Lines have been named for such things as the subways that run under Madison Square Garden, nationalities, food, animals and movies. They’ve included Hockey Hall of Famers and trios that played together for several seasons, as well as players who spent just a year or two with the Rangers. Some have keyed Stanley Cup runs, others came up short and still others barely made the playoffs.

Regardless, all of them bring warm memories to New York hockey fans.

Related: How Igor Shesterkin could pass Henrik Lundqvist as greatest Rangers goalie

Remembering greatest forward lines in Rangers history

Here’s a look at some of the most memorable lines in Rangers history.

GAG Line (Vic Hadfield, Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert)

It’s not unusual for a team to put some muscle on a forward line to protect two players who are focused on offense. Such is the tale of arguably the best post-World War II line in Rangers history.

Gilbert and Ratelle grew up in the Montreal suburbs. The Rangers signed Gilbert at age 14, then inked Ratelle, whose school was next to Gilbert’s home, soon after at his friend’s behest. They played together in junior hockey for Guelph, making life miserable for goalies. Hadfield was claimed by the Rangers from the Chicago Black Hawks in the June 1961 Inter-League draft. He didn’t have the same skill level as Gilbert and Ratelle but brought muscle to an undersized team and actually led the NHL in penalty minutes with 151 in 1963-64.

Hadfield eventually improved his game to the point that he could contribute offensively, and GM-coach Emile Francis put him on the left side of a line with Ratelle in the middle and Gilbert on the right in 1965-66. Back problems hampered each over the next two seasons, but the threesome began clicking in 1967-68, with Hadfield reaching the 20-goal mark for the first time, while Ratelle (78 points) and Gilbert (77) finished fourth and fifth in NHL scoring.

The still-unnamed unit remained very productive during the next three seasons before having a season that might have ended with the Rangers’ first championship since 1940 were it not for an unfortunate injury. After a sizzling start, they were tagged “The GAG (Goal A Game) Line,” though their pace of production soon led to a revised tag of “The TAG (Two A Game) Line.” All three players broke the 40-goal mark, an NHL first, and they wound up with a combined total of 312 points, including the first 50-goal season in Rangers history by Hadfield, who had never scored more than 26 (he scored Nos. 49 and 50 on the final day of the season despite playing with a broken thumb).

Ratelle had 46 goals and 109 points in 63 games, and battled Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins for first in the scoring race when his regular season ended on March 1, 1972, after a slap shot by teammate Dale Rolfe broke his ankle. After the Rangers eliminated the Montreal Canadiens and the Black Hawks to make the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1950, The Rangers lost in six games to the Bruins, with Ratelle basically still playing on one leg.

The “GAG Line” lived up to its name in each of the next two seasons before a trade sent Hadfield to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the summer of 1974. Ratelle and Esposito switched teams in November 1975 when they were involved in one of the biggest deals in NHL history. Gilbert was the only one to retire with the Rangers, hanging up his skates in November 1977. Each had their number retired by the Rangers, and Gilbert remains the franchise’s all-time scorer leader (406 goals, 1,021 points).

The A Line (Bun Cook, Frank Boucher, Bill Cook)

No line in Rangers history stayed together for as long as their first great trio, each of whom is enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Cook brothers and Boucher each played in the Western Hockey League until the WHL folded after the 1925-26 season. The Rangers bought the contracts of the Cook brothers, then acquired Boucher from Boston after the Bruins had purchased his contract from Vancouver.

The threesome, which was named for the subway line that ran under the old Madison Square Garden, was an immediate hit. Bill Cook scored the first goal in franchise history, giving the Rangers a 1-0 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Montreal Maroons in their NHL debut on Nov. 16, 1926. He led the NHL with 33 goals and 37 points in 44 games, and the line helped the Rangers to first place in the American Division in 1926-27. One year later, they were key to the Rangers’ first championship run, with the line scoring every goal (five by Boucher) in a 3-2 series win over the Maroons in the best-of-5 Stanley Cup Final.

The line was a perfect blend of scoring, playmaking and skill. Cook led the NHL in goals (28) and points (50) again in 1932-33, then scored the Cup-winning goal in overtime against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Boucher led the League in assists three times and topped all playoff scorers twice. He also won the Lady Byng Trophy seven times in a span of eight seasons; the NHL finally gave him the trophy in 1935 and commissioned another one. Bun Cook was an excellent passer in his own right (he came up with the idea of the drop pass) and scored at least 13 goals in each of his first nine seasons, none of which was longer than 48 games.

The “A Line” rolled along for New York’s first 11 seasons, longer than any other trio in team history. They received one last honor on Feb. 11, 1968, when they were among the 62 players invited to the final game at the “old Garden” and made one final rush that ended with Bill Cook putting the puck in the net.

The Messier Line (Adam Graves, Mark Messier, Tony Amonte/Alexei Kovalev/Pat Verbeek)

Messier and Graves won the Stanley Cup as teammates, but not linemates, with the Edmonton Oilers in 1990 and arrived in New York a few weeks apart in the fall of 1991; Graves as a free agent in September and Messier in a blockbuster trade a few weeks later. Coach Roger Nielson put them together, and they meshed perfectly: Graves, who had never reached double figures in goals in Edmonton, scored 26 playing on Messier’s left side that first season. Messier won the Hart Trophy as MVP with a 107-point season, and Amonte, a rookie, spent much of the season on their right wing and was a Calder Trophy finalst after scoring 35 goals. The Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy as the regular-season champion.

Graves and Messier stayed together until 1996-97, but the third member of the line wasn’t always the same. Amonte was sent to Chicago at the 1994 NHL Trade Deadline, opening up a spot for Kovalev. Graves broke the Rangers record with 52 goals and Messier topped the forwards with 84 points that magical season. Kovalev made his biggest mark in the playoffs, finishing with nine goals and 21 points to help the Rangers end their 54-year championship drought.

The right side changed again late in the 1994-95 season when the Rangers landed Verbeek from the Hartford Whalers. The “Little Ball of Hate” had 10 goals in 19 games after coming to New York, then scored 41 goals and finished with 82 points in 69 games during his one full season with the Rangers before leaving as a free agent.

Messier did the same a year later, signing with the Vancouver Canucks before returning three years later. He and Graves were reunited for the 2000-01 season before Graves ended his career by playing two seasons with the San Jose Sharks.

Bulldog Line (Dave Balon/Steve Vickers, Walt Tkachuk, Bill Fairbairn)

Few teams have two nicknamed lines, but the Rangers of the early 1970s did. While the soon-to-be-named “GAG Line” piled up goals and points, the “Bulldog Line” that Francis put together in 1969-70 became known for its work ethic, tenacity and two-way play.

Francis put Tkaczuk, a 22-year-old center, together with veteran left wing Balon and rookie right wing Fairbairn on a line that was an instant hit. Balon led the team with 33 goals, Tkaczuk was tops with 70 points and Fairbairn was second in Calder Trophy balloting after a 23-goal, 56-point season. The Bulldogs actually outscored their more heralded linemates with 203 points.

Tkaczuk and Fairbairn also became one of the League’s top penalty-killing duos.

Balon had his biggest goal-scoring season in 1970-71 with 36, and Tkachuk led the Rangers in scoring with 75 points — although Fairbairn, hampered by injuries, managed just 30 points in 56 games. Balon was traded early in 1971-72 after his play showed signs of decline (he was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis), but Tkaczuk and Fairbairn thrived despite a rotating set of left wings, combining for 46 goals, 125 points and a plus-68 rating to help the Rangers reach the Final for the first time since 1950.

Francis put Vickers on the left wing of a revised “Bulldog Line” in 1972-73, and Vickers rewarded him by scoring 30 goals, including three hat tricks, and winning the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. Fairbairn also had an NHL career-best 30 goals, and the trio combined for 17 game-winners. They stayed together for one more season before Vickers moved to the top line after Hadfield was traded in the summer of 1974. Fairbairn and Tkaczuk stayed together until early in the 1976-77 season, when Fairbairn was traded to the Minnesota North Stars.

Related: Marc Staal’s career with Rangers is one that deserves to be appreciated

The Bread Line (Alex Shibicky, Neil Colville, Mac Colville)

As the “A Line” was coasting to its final stop, the Rangers’ next great line was just leaving the station.

