adam Fox won the Norris Trophy as the League’s top defenseman in 2021 and Chris Kreider became the fourth player in team history to score 50 goals in a season when he had 52 in 2021-22. Then there’s the achievements of Lundqvist and Shesterkin, who won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender 10 years apart.
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