The patch will be featured on all home and away Rangers jerseys, including the centennial sweaters, beginning with their first preseason game against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. It features the GAME7 logo in blue with white lettering on the right shoulder. The patches will also appear on jerseys sold at Madison Square Garden’s in-arena store locations.

The three-year agreement with GAME7, announced on the same day the Rangers named center J.T. Miller as the 29th captain in franchise history, marks the first time the Blueshirts have brought a brand partner directly onto the jersey in their 100-year history.

Game 7 named the Official Patch Partner of the New York Rangers.

Full press release: https://t.co/HxGAI9LYAh pic.twitter.com/NV7GqzcM9V

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 16, 2025

Messier was the captain of the Rangers team that ended the franchise’s 54-year Stanley Cup drought by defeating the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the 1994 Final – with No. 11 scoring what proved to be the Cup-winning goal in the 3-2 victory at Madison Square Garden. They also won Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New Jersey Devils at the Garden to reach the Final.

He said the significance of partnering with the Rangers isn’t lost on him, especially in their centennial season.

“For me, the Rangers will always be family, and Madison Square Garden will always feel like home,” Messier said. “To now see GAME 7 — something we built with the same passion and commitment to greatness that defined my years on the ice — become part of the Rangers’ journey is incredibly meaningful. This partnership unites a legendary franchise, the world’s most iconic arena and a brand created to inspire people to rise to their greatest challenges.

“As the Rangers celebrate 100 years, it’s an honor to play a role in connecting the team’s history with its future and to help bring even more unforgettable experiences to fans who have always been at the heart of this organization.”

Rangers to wear sponsor patch for first time in 2025-26

The NHL began allowing teams to wear sponsor patches in 2022-23 as a way for teams to generate revenue. Entering the 2024-25 season, there were nine teams that did not have a jersey sponsor patch. The Utah Hockey Club (now the Utah Mammoth) was the only team without a helmet sponsor last season.

The idea with this patch was to make it look as if it was always a part of the jersey and not just randomly affixed. GAME 7 co-founder Mat Vlasic said the process to finalize the patch was “literally one pass and everyone agreed.

“I fancy myself as somewhat creative, and you want to try multiple things, never want to just have one option. But it literally was that,” he said. “It was the first pass, and that rarely happens. To launch this partnership with Madison Square Garden and bring Mark back home is a defining moment for all of us. Together, we’ll create unforgettable experiences for Rangers fans both on and off the ice.”

To MSG Sports chief operating officer Jamaal Lesane, the relationship between the Rangers and Messier made the deal a perfect fit.

“Our search for a partner that would be so deeply ingrained in both the Rangers and Madison Square Garden led us directly to GAME 7, which we believe is an absolutely perfect fit,” he said. “We have a deep-seated relationship with GAME 7 co-founder and Rangers legend Mark Messier, which makes this such a genuine, natural alignment.

“Mark and his team at GAME 7 have created something special and as our organization embarks on our centennial season, we look forward to continued collaboration for years to come.”

“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.”

Something’s in the air… pic.twitter.com/Sxy4YA6lZE

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 15, 2025

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.

Full list of Centennial Nights. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/daK6JnllPP

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 15, 2025

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.

Of course, you must understand the circumstances of what happened that night of May 22, 2014, at Madison Square Garden. Stepan not only was leveled by a late, open-ice hit in the first period, one that resulted in a broken jaw. But the hit was delivered by Canadiens forward Brandon Prust, Stepan’s good friend and former Rangers teammate.

Talk about awkward.

The Canadiens contended Stepan wasn’t even really hurt. Doctors said otherwise. X-rays proved the extent of the injury.

Stepan revealed in an interview on the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast this past week that Prust and former Rangers captain Ryan Callahan still needle him about the controversial hit to this day.

“[Prust] was another one that was at the alum game [recently], him and ‘Cally’ kept pulling up the video and breaking it down. ‘He barely touched you Step. Like, dive a little bit more!’ Stepan shared with a laugh.