The Colville brothers and Shibicky played together coming up through the Rangers system, so it was no surprise that when they reached the NHL, they were put together on the same line (and lived in the same apartment). They soon became known as the Rangers’ “bread and butter,” hence their nickname. The threesome hit their stride in 1936-37 and remained together through 1941-42.

Shibicky was the most prolific scorer among the three, twice breaking the 20-goal mark in an era where the regular-season lasted just 48 games. One reason for his success was his pioneering use of the slap shot, which he described as being “just like a bullet.” Neil Coville was the most honored; he was a Second-Team All-Star in 1938-39 and again in 1939-40, when they helped the Rangers win their third Stanley Cup championship since entering the NHL in 1926. Mac Coville brought a solid two-way game that balanced the line.

All three enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1942 and returned to the Rangers after World War II, but the magic was gone. The only one of the three to have any post-war success was Neil Coville, who became a defenseman and played four seasons, earning a third Second-Team All-Star selection in 1947-48 that made him one of the few players in NHL history to be named an all-star as a forward and a defenseman.

No Name, Just Points (Dean Prentice, Larry Popein, Andy Bathgate)

No, that’s not their real name. Actually, the Rangers’ top line of the late 1950s and early 1960s never had a nickname. But Prentice and Bathgate, junior teammates at Guelph in the Ontario Hockey Association, were wings on a line with “The Pope” that put up a lot of offense and helped the Rangers to three straight playoff berths in the late 1950s.

Bathgate was the star of the trio and the only one in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He surpassed Frank Boucher’s single-season record of 62 points in 1955-56 and had at least 74 points in each of the next seven seasons — including an NHL career-high of 88 in 1958-59, when he won the Hart Trophy. His slap shot was one of the most feared in the NHL, and it was his backhander to Jacques Plante’s face in a Nov. 1, 1959, game against the Montreal Canadiens that began the era of the goalie mask. Bathgate was traded to Toronto in February 1964 after scoring 272 goals with the Rangers, a team record that lasted until Gilbert came along. The Rangers retired his No. 9 in 2009.

But Bathgate’s linemates were solid players in their own right. Prentice, one of the most underrated players in NHL history, had four 20-goal seasons and broke the 60-point mark twice. He played more than a decade after being traded to Boston early in the 1962-63 season and was a 26-goal scorer for the North Stars at age 40.

Popein was a solid two-way center during his six full seasons with the Rangers, averaging 12 goals and 33 points before he was sent back to Vancouver of the Western Hockey League in 1960. He coached the Rangers briefly in 1973-74.

Two Czechs and a Swede (Martin Straka, Michael Nylander, Jaromir Jagr)

For the two seasons they were together, the “Two Czechs and a Swede” combination of three over-30 forwards was as good a line as there was in the NHL.

Jagr, a five-time NHL scoring champion, arrived first, coming in a trade with the Washington Capitals midway through the 2003-04 season. Nylander played with six teams before he signed with the Rangers as a free agent in August 2004, though the lockout two months later kept him from playing his first game until 2005-06. Straka, a longtime teammate of Jagr with the Pittsburgh Penguins, signed as a free agent in August 2005.

The Rangers missed the playoffs for seven straight seasons, and little was expected from them coming out of the lockout. But new coach Tom Renney put Nylander between the two former Penguins, and they clicked right away. Jagr set Rangers records that still stand with 54 goals and 123 points, finishing second in the scoring race. Nylander had NHL career highs in points (79) and plus-minus (plus-31), and Straka had his best season in five years, finishing with 22 goals and 76 points. With their No. 1 line firing on all cylinders (99 goals, 278 points), the Rangers returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Jagr-Nylander-Straka unit led the Rangers to the postseason again in 2006-07 and helped them win a series for the first time since 1997. But Nylander was a 35-year-old free agent that summer and returned to the Capitals — and his old linemates weren’t the same without him. After a 71-point season in 2007-08, Jagr became a free agent and headed for the KHL; Straka retired after dropping from 70 points to 41.

The Powerhouse Line (Lynn Patrick, Phil Watson, Bryan Hextall)

This threesome came in the late 1930s and thrived from 1939, when Boucher replaced Lester Patrick as coach, until World War II decimated the Rangers.

They were an interesting mix. Lynn Patrick was Lester’s older son (Muzz, a defenseman, was also part of the team). Watson was a volatile playmaker from Montreal who later went on to coach the Rangers, and Hextall was a dynamic scorer who led the NHL in goals twice, in points once and scored the overtime goal in Game 6 of the 1940 Stanley Cup Final against the Maple Leafs in Toronto to give the Rangers their third championship.

But their best season actually came in 1941-42, when Patrick led the league in goals, Hextall was tops in points and the threesome finished 1-2-4 in the scoring race. Patrick and Hextall were First-Team All-Stars, and Watson was voted to the Second Team. They helped power the Rangers to a first-place finish, but the Maple Leafs upset them in the Semifinals.

All three had excellent seasons in 1942-43, but most of the rest of the team that had finished first the previous season had left for the war. Patrick departed in 1943, Watson played for the Canadiens in 1943-44 due to wartime travel restrictions and helped them win the Cup, and Hextall played one more season before being denied a permit to cross into the United States for the rest of the war. The trio never reunited after the fighting ended.

Related: How Artemi Panarin stacks up with Jaromir Jagr in Rangers history

The Mafia Line/ The Godfather Line (Don Murdoch, Phil Esposito, Don Maloney)

A “Godfather” and two “Dons” helped carry the Rangers to the 1979 Stanley Cup Final.

Esposito, the “Godfather” had never been the offensive force with the Rangers that he’d been with the Bruins before arriving in a November 1975 trade. But the return of Murdoch from a suspension midway through the 1978-79 season and the arrival of Maloney a few weeks later gave him the best-matched set of linemates he had during his time with the Rangers.

The trio meshed quickly. Maloney, the younger brother of defenseman Dave Maloney, provided some oomph with 26 points in 28 games from the left side, and Murdoch contributed 14 goals and 37 points in 40 games. Esposito, seemingly reinvigorated by his youthful linemates, scored 42 goals (including a four-goal night at Boston Garden) and tied for the team lead with 78 points. It was his only 40-goal season with the Rangers.

Together. they were the driving offensive force for a team that finished third in the Patrick Division, won a playoff series for the first time in five years and upset the regular-season champion New York Islanders before losing to the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final.

Esposito and Maloney were 1-2 in scoring for the Rangers in 1979-80, and Murdoch scored 23 goals in 56 games before he was traded. Esposito retired midway through 1980-81, but Maloney went on to play 11 productive seasons in New York, though he never had the same offensive numbers he did while playing with Espo.

The Still Need a Nickname Line (Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Alexis Lafreniere)

This nameless group deserves its own moniker after powering the Rangers to the Presidents’ Trophy last season and helping them get within two victories of the Stanley Cup Final.

Panarin has been one of the most productive players in Rangers history since signing as a free agent in July 2019. He broke the 60-assist and 90-point marks three times in his first four seasons with the Rangers (and had 58 points in 42 games during the COVID-shortened 56-game 2020-21 season), was a First-Team All-Star in 2019-20 and a Second-Team All-Star in 2022-23.

The ’22-23 season was his first playing with Trocheck, a center who signed as a free agent in the summer of 2022 and had his best season since 2017-18 playing with Panarin. They were joined in 2023-24 by Lafreniere, the first player taken in the 2020 NHL Draft who had yet to find the right spot in the lineup.

New coach Peter Laviolette found it when he put Lafreniere with Panarin and Trocheck and saw each have a career season. Panarin’s 120 points are second in Rangers history, and his 49 goals are tied for fifth. Trocheck surpassed his career best with 77 points, and Lafreniere had a breakout season with 28 goals (26 at even strength) and 57 points (only six on the power play). The threesome also combined for 21 goals and 49 points in the playoffs, finishing 1-2-4 in team scoring.

Barring injuries, it’s hard to see Laviolette breaking up this trio any time soon. They still have plenty of room for growth — especially by Lafreniere, who turns 23 three days into the season.

From the 1970s to the present day, the New York Rangers have cashed more than a few winners. Some have been of the big-ticket variety, the kind of player everyone knows about. Others have been solid players who stepped up their games when they arrived at Madison Square Garden, while still others came from out of nowhere and turned into valuable contributors. Here’s a look at the 10 best free-agent signings in Rangers history:

Related: New York Rangers’ worst free-agent signings in history: Wade Redden leads the pack

10. A Flower Blooms on Broadway

The Signing: Rangers signed forward Guy Lafleur to a one-year contract
Date: Sept. 28, 1988

Why it mattered: Lafleur, one of the greatest players in NHL history, had retired in 1984 after 14 brilliant seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and was preparing for his induction into the Hall of Fame in September 1988 when he shocked the hockey world by deciding to attempt a comeback. Rangers GM Phil Esposito, a longtime Lafleur rival, hedged things a bit by calling it a “tryout,” but “Flower’s” performance at training camp showed that he still had something in the tank.

Lafleur wasn’t the star he’d been in Montreal, but he had flashes of his glory days during his one season in the Big Apple, including a four-assist performance against the Edmonton Oilers and the final hat trick of his NHL career against the Los Angeles Kings. But the biggest one came on Feb. 4, 1989, when he lit up the Forum in his first game back in Montreal. The crowd roared for No. 10 in blue as he scored twice and assisted on a third goal. 

Related: New York Rangers worst trades in past 50 years, including Luc Robitaille twice

A goal in the season finale against the New York Islanders gave Lafleur 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 67 games – excellent numbers for a 37-year-old who hadn’t played in the NHL for nearly four years.

Lafleur did the Rangers one more favor after becoming a free agent in the summer of 1989; he signed with his hometown Quebec Nordiques. Under the rules of that era, the Rangers received a fifth-round compensation pick in the 1990 NHL Draft — one that Espo’s successor, Neil Smith, turned into defenseman Sergei Zubov, a future Hall of Famer himself and the leading scorer on the Rangers’ 1994 Cup-winning team.

Related: New York Rangers best trades in past 50 years, including Mark Messier

9. A Terrific Two Years

The Signing: Rangers signed Michael Nylander to a three-year contract
Date: Aug. 10, 2004

Why it mattered: The only problem with Nylander’s time in New York was that it was too short.

The Rangers signed the Swedish center just before training camp in 2004, only to see the first season of his contract negated by the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season.

When play resumed in 2005-06, the 33-year-old found himself centering a line with Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka. It was a match made in hockey heaven; Jagr set Rangers records that still stand with 54 goals and 123 points; he got plenty of help from Nylander, who had career highs in assists (56), points (79) and plus-minus (plus-31). The Rangers qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1996-97 and reached the 100-point mark for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 1994.

Nylander was even better in 2006-07, putting up career highs across the board with 26 goals, 57 assists and 83 points. The Rangers again qualified for the playoffs, this time winning a round for the first time in a decade.

However, the season lost to the lockout meant that Nylander became a free agent in the summer of 2007, when he was coming off back-to-back career seasons. Though he was set to turn 35 just before opening night, the Washington Capitals swooped in and signed him to a four-year contract; he played just two seasons before retiring.

It wasn’t a coincidence that Jagr’s production fell off as soon as Nylander left, and he left for the KHL a year later. 

These days, Nylander is best known for his hockey-playing sons — particularly Mitch, a high-scoring forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Related: Where do New York Rangers rank regarding team statistics in salary cap era?

8. Dandy Dan

The Signing: Rangers signed defenseman Dan Girardi to a two-year contract
Date: July 1, 2006

Why it mattered: Girardi made a career out of putting his body in harm’s way.

The Rangers signed the undrafted free agent defenseman in the summer of 2006 and started him in the ECHL, but his gritty style (and some injuries on the blue line) got him to the NHL by midseason. He turned into a key member of the Rangers team that had the franchise’s longest run of success since the 1994 championship — they missed the playoffs once in his 11 seasons and got to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014.

Girardi did contribute offensively, but it was his willingness to hit and block shots that made him a Garden favorite. He was credited with at least 125 blocks in each of his final eight seasons with the Rangers and had more than 175 hits seven times in his 11 seasons with New York. Girardi averaged 22:15 of ice time in his 11 seasons with the Rangers, was an alternate captain and even earned a trip to the NHL All-Star Game in 2012.

But all those hits and blocks eventually took a toll. Girardi began to slow down in the later 2010s, and the Rangers bought out the final three seasons of his six-year contract in the summer of 2017. Tampa Bay signed him and he played two more seasons with the Lightning before retiring.

Girardi was the NHL’s all-time leader in blocked shots (1,954) when he hung up his skates; 1,691 of those came with the Rangers. Few players in team history have been more willing to sacrifice their body for the team.

Related: 10 most underrated New York Rangers since 2000

7. Trocheck Finds Next Level with New York Rangers

The Signing: Rangers signed center Vincent Trocheck to a seven-year contract
Date: July 13, 2022

Why it mattered: Trocheck is a good player who’s taken his game to another level since joining the Rangers.

The Pittsburgh native had been a solid middle-six center with the Florida Panthers and Carolina before Rangers GM Chris Drury brought him to New York two years ago. He said he made the decision to join the Rangers because he didn’t want to come to a team that didn’t have a chance to win every year.

Trocheck is a big reason the Rangers got to the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three seasons last spring. Not only did he finish with a career-high 77 points and earn a spot in the NHL All-Star Game, he also led the Rangers in the postseason with 20 points in 16 games, scored his first career playoff overtime goal (a double-OT winner against Carolina) and set up two other OT tallies.

At 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds, Trocheck is small by NHL standards. But he more than makes up for any lack of size with his work ethic and intensity. Coach Peter Laviolette was so impressed with Trocheck’s effort last season that he played him an average of 21:27, fifth in the NHL among forwards. One reason he got so much ice time was his success in the faceoff circle; Trocheck was fifth among all players with a 58.7 winning percentage during the regular season, then won 57.8 percent of his draws in the playoffs.

But not only does Trocheck center the Rangers’ top offensive line, playing between Artemi Panarin and Alex Lafreniere, he’s also an excellent defensive center — arguably the defensive conscience of an offense-first trio. If his first two seasons are any indication, Trocheck’s average salary of $5.625 million is an incredible bargain. 

Related: The Case For Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck being named to NHL Network’s top-20 centers List

6. From Norway to New York

The Signing: Rangers sign forward Mats Zuccarello to a two-year contract
Date: May 26, 2010

Why it mattered: “The Norwegian Hobbit” lost a name when he signed with the Rangers. He had been Mats Zuccarello Aasen while playing in Sweden and for his home country in the 2010 Winter Olympics, but the “Aasen” didn’t make the trip when he came to New York.

Zuccarello bounced between the Rangers and the AHL for his first three seasons before becoming a regular in 2013-14, breaking out with 19 goals and 59 points and contributing five goals and 13 points in the playoffs as the Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning it all in 1994. 

The 5-foot-8 forward soon became a crowd favorite, winning the Steven McDonald Extra Effort award twice. He was named an alternate captain in 2017, scored his 100th NHL goal on March 12, 2018, and became the ninth player in Rangers history to lead the team in scoring for three consecutive seasons.

But when the Rangers struggled in 2018-19, management decided to rebuild — and the 31-year-old Zuccarello was among those who were shipped out. He was dealt to the Dallas Stars on Feb. 23, 2019, though he played just two games before an upper-body injury ended his season. He’s played the past five seasons with the Minnesota Wild. But his 113 goals and 352 points in 509 games are a terrific contribution from a player no one knew much about before his arrival.

Related: Top 10 all-time best United States-born players in New York Rangers history

5. Sweet Swedes

The Signing: Rangers signed center Ulf Nilsson and forward Anders Hedberg to two-year contracts
Date: March 20, 1978

Why it mattered: Free agency within the NHL was still years away in 1978. But poaching talent from the rival World Hockey Association was perfectly OK, and that’s what GM John Ferguson did in March 1978 when he announced that two of the WHA’s biggest stars, Swedish linemates Nilsson and Hedberg, would be heading to the Big Apple for the 1978-79 season.