Prust was not penalized on the play. However, he was suspended two games by the League. And Stepan missed Game 4 following surgery to repair his jaw. Stepan returned in Game 5 wearing a full face shield and scored two goals in a 7-4 loss to the Canadiens, fueling the fire that he wasn’t hurt as badly as the Rangers contended.

“It was what it was,” Stepan said. “But the best part of it was Cally, he’s just relentless this guy. Every angle of that hit. ‘I think you got hit in the shoulder, Step.'”

It should be noted that Callahan was an outside observer to the controversy. The Rangers traded Callahan a few months earlier to the Tampa Bay Lightning for future Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis. As such, Callahan missed their run to the Stanley Cup Final that spring.

That provides Stepan some ammunition of his own to use against Callahan.

“I’ll be telling stories about that run and then I’ll be like, ‘Oh right. You weren’t there Cally!”

Related: Derek Stepan reveals how J.T. Miller ‘handled taking sh**’ from Rangers veterans as rookie

Derek Stepan knows former Rangers teammate ‘does care about me’ despite jaw-breaking hit

There are plenty of laughs now, but it wasn’t such a funny matter when the incident occurred. The Rangers led the best-of-7 conference final 2-0 after winning the first two games on the road at Bell Centre in Montreal. Prust’s massive hit helped propel the Canadiens to a 3-2 overtime win at MSG in Game 3.

Stepan, not surprisingly, wasn’t thrilled with the hit.

“‘Prusty’ is one of my good buddies. I understand Prusty’s role. Do I feel I needed to be the target of his role? Probably not, and I tell him that all of the time,” Stepan explained. “But I was the target of his role and such is life. I don’t think he thought he was going to break my jaw. I think he thought he was just going to give me a little pop, get a little penalty and stir the pot.”

Obviously it was worse than that.

“To his credit I think his wires crossed and I was in his cross-hairs and he got me and he broke my jaw and I think he felt terrible about it,” Stepan said. “But he also knew this is the way the world works. He also understood I knew that. But he does care about me.”

They were Rangers teammates from 2010-12, Stepan’s first two seasons in the NHL and likely the two best of Prust’s career. The rugged forward signed with the Canadiens before the start of the 2012-13 season.

If Montreal had defeated New York in the 2014 East Final, many north of the border would’ve contended that the series shifted because of that hit. Instead, the Rangers won Game 4 at MSG on St. Louis’ memorable overtime goal. After that wild Game 5 loss, the Rangers finished off the Canadiens with a 1-0 Henrik Lundqvist masterpiece in Game 6.

The Rangers lost the Stanley Cup Final in five games to the Los Angeles Kings that spring. It’s their only appearance in the Final since winning the Stanley Cup in 1994.

But back to the Stepan-Prust relationship. Stepan summed up why Prust remains his good friend a decade after that infamous hit.

“He was the first guy to text me when I woke up from my surgery. He was right on it, right away. ‘Hey buddy, are you OK? Obviously, I didn’t mean to,'” Stepan explained. “And the cool thing about Prusty is that, sure, anyone who cheap-shots a guy can text that guy afterwards. That’s easy to do, right?

“The next year, I broke my leg in the skate test (in training camp), and I got off the ice, the first text I got was from Prusty. ‘Hey, i heard something happened. Are you alright?’

Bygones were bygones. And these two former Rangers — and their captain — can laugh about it all these years later.

“What people don’t know is that when I showed up for a team dinner at the end of that night, I got a standing ovation from my teammates, which gives me goosebumps to think about because I was a voice for them because they couldn’t,” Boyle shared on The Steve Dangle Podcast earlier this year.

“I felt like shit for a couple hours after I said that, but that night everything went away because I knew I did the right thing. Those guys to this day are like, ‘That was fu**ing incredible.'”

Boyle played the final two of his 17 NHL seasons with the Rangers from 2014-16. During that time, he believed Brooks scapegoated him for any troubles the Rangers had on ice, and took it personally. Boyle said he didn’t speak out publicly during his Rangers tenure so as not to cause a distraction or shed any negative light on the organization.

That changed after the Rangers were eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games of their best-of-7 first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series in 2016. His contract was up and Boyle knew he was not returning to the Rangers. In fact, he retired that offseason at the age of 39.