The two, along with left wing Bobby Hull, had terrorized WHA goalies for years with the Winnipeg Jets, so the news left Rangers fans salivating. Hedberg scored at least 50 goals and finished with 100 points in each of his four WHA seasons. Nilsson averaged 121 points in his four WHA seasons and never had fewer than 76 assists.

Neither came close to those totals in the NHL, but both were fine players who keyed the Rangers’ run to the 1979 Stanley Cup Final.

Hedberg had three straight 30-goal seasons and led the Rangers in scoring in 1978-79. A knee injury limited him to four games in 1981-82, but he had at least 20 goals in each of his six seasons before retiring in 1985.

Nilsson was averaging well over a point a game in his first season before he sustained a broken ankle caused when he caught a rut in the ice at the Garden as he was hit by Islanders defenseman Denis Potvin (he absolved the future Hall of Famer of any blame for the injury, but the “Potvin Sucks” chant lives on 45 years later). Nilsson also missed the entire 1981-82 season because of a knee injury sustained playing for Sweden in the 1981 Canada Cup. He played just 10 games in 1982-83 before retiring with 169 points in 170 NHL games — and one of the biggest “what if” clouds in Rangers history.

Related: 5 alternate jerseys the New York Rangers should bring back

4. Grabbing Gabby

The Signing: Rangers signed forward Marian Gaborik to a five-year contract
Date: July 1, 2009

Why it mattered: Gaborik figured in one of the most embarrassing games in Rangers’ history — he became the first player in 11 years to score five goals in a game when he did it for the Minnesota Wild against Henrik Lundqvist on Dec. 20, 2007. That big night was part of a 42-goal season, one that convinced the Rangers to sign him when free agency opened in July 2009, even though he’d missed all but 17 games in 2008-09 while recovering from hip surgery.

Gaborik did just what the Rangers brought him to New York to do — score. He was fifth in the NHL in 2009-10 with 42 goals, then scored 41 in 2011-12 to help them finish first in the Eastern Conference. He was voted a First-Team All-Star and scored what is still the latest overtime goal in Rangers history, connecting at 14:41 of the third overtime in Game 5 of the conference semifinals against the Washington Capitals; the 2-1 win keyed their trip to the conference final.

But the Rangers lost that series to the New Jersey Devils, and coach John Tortorella was unhappy with the play of many of his veterans, including Gaborik — although it was revealed after the playoffs that he’d been playing with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. 

Gaborik had successful surgery and was ready to go when the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season began in January. But Tortorella hadn’t forgotten his unhappiness from the previous spring. Gaborik’s ice time diminished, as did his scoring numbers, and he sometimes found himself on the fourth line.

The Rangers sent Gaborik to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2013 trade deadline, but he exacted his revenge on the Rangers a year later after being traded to the Los Angeles Kings. Gaborik’s 14 goals led the Kings as they won the Stanley Cup for the second time in three seasons; the last two were game-tying third-period tallies in their five-game victory over the Rangers in the Final.

Despite his disappointing finish with the Rangers, Gaborik finished his time in New York with 115 goals and 229 points in 255 games. Tortorella was fired after the 2012-13 season — and it would have been interesting to see what Gaborik would have done under his replacement, Alain Vigneault.

Related: 6 Unanswered Rangers questions before 2024-25 season, including Matt Rempe’s long-term role

3. A “Great” Day

The Signing: Rangers sign center Wayne Gretzky to a two-year contract
Date: July 21, 1996

Why it mattered: Hockey’s greatest player playing his home games at The World’s Most Famous Arena. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Of course, it wasn’t the 1980s-model Gretzky that the Rangers were getting when they signed “The Great One” in the summer of 1996. But even a 35-year-old Gretzky was still a force to be reckoned with, especially because he was rejoining his longtime Edmonton Oilers teammate Mark Messier.

The Gretzky-Messier tandem carried the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final in 1996-97, which turned out to be their only season together in New York. No. 99 was No. 1 in the NHL with 72 assists, led the Rangers with 97 points, was voted a Second-Team All-Star and piled up 20 playoff points (including a first-round hat trick against the Florida Panthers) before the Philadelphia Flyers bounced them in five games.

Gretzky led the NHL in assists again in 1997-98 with 67 and repeated as a Second-Team All-Star. But with Messier signing with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent, they finished 15 points out of a playoff berth. They were out of the playoff race for most of 1998-99, and as the end of the season approached, Gretzky decided he’d had enough. On April 16, two days before the end of the season, he announced he would retire after the Rangers’ final game two days later.

Appropriately, his last NHL point was an assist — one that came on the Rangers’ lone goal in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who then lined up and shook his hand like it was the end of a playoff series. After the teams left the ice, Gretzky came back out for a solo skate — “I made a lot of curtain calls, but the fans wouldn’t stop cheering,” he said. “I cried; I broke down a couple of times.”

The Great One is still the Greatest One when it comes to goals, assists and points. Those numbers include the 57 goals and 249 points in his 234 games as a Ranger. His big regret was that he didn’t win the championship he’d hoped for in New York.

Related: Rarest Rangers sweaters in franchise history, including Wayne Gretzky

2. “Gravy” Train Rolls In

The Signing: Rangers sign forward Adam Graves to a five-year contract
Date: Sept. 3, 1991

Why it mattered: Chalk up one for Neil Smith.

Before joining the Rangers as GM in 1989, Smith had worked for the Detroit Red Wings. One of the players he scouted was Graves, who was selected by Detroit in the second round of the 1986 NHL Draft. But the Wings traded Graves to Edmonton in November 1989, and he was part of the Oilers’ championship team the following spring.

However, Smith never forgot Graves, and when he became a Group I free agent after the 1990-91 season, the Rangers signed him to a five-year contract, giving up forward Troy Mallette as compensation. Graves was given No. 11, but quickly shifted to No. 9 after the Rangers acquired former Edmonton teammate Messier a month later.

Coach Roger Neilson put Graves on Messier’s left wing, and he began filling the net. After seasons of 26 and 36 goals, “Gravy” broke the Rangers’ single-season goal-scoring record with 52, then piled up 10 more in the playoffs; the last one came in Game 7 of the Final and helped the Rangers end their 54-year championship drought.

Graves’ style of play was simple but effective — get to the front of the net and make life miserable for opposing goalies. Most of the 280 goals he scored in 10 seasons with the Rangers didn’t travel very far. But off the ice, he might have been even more valuable for what he did for the team and the community. Though on the ice, he was tough as nails, scoring goals and protecting teammates so well that the Rangers retired his No. 9 on Feb. 3, 2021. Wway from the rink, he was humble, caring and kind — and still is.

1. The Breadman Cometh

The Signing: Rangers sign forward Artemi Panarin to a seven-year contract
Date: July 1, 2019

Why it mattered: Panarin was an instant hit in the NHL after arriving with the Chicago Blackhawks from Russia as an undrafted free agent, winning the Calder Trophy in 2015-16 and being named a Second-Team All-Star the following season. Despite that, the Hawks traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2017, only to see him continue to pile up points during the following two seasons.

Panarin had plenty of suitors when he became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019, but reportedly turned down more money from at least one other team to sign a seven-year, $81.5 million contract with the rebuilding Rangers.

Talk about money well spent!

Panarin’s arrival jump-started the rebuild the Rangers had announced before the 2018 trade deadline, and he’s been a major factor in their two trips to the Eastern Conference Final during the past three seasons. “The Breadman” delivered career highs of 49 goals and 120 points last season, helping the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy as regular-season champs; the 120 points are the second-highest single-season total in Rangers history, trailing only Jagr’s 123 in 2005-06. 

He is the only player in team history to break the 90-point mark four times (the only time he missed was the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season), and he’s one of just five Rangers to score as many as 49 goals in a season. His 1.32 points per game is the most in the Rangers’ 98-year history, and he reached 400 points faster than anyone in team history. Few free-agent signings in NHL history have paid off like this one.

Related: Rangers’ Artemi Panarin named one of best wings in hockey by NHL Network analyst

What better time to have some fun?

Though this year’s free agency was a bit of a dud for the Rangers, history shows us that hasn’t always been the case. In fact, the Rangers have historically made some big splashes when it comes to signing free agents, so we’re going to make the best roster we can solely with that pool of players.

We tried to put a focus on what the player did during his time in New York, so some big-time names like Guy Lafleur and Markus Naslund, for example, didn’t quite make the list because their best days were with other teams.

When going through this list, it was surprising how few impact defensemen the Rangers have signed over their near 100-year existence, leaving some tough choices of who even deserved to make this list.

Lastly, this roster consists mostly of players from the 1990s on, though that was more due to player movement being limited before the era of free agency expanded about 30 years ago.

WATCH: Exclusive 1-on-1 interview with former Rangers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck

Best all-time Rangers lineup consisting of free-agent additions

Forwards

Line 1: Artemi Panarin (2019) – Wayne Gretkzy (1996) – Marian Gaborik (2009)

What a first line that would be. 

Panarin is arguably (if there’s an argument at all) the best free-agent signing in Blueshirts history. He has 461 points in 350 games with the Rangers, including 120 in 2023-24, second most in a single Rangers season.

Gaborik likely had the title as best free-agent signing before Panarin’s arrival. His departure ahead of the 2013 trade deadline — and subsequent Stanley Cup win with the Los Angeles Kings at the expense of the Rangers in 2014 — soured the feeling towards No. 10, but the talented forward still posted two 40-goal seasons during the three full seasons he played in New York.

Gretzky’s best days were clearly behind him when he arrived in 1996, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he wasn’t a top-tier player. He had back-to-back 90-point seasons his first two years on Broadway, and had a great playoff run with the Rangers in 1997. All told, he had 249 points in 234 games with the Blueshirts to close out his NHL career.

Line 2: Adam Graves (1991) – Mark Messier (2000) – Brendan Shanahan (2006)

Talk about a tough trio that combined equal parts skill and physicality.

Graves arrived in New York as a free agent in 1991, back when compensation was required when a player was signed, at the expense of Troy Mallette! The wildly popular forward posted four 30-goal seasons, including a then record-setting 52 during the Stanley Cup season of 1993-94. He’s an all-time great Ranger whose No. 9 hangs at Madison Square Garden.

We’re cheating a little bit here getting Messier on the list due to his return to New York after a three-year stint with the Vancouver Canucks. Clearly this version wasn’t as successful as the first, when he was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in a 1991 trade and led the Rangers to the Cup in 1994, but Messier was still a mostly-decent middle-six center despite being in his 40s. He had a 24-goal season in 2000-01 and back-to-back 18-goal campaigns before he called it a career in 2004.

Like Messier, Shanahan’s best days were behind him, but he still had a lot left in the tank and changed the complexion of the Rangers upon his arrival in 2006, adding grit and sandpaper to a team that had been swept by the New Jersey Devils in the 2005-06 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Shanahan scored 52 goals in his 140 games with the Rangers, impressive totals for a player in his late 30s. Arguably the lasting image of Shanahan’s time as a Ranger was him fighting feared enforcer Donald Brashear in December 2006.

Line 3: Mats Zuccarello (2010) – Mark Pavelich (1981) – Theo Fleury (1999)

Three small forwards, each under 5-foot-8, make up this line that had plenty of pop.

One of the most popular Rangers of the past 25 years, Zuccarello was a mainstay in New York during the franchise’s most successful period since the Cup year in the mid 90s. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Norway, Zuccarello totaled 352 points in 509 games, and he won the Steven McDonald Award for his “extra effort.”

Pavelich’s numbers are certainly a product of his era, but his numbers don’t lie. He began his NHL career after playing a big role on the United States’ “Miracle On Ice” team in 1980 with back-to-back 30-goal seasons and flirted with point-per-game-numbers during his five seasons in New York, which included a five-goal game in 1983. His 76 points during his rookie year of 1981-82 remains a franchise record to this day.

Fleury’s time in New York coincided with one of the worst stretches in franchise history, not to mention his own personal issues. That clouds the minds of Rangers fans who lump him into signings that didn’t pan out. Though he wasn’t the player he was in Calgary, the 5-foot-6 winger scored more than 63 points in each of his three seasons with the Rangers, including a 30-goal, 74-point campaign in 2000-01, the height of the dead puck era.

Line 4: Martin Straka (2005) – Brad Richards (2011) – Anders Hedberg (1978)  

Straka could be one of the most underrated players during the Rangers’ renaissance in the late 2000s. He had two straight 20-goal seasons, including 29 in 2006-07, and was a mainstay on the “Czech Line” and power play. All told, he had 187 points in 224 games with the Blueshirts. Not bad for a journeyman in his mid 30s.

Richards never lived up to the hype of his massive contract, but he was still a useful player for the Rangers, who immediately turned a corner following his addition in the summer of 2011. Richards scored 25 goals — just three shy of his NHL career-best — his first season in New York, when the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1997. After a down year in 2013, Richards turned in another 20-goal season to help the Rangers make it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. He finished with 151 points in 210 games with the Blueshirts, and added 28 points in 55 postseason contests.

Hedberg arrived in 1978 after a successful career in both Europe and the WHA. All he did was score 30 goals four times during his Broadway tenure and help the Rangers reach the 1979 Stanley Cup Final. The talented Swede, who came to New York as a package deal with center Ulf Nilsson, played his entire NHL career with the Blueshirts, amassing 397 points in 465 games from 1978-79 through 1984-85.

Related: 10 most underrated Rangers all-time

Defensemen

1st D pair: Darius Kasparaitis (2002) – Dan Girardi (2006)

Kasparaitis bridged the gap between The Dark Ages and the Renaissance. The hard-hitting defenseman arrived for the 2002-03 campaign and was an alternate captain during the 2005-06 season, when Kasparitis introduced the Stick Salute after Rangers wins, something the team still does to this day. His time with the Rangers ended during the 2006-07 season, when he was waived and eventually loaned to a team in the KHL, thus ending his NHL career.

While he’s looked at in mostly unfavorable terms from the Twitter crowd, Girardi was a gritty defenseman in the same mold as current Rangers blueliner Ryan Lindgren. He was a key part of Rangers teams that had their longest run of success this side of the 1994 Stanley Cup. Girardi, who was signed as an undrafted free agent, rose from the ECHL all the way to becoming an NHL All Star. In parts of 11 seasons, Girardi averaged more than 22 minutes of ice time per game and missed the playoffs just once during his tenure. Here’s hoping that with time, Girardi gets the credit he so deserves from Rangers fans.

2nd D pair: Bruce Driver (1995) – Anton Stralman (2011)

Former Devils never seem to work out for the Rangers, and it’s more of a testament to the slim pickings than Driver’s success in New York that he’s on this list. After 12 season in New Jersey, Driver signed with the Rangers as a 33-year-old before the 1995-96 season. He spent three seasons in New York and was a mostly-serviceable bottom-four blueliner. His high point was 37 points his first season as a Ranger.

Stralman was the analytics darling of those mid-2010s teams, though largely underrated, too. He played three steady seasons in New York, helping the Rangers advance to two conference finals and the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. 

3rd D pair: Marek Malik (2005) – Michal Roszival (2005)

Malik somewhat defines the Tom Renney post-lockout Rangers, thanks in large part to his legendary shootout goal in the 15th round against the Washington Capitals at the start of the 2005-06 season. But he was a fine bottom-four defenseman who was likely used more out of necessity than anything else. 

Another lynchpin of the Renney era, Roszival was a mainstay on those post-lockout teams that always snuck into the playoffs but were never really a threat. The offensive-defenseman turned in some strong seasons with the Rangers, including a 40-point campaign in 2006-07. His most memorable moment in New York was his overtime-winner in the second round against the Buffalo Sabres in the 2007 playoffs. He finished with 176 points in 436 games with the Rangers.

Goalies

Goalies: Chuck Rayner (1950) and Cam Talbot (2010)

We’re going way back for this one, but it’s hard to keep a goalie who won the Hart Trophy off this list. Rayner never finished with a winning record but did lead the Rangers to the 1950 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost in Game 7. Had they won that game, 1940 would have never been a thing. Rayner was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.

Talbot signed with the Rangers as an undrafted free agent in 2010 and worked his way up from the ECHL. He made his NHL debut in 2013-14 as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup and finished that season with 12-6-1 record, terrific 1.64 goals-against average and sterling .941 save percentage., But it was the following season that earns Talbot a spot on this list. He was 21-9-4 in 2014-15, including a spectacular run when Lundqvist missed a chunk of time due to injury. His performance helped the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy, and he won the Steven McDonald Award. Talbot finished his two seasons with the Rangers 33-15-5 with a .931 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average.