So, when he stood by his locker to answer questions from the media at breakup day, Boyle first let Brooks know the reporter was not welcome. The back and forth got ugly, and eventually Brooks did walk away. Since the exchange was caught on camera, the argument went viral outside the locker-room doors.

Many felt it was an overreaction. Boyle believed it was justified.

“I was handcuffed for two years there and at the end of the year (2016) I was like I’m not going to be quiet any more,” Boyle stated. “Media has a responsibility to cover the game but when they take it personal and it becomes trash and it becomes about them and it becomes inaccurate and wrong, and ‘Boyle did this’ and I’m like ‘I wasn’t even on the ice for that goal,’ that kind of shit.

“So, obviously I blew up at the end of that year.”

Related: Rangers concern meter — Weighing potential issues for 2025-26 season

Former Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle was ‘surprised how negative media was’ in New York

Those couple minutes are likely what most people remember about Boyle’s tenure on Broadway. He did help the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy and reach the Eastern Conference Final his first season with them, when he had 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) and was plus-18 in 65 games.

The following season, Boyle scored 10 goals and totaled 24 points in 74 games. But his overall game, and that of the Rangers, was not at the same level. The Rangers finished third in the Metropolitan Division, ninth overall in the League, and then were kayoed quickly in the playoffs by the Penguins.

“In New York, we had a Presidents'(Trophy-winning) team one year, we had a very good team for two years, but I was surprised how negative the media was,” Boyle said. “Players always say ‘Oh, we don’t listen to that, we don’t read that,’ but I don’t buy that … I mean, that’s probably true. We don’t read it, but someone else does and it filters its way into the locker room.”

Boyle played — and starred — in smaller media markets earlier in his successful career. He helped the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup in 2004. And then he helped the San Jose Sharks finish first in the Pacific Division three times and reach the Western Conference Final twice in his six seasons playing in northern California.

All told, Boyle totaled 605 points (163 goals, 442 assists) in 1,093 NHL games, and another 81 points (17 goals, 64 assists) in 130 Stanley Cup Playoff games. An undrafted free agent, Boyle was one of the top offensive defensemen of his day.

And a fierce competitor.

That edginess holds true to this day, when he recalls the last chapter of his career in the dressing room at the MSG Training Center nine years later.

“I got texts from players I didn’t know, numbers, saying ‘Thank you for saying what I didn’t have the ba**s to say.'”

But instead of being bitter about how things went down, Kasparaitis recited a funny anecdote when discussing the demotion on a recent episode of the Cam and Strick podcast.

“They sent me down and I felt very low. I was in the city, woke up like 4 a.m., looked out at the city and was thinking ‘Oh My God, my career is over,'” Kasparaitis recalled. “I was like [34] years old and I drove my Bentley to Hartford. All these kids are like ‘Man, what is this guy doing here, driving a Bentley, smoking a cigarette?!'”

That visual is classic Kasparaitis. He’s a unique character with an oversized personality. Though he was one of the fiercest competitors on the ice, and one of the dirtiest players of his era, Kasparaitis was equally known for his ever-present smile and quick wit.

One of our favorite, and most meaningful, traditions.

Our center ice stick salute was born during the '05-'06 season, when – after a particularly infamous shootout goal – Jaromir Jagr + Darius Kasparaitis wanted to thank the Garden crowd. pic.twitter.com/zJTKfmmlkN

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 28, 2024

And, yes, even he had to laugh all these years later about how absurd it must’ve looked when he arrived for his minor-league stint in a Bentley of all cars. Can you just picture the look on the faces of youngsters like Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky at the time?!

All humor aside, it was a difficult time for Kasparaitis, who had never played in the minor leagues since arriving from Lithuania in the fall of 1992 to play for the Islanders.

“It was one of the lowest points in my hockey career,” he explained. “I played the game on a certain level, and getting sent down — not because I was playing bad, I was probably not in the best shape because I was coming back from injury and Rangers had no patience, and also the Rangers had Dan Girardi playing so good in the minors, they tried to make a space for him.”