It is impossible to talk about the most memorable goals in Rangers history without mentioning Matteau’s Game 7 double-overtime winner over the New Jersey Devils in the 1994 Eastern Conference Final. And Rose’s famous call fits hand in glove with the iconic Madison Square Garden moment.

One of the more unlikely players to get it done after being benched for stretches of Game 7 by Rangers coach Mike Keenan, Matteau beat Scott Niedermeyer to a loose puck in the corner, “swooped around the net” to use Rose’s words, and squeaked a wraparound past future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur sending The Garden into pandemonium.

“Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!” still echoes throughout MSG 30 years later, thanks to Rose, and Matteau himself.

Not only was it a double-overtime goal in the playoffs, but the epic 2-1 win punched the Rangers ticket to the Stanley Cup Final, which, of course, they would go on to win over the Vancouver Canucks in seven games, ending a 54-year Cup drought.

It was one of five goals that Matteau would score that spring on the way to capturing the ultimate prize, and his second overtime winner of the series. The first was also in double-OT at the Meadowlands in Game 3. Matteau, who was brought in from the Chicago Blackhawks along witgh Brian Noonan in a trade for Tony Amonte ahead of the trade deadline, quickly became one of the most important names in Rangers history in a very short period of time.

“It’s amazing,” Rangers goaltender and 1994 cup winner Mike Richter said last week. “It was so well said. ‘One more hill to climb’.”

WATCH: Stephane Matteau discusses iconic 1994 goal, 2024 playoffs with Forever Blueshirts

Rangers legends gather to celebrate Stephane Matteau and his foundation

1994 Stanley Cup champions Mike Richter, Stephane Matteau, Adam Graves. Photo: Jim Cerny

To celebrate the anniversary of the legendary goal, the Stephane Matteau Foundation held a charity event in Manhattan last week, bringing a panel of special people in Matteau’s hockey life to speak on not only the goal, but share memories of the 1994 Stanley Cup run, and speak about what Matteau has done for the community since retiring in 2003. Proceeds from the event, which included an auction of sports memorabilia, went to the foundation as well as the Mount Sinai Hospital Department of Urology with bladder cancer research, in the name of Rose, who recently won his battle against the disease.

Up on the stage at the Bohemian Hall in New York City sat an incredible panel consisting of Matteau, Rose, Rangers legends Richter and Adam Graves, former Devils forward Jim Dowd and Hockey Hall of Famer Pierre Turgeon, who played for the New York Islanders in 1994.

If not for the iconic call from Rose on Matteau’s goal against New Jersey, it is possible that his foundation would never have been created. The call brought everyone together in a way that no call has before.

“My name will always be linked to his name, and vice versa,” Matteau said.

The call by Rose established a lifelong friendship between the broadcaster and members of the 1994 team. Whether it be hosting events, playing a round of golf, or just talking to catch up, the call and the moment have linked them together forever.

“Howie is a part of the family,” Graves stated.

Of the other panel members, Richter and Graves were teammates of Matteau on that 1994 squad. Turgeon is a long time friend of Matteau. They grew up together playing peewee hockey and in the Little League World Series, and have been friends ever since. Dowd was on the ice for the Devils when Matteau scored his famous goal and went on to win the Cup himself with New Jersey the following season.

The call by Rose has allowed Matteau to use his name for a greater purpose, and create the Stephane Matteau Foundation, which works with over 30 schools in the New York City and Pennsylvania areas. His foundation also makes incredible charitable donations.

“The last 10 years have just been amazing,” Matteau explained. “I have my school programs here in New York. That goal, the call, led me to doors I don’t think I would have been able to get in. I’m very grateful for those moments.”

The night was filled with joking banter, stories of the 1994 squad, and kind remarks from those closely involved with Matteau and the Rangers alumni. Although unable to attend, 1994 Stanley Cup heroes Mark Messier and Eddie Olczyk recorded videos that were played for the crowd on hand.

However, no guest was more special to Matteau than his mother, who surprised him at the event. According to Matteau, it was the first time he had seen her in four years. The event really was about bringing everyone together, and it accomplished just that.

Thirty years after the goal and iconic call by Rose, lives are still being touched and impacted for the better thanks to the work of Matteau, his foundation, and those who are closest to him. Even Matteau himself has forgotten what his first name sounds like since the call.

“I think the biggest issue I have with that goal is that if we say ‘Steph,’ he doesn’t listen,” Graves joked. “We have to say: ‘Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!'”

“Bouncing back is part of sport, part of life,” Richter said, when standing next to the other two 1994 Stanley Cup champions at the Matteau Foundation charity event here at Bohemian National Hall on Thursday.

“This Rangers team, there are a lot of analogies being made (to the ’94 champions) but one is they bounce back, they find a way. Even that last game, they’re a goal away and hit a post (in the third period). So, being able to take a punch in the face and coming back is pretty critical in a playoff run.”

In 1994, the Rangers lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final. Against the New Jersey Devils in the conference final, they rallied from a 3-2 series deficit and a 2-0 second period hole to win Game 6 on the road, riding Mark Messier’s hat trick to victory. Then in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers persevered on Matteau’s famous double-overtime goal only after surrendering the game-tying goal with 7.7 seconds left in regulation.

“You need that resiliency in the playoffs because you’re going to hit challenges, individually and as a team,” Richter explained. “Just hearing Steph’s story, for example, [he] doesn’t play a period (in the first overtime) then you’re asked to go out there and change the history of the organization in a sense. … If that was someone who didn’t have the same constitution as Steph, someone who was put through what [coach Mike Keenan] put you through, maybe you’re not playing as well as he did in that second overtime.”

Graves pointed out that it can’t just be one player who’s strong mentally or fights through adversity. It must be the entire group. There can’t be anyone not pulling their weight.

“That ’94 team, everyone was a piece to the puzzle, everyone was important,” Graves said. “And this team, it organically grew and it’s a complete team.”

Related: Mark Messier believes Rangers need Matt Rempe spark in Game 2 against Panthers

Rangers ‘have that experience’ to bounce back, Mike Richter says

The 2024 Rangers steeled themselves in Game 6 of the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes after losing the previous two games and trailing 3-1 entering the third period. Taking a page out of Messier’s book, Chris Kreider scored a natural hat trick in the final stanza to finish off a tough opponent.

Now the Rangers are tasked with rebounding after losing 3-0 in the conference final opener on home ice.

Richter believes that this current team is “battle tested” and capable of “bouncing back” in Game 2 and beyond. Part of that is the Rangers raced back with a vengeance after a subpar month of January. But another is that they’ve tasted sour defeat in previous seasons, falling short in the 2022 conference final when they lost in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning after taking a 2-0 series lead, and then falling in seven games to the Devils last spring in the first round, again after opening with two wins.

So, yeah, battle tested. Not unlike the 1994 Blueshirts, who blew a second-round series lead in 1992 against the Pittsburgh Penguins after winning the Presidents’ Trophy that season, and then missed the playoffs altogether in 1993.

“That aspect of losing is an important one,” Richter said. “You’d love to figure things out right away, but it’s in the history of the game, having hiccups and then coming back, in the same year or over time. You learn from those mistakes and defeats.

“i think you watch teams that have a lot of resiliency in the playoffs, because you’re going to hit challenges, if you haven’t had [adversity] during the year or prior to it, it’s a little bit of a tougher road to hoe if you haven’t been through it. These Rangers have that experience.”

Matteau likes what he sees from these Blueshirts, too, heading into Game 2 at home against the Panthers on Friday.

“They find ways to win,” Matteau stated. “The Rangers core has been together for several years so they have that. They do good job adjusting. So, they do remind me of us in ’94.”

Then, Matteau added one final point with a chuckle.

“We’ll know more in two weeks.”

Since 1968, the Masterton Trophy has been awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The award is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Each individual chapter nominates one player from each team and then the entire PHWA votes on the winner.

The award is named after former NHL forward Bill Masterton, who died from head injuries sustained in a game on Jan. 13, 1968, when playing for the Minnesota North Stars.

Quick has had a career resurgence this season, his first since signing as a free agent with the Rangers last July 1.

The 38-year-old goalie is 17-5-2 with a 2.54 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and two shutouts. He hasn’t had a GAA this low nor a save percentage this high since 2017-18, when he played for the Los Angeles Kings.

Quick started the season 9-0-1 and capably filled in when New York’s No. 1 goalie Igor Shesterkin was hurt early on. The three-time Stanley Cup champion again took the reins around the All-Star break when Shesterkin was working on his game with goalie coach Benoit Allaire.

Inside the Numbers: Jonathan Quick’s historic NHL career

Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick earns Masterton Trophy nomination

Last weekend, Quick earned his 392nd victory in the NHL. He passed Ryan Miller to become the winningest United States-born goalie and grabbed sole possession of 15th place on the all-time wins list in NHL history.

“He stands for everything being done the right way,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette explained recently. “How you live your life, how you practice, how you play, what you say. He’s a great example for everybody.”

So impressed are the Rangers with Quick, that they signed him to a one-year contract extension through 2024-25. Shesterkin and Quick already have formed one of the best goalie tandems in Rangers history, just lacking the longevity shared by Ed Giacomin and Gilles Villemure, for example.

Quick is one of eight goalies nominated for the Masterton Trophy this season, including Connor Ingram (Arizona Coyotes), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Buffalo Sabres), Frederik Andersen (Carolina Hurricanes), Alex Lyon (Detroit Red Wings), Joey Daccord (seattle Kraken), Ilya Samsonov (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Laurent Brossoit (Winnipeg Jets).

Dominic Moore is the most recent Rangers player to win the Masterton Trophy, doing so in 2014. Jean Ratelle (1971), Rod Gilbert (1976), Anders Hedberg (1985) and Adam Graves (2001) also won the award when playing for the Rangers.

Former Blueshirts who won the Masterton when playing for other NHL teams include Brian Boyle (2018; New Jersey Devils), Jaromir Jagr (2016; Florida Panthers), Ian Laperriere (2011; Philadelphia Flyers), Bryan Berard (2004, Chicago Blackhawks), Jamie McClennan (1998; St. Louis Blues), Tony Granato (1997; San Jose Sharks), Pat LaFontaine (1995; Buffalo Sabres), Tim Kerr (1989; Flyers), Brad Park (1984; Detroit Red Wings) and Don Luce (1975; Sabres).

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang won the Masterton Trophy last season.

But the Rangers legend said that dropping the ceremonial first puck at PWHL New York’s inaugural home game at Total Mortgage Arena here in Bridgeport on Friday ranks right up there for him.

“When I walked out there, I just told the captains (Micah Zandee-Hart of New York, Blayre Turnbull of Toronto), ‘I’m so proud to be here and play a small part in all of this,’” Graves told Forever Blueshirts. “I’m just incredibly honored. It’s a privilege.”

Bringing rivals and legends together. 🤝

Thank you to Islanders legend Arron Asham and Rangers legend Adam Graves for dropping the puck on the @PWHL_NewYork home opener! pic.twitter.com/NupEqlJg2Q

— PWHL (@thepwhlofficial) January 6, 2024

Latest: Rangers need Adam Fox to regain his pre-injury form

Adam Graves believes women’s hockey players ‘deserve’ the PWHL

The PWHL is not only the latest professional women’s league in North America. It’s got the chance to do what each of its predecessors — most recently, the Premier Hockey Federation — failed to do. Achieve long-term success.

Where previous leagues were poorly funded and the players worked other jobs, sometimes selling tickets to games they played in, the PWHL is financed by the sole ownership of the Mark Walter Group.

That would be the same entity which owns the Los Angeles Dodgers. The same owner that dropped a fortune to sign Shohei Ohtani to the richest contract in MLB history.

So, the word “professional” applies to the new Professional Women’s Hockey League.

And Graves believes it’s about time.

“The women’s game and its incredible players deserve this,” Graves explained. “And the great thing is the impact that these players and this league will have, starting on the ice and then spreading in their communities. They will impact future generations of players at all levels, girls and boys. That for me is the great gift of the game.”

Ran into this familiar face and #NYR legend at first #PWHL game in Bridgeport tonight.

Great catching up with Gravey, still all class now 33 years after we first met! pic.twitter.com/Ttt4SVSZt5

— Jim Cerny (@JimCerny) January 6, 2024

The PWHL, women’s hockey should be ‘celebrated,’ Adam Graves states

The new league raised the curtain on its inaugural season New Year’s Day in Toronto, when New York won the first game in league history, 4-0. Graves, who raised two hockey-playing daughters with his wife, Violet, was dialed in.

“I watched the first game with my family in our home, and it was incredible,” Graves said. “Watching the women’s game from where it was and where it is now and where it’s going is exciting. I love the women’s game. I think it’s fantastic.”

Graves is active with youth hockey and has seen the increase of girls playing the sport over the years. He expects those numbers to take off with PWHL players committed to being heavily involved in their communities, specifically the New York team representing the tristate area that is near and dear to his heart.

After dropping the ceremonial first puck alongside former Rangers and Islanders forward Aaron Asham on Friday, Graves was happy to step back and let the women have their deserved moment in the spotlight.

So, wearing his familiar No. 9 on a New York jersey — albeit in the unfamiliar seafoam green not the Blueshirt he’s most associated with — Graves watched a new era of hockey commence. And, despite New York’s 3-2 loss to Toronto, Graves couldn’t have been any happier for the players, the sport and what’s to come next.

“What’s happening here should be celebrated.”

When it comes to their long history of free agent signings, these three players rank as the franchise’s very best.

New York Rangers sign Adam Graves

When GM Neil Smith signed a young Adam Graves to an RFA offer sheet on September 3, 1991, he couldn’t have known it would go down as possibly the best free agent signing in Rangers’ history.

At the time, when you signed an RFA you could try and work out compensation with the other team. Smith and his counterpart in Edmonton, Glen Sather, were not able to agree on adequate compensation, so the issue had to be decided by an independent arbitrator.

Neil Smith was able to convince the mediator that rugged enforcer and fan-favorite Troy Mallette, was a suitable return for Graves. Much to the chagrin of Sather, Mallette was headed to the Pacific Northwest as Graves was packed his bags for the Big Apple.

Graves went on to become part of the core four (Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, and Mike Richter) that brought a Stanley Cup to New York after 54 years on the night of June 14, 1994. His brilliant career led to him becoming a Blueshirts legend and his #9 is raised to the Garden Rafters.

Even more importantly, he’s still making a difference as an ambassador for the organization and continues to be a charitable force. Truly one of the greatest signings in the franchise’s history.

Graves played 10 seasons with the Blueshirts recording 280 goals and 507 points in 772 games. For his career, he amassed 616 points in 1152 contests split between the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and San Jose Sharks.

Wayne Gretzky

The Rangers signed Wayne Gretzky on July 21st, 1996 and he didn’t disappoint during his three season in New York.

In his first year wearing Rangers’ Blue, he scored 25 goals and 97 points in 82 games to lead the Blueshirts in scoring. Matter of fact, he led the team all three years he was on Broadway (90 pts, 62 pts).

Reunited with Mark Messier, the Blueshirts went on a magical playoff run led by the Great One. Gretzky’s hat-trick against Florida was one of the more memorable games during that postseason. Sadly with no Alexei Kovalev and mounting injuries they couldn’t overcome the powerhouse Flyers led by Eric Lindros in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Wayne would finish those playoffs with 10 goals and 10 assists in 15 games. Unfortunately, Messier left the team to sign with the Vancouver Canucks in free agency and the aging Rangers couldn’t make the postseason again during Gretzky’s final two years of his brilliant career.

Gretzky registered 249 points in 234 games with the Rangers mainly playing with journeyman winger Nicklas Sundstrom.

Number 99 holds or shares 61 NHL records. He is the game’s all-time leading goal scorer (894), assist getter (1962), and point producer (2856). Matter of fact, had Gretzky never scored a goal, he’d still be the all-time leader in points by 41, over Jaromir Jagr’s 1921 points.