Related: Former Rangers goalie Keith Kinkaid hopes success in 3-on-3 tournament will help get him back to NHL

Darius Kasparaitis has ‘no hard feelings’ toward Rangers

All of what Kasparaitis said is true. He had two surgeries in the offseason prior to the 2006-07 season and was, admittedly, out of shape. Coach Tom Renney stripped him off his alternate captain’s “A” and handed the role to Brendan Shanahan. But, yet, the veteran defenseman was playing competently on the Rangers’ back end.

He didn’t quite realize it at the time, Kasparaitis admitted in the interview, but he was also becoming addicted to pain killers following the surgeries.

As he said, the Rangers — specifically Renney — lost “patience” with him. Kasparaitis was unclaimed on waivers and took his expensive ride to Hartford.

Of course, that he could afford that Bentley is one of the reasons Kasparaitis feels no bitterness toward the Rangers.

“Listen, there’s no hard feelings. I think the Rangers gave me a good contract that last me a long time. They paid for my talent, big bucks,” Kasparaitis explained. “As a free agent, I was hoping for $2 million a year. And when my agent said I was being offered $4.2 (million) a year, I said ‘This is too much money. I don’t deserve this money.’ I told him that and he said ‘Don’t tell anybody that you think that way.’ “

He signed a six-year, $25.5 million contract with the Rangers on July 2, 2002. Kasparaitis explained on the podcast that he received a recruiting call from Eric Lindros, who wanted him on the Rangers despite being concussed by a Kasparaitis hit earlier in his career.

It was a no-brainer decision for Kasparaitis, who was also happy to remain in the division after starring for the Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins.

He played 215 games with the Rangers, including the final 24 of his NHL career in 2006-07. All told, Kasparaitis totaled 1,379 penalty minutes and 163 points in 863 regular-season NHL games. He also played 83 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and helped the Islanders reach the Eastern Conference Final in 1993 and the Colorado Avalanche advance to the Western Conference Final in 2002.

And by the sounds of it, he had zero regrets about signing with the Rangers — nor how his NHL career ended with them.

The deal came after arguably the poorest season of Kreider’s tenure on Broadway. After scoring at least 36 goals in each of the previous three seasons, he managed just 22. His eight assists and 30 points were full-season lows. Poor health (including hand problems and vertigo) were part of the problem, as was the Rangers’ nearly complete collapse after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24. Not to mention that infamous trade memo to all the NHL GMs from Chris Dury that prominently included Kreider’s name.

But all that aside, there was a definite drop-off in his play.

Still, Kreider is unquestionably one of the top Rangers in the 21st century – and there’s a case to be made that he’s No. 1 among non-goaltenders. No Rangers player in this century has come close to equaling his 326 goals, and his third-period hat trick in Game 6 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Second Round that eliminated the Carolina Hurricanes is one of the all-time clutch moments in franchise history.

But should Kreider’s No. 20 join the pantheon of Rangers greats who have their numbers hanging in the rafters at Madison Square Garden? Assuming Kreider remains healthy, he has two years remaining on his contract and could play beyond that, so it’s not a question that must be decided right away.

But when Kreider hangs up his skates, there figures to be a lot of conjecture about whether No. 20 should be retired.

Related: Chris Kreider uses Shoulder Check Showcase to say goodbye to Rangers fans

Yes, Rangers should retire Chris Kreider’s No. 20

The only two Rangers who scored more goals during their time in New York were longtime friends and linemates Rod Gilbert (406) and Jean Ratelle (336 before he was traded to the Boston Bruins in November 1975). Along with Kreider, they are the only three Rangers to break the 300-goal mark; Adam Graves, who’s fourth, scored 280 with the Blueshirts – eight more than Hockey Hall of Famer Andy Bathgate, who played on some awful teams in the late 1950s and early ’60s. Ironically, each wore No. 9; that number is retired in honor of both players.

Kreider is 10th in Rangers history with 582 points, seven behind longtime teammate Mika Zibanejad for the most since 2000. He is the only one of the top 10 who has more goals than assists (256), hence the relatively low points total. Kreider exceeded 70 points only twice, finishing with 77 (52 goals, 25 assists) in 2021-22 and 75 (39 goals, 36 assists) in 2023-24.

Chris Kreider. Shorthanded. pic.twitter.com/BSE0DVQiNX

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 31, 2024

It was no secret that Kreider was among the most dangerous players the past few years when it came to scoring on the power play. Half of his 52 goals in ’21-22 came with the man advantage, and he shares the team record for career PPGs with Camille Henry (116). More interesting is the fact that he became a dangerous penalty-killer in his latter seasons with the Rangers; his 13 shorthanded goals are the most since 2000 and fourth in team history behind Mark Messier (23), Graves (16) and Don Maloney (14).

Kreider is also second in Rangers history with 50 game-winning goals, four more than Ratelle; only Gilbert (52) had more.

CHRIS KREIDER, HOW GOES IT. pic.twitter.com/OfJNVjJLnf

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 31, 2024

And we haven’t even begun to talk about his playoff numbers. Kreider’s team-record 48 postseason goals are 14 more than Gilbert, who’s second all-time. His 12 game-winners are five more than Messier, who’s second with seven. He’s also first in games played (123, one more than Dan Girardi) and third in points with 76 (Brian Leetch is first with 89, followed by Messier with 80).

All in all, there’s a pretty strong case to be made that Kreider’s number needs a spot in the rafters at MSG.

No, Chris Kreider wasn’t quite good enough to have number retired by Rangers

Before his 52-goal season in 2021-22, Kreider was a good player but not one who made a major impact on most nights. In fact, he was often derided by coaches, fans and the media for his wildly inconsistent play the majority of his time in New York.

He reached the 20-goal mark six times in his first eight NHL seasons but never scored more than 28. Kreider exceeded 50 points just twice during that time (53 in 2016-17, 52 in 2018-19 – the two times he scored 28 goals). He was useful but not prolific on the power play, reaching double figures in PPGs just once (11 in 2020-21).

Exactly half (58 of 116) of his power-play goals were scored in the first eight full seasons of his time on Broadway, but of all the Rangers who played more than 100 games during Kreider’s first eight seasons, he was 10th in average power-play time at 2:32 per game.

He was rarely used as a penalty-killer during those years and did not have a short-handed goal before the 2021-22 season. That’s not surprising, since he averaged just four seconds of short-handed ice time per game.

Perhaps the best indicator of Kreider’s status on the team was his ice time. Prior to 2021-22, he never averaged more than 17:24 in any of his eight seasons.

And the verdict is …

As someone who’s watched the Rangers from the time of Bathgate in the late 1950s and early 1960s to the present day, I have mixed feelings about putting Kreider’s No. 20 alongside true Rangers immortals like Leetch, Gilbert and Messier.

Kreider was a solid-but-unspectacular player through his 20s, never even reaching the 30-goal mark. But he did score some massive postseason goals in that time and became one of the League’s most feared goal-scorers after turning 30 on April 30, 2021. No Rangers player can match Kreider’s 127 goals in a three-season span from 2021-22 through 2023-24 at any age, let alone after turning 30.

Of the four Rangers who’ve scored 50 goals in a season (Vic Hadfield, Graves and Jaromir Jagr are the others), Kreider most resembles Hadfield, the Blueshirts’ first 50-goal scorer (50 in 1971-72). Like Kreider, Hadfield had multiple 20-goal seasons but never reached the 30-goal mark before his big season. Also, his 50-goal season came after his 30th birthday.

Hadfield’s No. 11 was retired in December 2018 (it had already been retired in honor of Messier in January 2006, which is why there are two banners with the same number in the Garden rafters). At some point, though perhaps not until the 2030s, expect Kreider’s No. 20 to join them as he becomes the 12th player in team history to receive a team’s ultimate honor.

With the Rangers entering their 100th season, don’t be surprised if the upcoming Winter Classic jersey leans into that milestone. Whether it’s a retro-inspired look or something built around the centennial logo, this is the perfect moment to do something meaningful to the franchise.

In all, the Rangers have rolled out eight different alternate jersey concepts, not counting slight tweaks. Some were one-offs for outdoor games, while others stuck around for years. With a new one on the way, let’s take a trip down memory lane to revisit every alternate the Rangers have ever worn.