Artemi Panarin

Artemi Panarin is arguably one of the best free agent signings in recent memory. Since joining the Blueshirts after signing a seven-year deal on July 1,2019, he’s led the team in scoring every season.

To date, the 31 year-old has scored (100 goals, 241 assists) 341 points in 268 games. Unfortunately, Panarin hasn’t had the playoff success he would like with seven goals and 20 points in 30 postseason matches.

However, his story is still being written and the Blueshirts’ most dynamic offensive player since Jaromir Jagr could easily move up this list.

The New York Rangers are starting to come into the Tri-state area in preparation for the opening of training camp on September 21.

One particularly large and tough Blueshirt was in New Jersey on Thursday night. Ryan Reaves, ‘the baddest man in the NHL’ was hanging out with ‘the man’, Ric Flair of professional wrestling fame.

Ryan Reaves and Ric Flair go WOO!

Reaves, 35, registered 5 goals and 13 points while averaging 10:39 per game in his first season on Broadway. He led the team in hits by a wide margin at 279. Defenseman Jacob Trouba was next at 207. His reputation as one of the most feared fighters in the league certainly kept the opposition in check from taking too many liberties on his teammates.

“I used to hang out with Bob Probert. Bobby was the baddest bad boy of them all,” Flair exclaimed. “Now I hang with Ryan Reaves, the baddest man in the NHL. If you don’t think so, tell me what game to be at with the baddest man in the NHL.”

Both Reaves and Flair let out a giant “WOOOOO” to end the clip.

According to the site Hockey Fights, Reaves was in only three tussles in 2021-22 and was voted winner in two of them.

• 11/16/21 win vs Michael Pezzetta (MON)
• 12/14/21 loss vs Kurtis MacDermid (COL)
• 3/19/22 win vs Pat Maroon (TBL)

Hanging With @reavo7five! WOOOOO! pic.twitter.com/MnZRDwXFhj

— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) September 8, 2022

Adam Graves helps reveal Jim Neilson Sports Complex

Jim Neilson passed away on November 6, 2020 at the age of 79. He played 12 seasons with the New York Rangers from 1962 to 1974 registering 298 points. Neilson was affectionately known as ‘The Chief’, his mother was a Cree from the Big River First Nation.

This week, Blueshirts legend Adam Graves helped unveil the Jim Neilson Sports Complex on Big River First Nation, where he was born.

Just like that, the Jim Neilson Sports Complex on Big River First Nation has its finishing touch.

Adam Graves is on hand with us to help unveil this state-of-the-art facility in honor of the #NYR legend. pic.twitter.com/qxLu8P3m8S

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 6, 2022

Rangers news you may have missed

The Rangers have an offer on the table for Nils Lundkvist, should they take it? Read more here.

Plus, the Rangers will have 15 games broadcast between ABC, ESPN, and TNT next season. Find out more about those contests and just how many will be available on ESPN+ streaming service here.

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On this day, July 18 in 2016, the New York Rangers made one of their best trades in history by acquiring Mika Zibanejad.

Oddly enough, it wasn’t very well received by some at the time. Previous GM Jeff Gorton sent fan favorite Derick Brassard and a 7th round pick to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Mika and a 2018 second round pick. That perceived disappointment didn’t last long as the trade is widely believed to be one of the biggest heists in the salary cap era.

Let’s look at some of the best trades in New York Rangers history.

Rangers acquire Mika Zibanejad

It goes without say that the biggest trade of Jeff Gorton’s tenure as Rangers General Manager was acquiring Mika Zibanejad for a song in 2016.

When the Rangers acquired the former 1st round pick, 6th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft from the Ottawa Senators, the hope was he’d realize his full potential. In exchange, Gorton sent to Ottawa the very popular Derick Brassard who scored quite a few goals during the Rangers deep playoff runs in both 2014 and 2015.

So how do fans feel about the trade now? Mika is not only a fan favorite, he’s considered one of the top centers in all of hockey.

Zibanejad, 29, scored 81 points in 81 games last season for the Rangers and then added another 24 points in 20 playoff games. For his career in New York spanning six seasons, he’s registered 363 points in 404 regular-season contests.

OFFICIAL: #NYR have acquired Mika Zibanejad & a 2018 2nd rd pick from OTT for Derick Brassard & a 2018 7th rd pick. pic.twitter.com/RjkiVAagpy

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 18, 2016

Rangers trade for Mark Messier

Mark Messier is without doubt considered the greatest New York Rangers player that was not drafted by the organization.

On October 4th, 1991 in what is one of the greatest trade in Rangers history, GM Neil Smith landed 5 time Cup winner Mark Messier and future considerations for Bernie Nicholls, Louie DeBrusk and Steven Rice. That consideration turned out to be Jeff Beukeboom who partnered with Brian Leetch to form NY’s top defensive pair for years. Upon his arrival, Messier was immediately named the Captain and Smith prophetically said, “The Rangers logo will look a little different after Mark is done here.”

He couldn’t have been more right.

Messier led the team to a Stanley Cup win in 1994 to end a 54 year curse. In 10 years with the Rangers, he scored 691 in 698 games. He added 80 more points in 70 playoff games.

Rangers “acquire” Adam Graves

This last deal takes us back to 1991, when GM Neil Smith signed a young Adam Graves to an RFA offer sheet. At the time, when you signed an RFA you could try and work out compensation with the other team. Smith and his counterpart in Edmonton, Glen Sather, were not able to agree on adequate compensation, so the issue had to be decided by an independent arbitrator.

Neil Smith was able to convince the mediator that the rugged enforcer, and fan-favorite, Troy Mallette, was a suitable return for Graves. Much to the chagrin of Sather, Mallette was heading to the Pacific Northwest and Graves was packing his bags for the Big Apple.

While this was not a traditional trade, it basically worked itself out to be. Adam Graves went on to become part of the core four that brought a Stanley Cup to NY after 54 years. He became a Blueshirts legend and has his #9 raised to the Garden Rafters.

Even more important is he is still making a difference. He’s an ambassador and continues to be a charitable force. Truly one of the greatest “trades” in the franchise’s history.

Graves played 10 seasons with the Blueshirts recording 280 goals and 507 points in 772 games.

Rangers trade for Ryan McDonagh

Glen Sather did most of his player acquisitions via free agency. However, there is one deal where he traded away an underperforming big contract for a future Rangers captain.

On June 30, 2009 the Rangers dealt Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt, and Mike Busto to Montreal for Ryan McDonagh, Chris Higgins, Doug Janik, and Pavel Valentenko. Needless to say, aside from Gomez and McDonagh the rest is just the answer to a trivia question.

McDonagh was a stalwart on defense and was one of the leaders on the blue-line that helped the team reach the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. Unfortunately, they fell to the L.A. Kings in five games but they likely don’t get that far without him.

Bottom line, Ryan became the Blueshirts best defenseman up until the day they traded him in 2018. The deal was one of the early rebuild moves that landed them Brett Howden, Libor Hajek, a first round pick that became Nils Lundkvist, and a second rounder which turned into Karl Henriksson. While the trade did not work in the Rangers favors, the Lightning eventually went on to win back-to-back Cups.

Rangers acquire Adam Fox

The Rangers acquired Adam Fox from the Carolina Hurricanes on April 30, 2019 for the price of two 2nd round picks (2019 and 2020). It was an absolute steal, but the Long Island native was basically set on only playing for the Rangers by refusing to sign an ELC with either the Calgary Flames or Hurricanes.

Fox had a good rookie season with 42 points in 70 games. It was his sophomore campaign that raised eyebrows with 47 points in a 56 game COVID shortened season. By capturing the Norris Trophy, he became only the second NHL defenseman since Bobby Orr to win it in their second year.

The 24 year-old followed that up with a 74 point season in 78 games in 2021-22. This is just the beginning of his young career and he’s already one of the great trades of all-time. He can only move up on this list.

Other notable great trades

• 1/23/2004 – Rangers acquire Jaromir Jagr from Washington Capitals in exchange for Anson Carter
• 7/23/2012 – Rangers acquire Rick Nash, Steven Delisle, and conditional pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets for Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon, and a first round pick
• 11/8/1975 – Rangers acquire Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Brad Park, Jean Ratelle and Joe Zanussi

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