Related: Rangers’ most memorable playoff games from 2000-25, including Chris Kreider’s 3rd-period hat trick

8. 2003-04 Vintage set

The Rangers wore these throwbacks as part of the NHL’s Vintage Jersey program during the 2003-04 season. They were based on the uniforms the Blueshirts wore from 1976-78, a (mercifully) short-lived model most of today’s fans don’t hold a personal connection to — and most of the ones who do couldn’t stand it. The Rangers wore the blue version three times and the white one twice. It’s supposed to be a tribute but feels more like a practice jersey.

7. Present third jerseys (Blueshirt Crest)

From the subway tile design stitched into the collar and the sleeve stripes inspired by the lights of Madison Square Garden, the Rangers’ current third jerseys are supposed to represent the city they call home. Like the previous jersey, this one also features the Rangers’ crest front and center — and that’s the issue.

There was so much potential here, but slapping the logo in the middle feels lazy. It gives off that modern, minimalist style we see more of these days, but it just feels awkward. The stripes are really the only thing that give this jersey any personality. Overall, it’s a swing and a miss.

6. 2014 Stadium Series

This jersey was made specifically for the Rangers’ games at Yankee Stadium during the 2014 Stadium Series. It features “NEW YORK” across the chest, outlined in silver, with stripes on the arms.

It’s not bad, just kind of boring. You’re playing at Yankee Stadium — why not lean into the setting with Pinstripes or something Yankees-related. Instead, they played a safe bet. The white looks nice, and it’s clean, but still feels like a missed opportunity.

5. 2010-11 to 2016-17 Alternate

This jersey holds a ton of nostalgia.

I grew up watching my favorite Rangers battle in it, so while it may not be the flashiest jersey, it’s definitely one of the most meaningful. The dark navy, bold stripes, and the diagonal “NEW YORK” across the chest adds that vintage feel. If I had one small critique, it’s that the letters could’ve been just a bit bigger. But honestly, it’s a timeless jersey that brings back a lot of great memories.

Related: Why former Rangers coach told Henrik Lundqvist ‘You’re not the f***ing King!’

4. 2018 Winter Classic

The Rangers wore this at Citi Field for the Winter Classic against the Buffalo Sabres, and it worked.

The letters are big and bold, the colors pop and the stripes give off the perfect vibe of outdoor game. The “NY” shield on the chest adds a beautiful touch without overdoing it. Overall, this is one of the cleaner alternates the Rangers have ever worn.

3. 2024 Stadium Series

These jerseys are just beautiful, plain and simple.

The large red “NYR” outlined in blue makes everything pop on the white jersey. The stripes, the colors, the overall layout — they all come together to create one of the best-looking alternates the Rangers have ever worn. Honestly, I wish they’d bring these jerseys back.

2. Lady Liberty

The Rangers have had four different versions of the Lady Liberty jersey. It started with the original navy version (1996-97 through 2006-07, with a brief pause), followed by a white version in 1998-99. Then it came back with the 2020-21 reverse Retro and again in 2022-23, this time in a brighter blue version.

It’s no surprise this jersey keeps coming back. Every time the Rangers have brought it out, the response has been overwhelmingly positive — it’s flat-out gorgeous. The Statue of Liberty crest captures the energy of New York in a way no other Rangers jersey ever has.

1. 2012 Winter Classic

This one is perfect from top to bottom. Worn for the 2012 Winter Classic in Philadelphia against the Flyers, it’s everything a third jersey should be — vintage and original. The cream base sets it apart immediately, and the old-school shield on the chest ties everything together.

It’s got character, and more than anything, it just feels like the Winter Classic. This isn’t just the best alternate the Rangers have ever worn, it might be the best jersey in team history, period.

And let’s be real, anytime you see this jersey, your mind goes straight to Henrik Lundqvist’s penalty shot stop on Danny Briere with 20 seconds left in the game. Pure cinema.

Yandle was also one of the friendliest and funniest players in the League. He was known as much for his quips and big smile as he was for being a three-time participant in the NHL All-Star Game and his five 50+-point seasons.

But it’s his big personality that almost landed Yandle in hot water after the Rangers acquired him in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes late in the 2014-15 season. That’s because around the Rangers in those days, there was an unwritten rule that no one bothered uber-intense goalie Henrik Lundqvist before a game.

No one, that is, except for the newest Ranger.

“I remember one of my first times in that area where the guys would eat at MSG, like a little lounge area, and Hank would come in wearing a three-piece suit looking like a dime with his headphones on, and I was like, ‘Hey, what’s up Hank?!’ and give him a high-five,” Yandle recounted on a recent edition of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast he co-hosts with Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney. “And everyone is like ‘You do not talk to him on game day.” And I’m like, ‘Yeah, we do. We talk to him.'”

The story surely resonated with Lundqvist, the podcast guest sitting across the couch, when Yandle told the tale. Lundqvist laughed at the memory, though neither he nor Yandle shed any light on whether the defenseman approached The King like that again through their next season as teammates.

Henrik Lundqvist explains why he wore ‘Mickey Mouse’ gloves under his blocker and snag 🧤https://t.co/guivt7rp5X pic.twitter.com/e5C10uwHG8

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) July 31, 2025

However, Lundqvist did explain his game-day intensity.

“I had days I don’t think I spoke. I was quiet on game days,” he said. “I think I got better over the years, but I was so in my head just thinking about the game and just kind of dealing with the pressure.”

Lundqvist grew even more reflective.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself, and maybe sometimes a little too much. That made me, maybe, a little intense at times.”

Related: Rangers legend ‘never really had a chance to say goodbye’ until Chris Drury phone call changed everything

Henrik Lundqvist, Keith Yandle recall failed Cup run with Rangers in 2015

Lundqvist had a quip of his own when asked on the podcast what kind of teammate Yandle was.

“Great guy in the locker room. Maybe not the best shot blocker … but he wouldn’t screen me!” Lundqvist said, cracking up the co-hosts, including Yandle.

“But I was pretty intense, so it always great to have teammates that kind of made you smile every day. I loved that.”

Yandle helped the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy in 2014-15. He also had seven points (two goals, five assists) in the 2015 Eastern Conference Final, when the Rangers lost in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Overall, Yandle had 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 19 postseason games that spring.

Lundqvist and Yandle discussed how decimated the Rangers’ lineup was when they dropped Game 7 against the Lightning at Madison Square Garden.

“I have to say, that I thought ’15 was going to be our year after losing the year before (in a five-game Stanley Cup Final to the Los Angeles Kings). In 2015 we had a great team,” Lundqvist explained. “But then we came up short against Tampa in Game 7.”

Then Yandle piped up.

“[Dan] Girardi had a broken foot. I had a separated shoulder. [Kevin] Klein had just broken his arm,” Yandle recalled, forgetting to mention how captain Ryan McDonagh also played with a broken foot.

That led to the former teammates discussing the Rangers’ other major injury that spring. Forward Mats Zuccarello took a slap shot to the head in the first round against the Pittsburgh Penguins and didn’t play the rest of the playoffs because of a frightening injury.

“He couldn’t speak. He speaks like four languages and he couldn’t speak anything,” Yandle offered.

“He skated off the ice and he couldn’t say one word,” added Lundqvist. “It hit a part of the brain that controls your speech. … He came back about a week or so later and came to dinner and he was struggling speaking. Everyone was like, ‘Oh my God.'”

The 2015 run, which ended with a 2-0 loss at Madison Square Garden in Game 7, was pretty much the last go-round for that Rangers core, which had reached the conference final three times in four years. Yandle was traded to the Florida Panthers after the 2015-16 season — and shortly thereafter, the rebuild was on in New York.

Lundqvist had his contract bought out after the 2019-20 season and heart surgery soon followed, ending his career.

But as this interview pointed out, the good memories trumped the bad or bittersweet ones — and the special friendships still carry on.

The move comes after Maloney served for 20 years as the team’s radio color commentator.

So, following a conversation on my RINK RAP podcast last week with Captain Dave about the new gig, it seemed only right to find out exactly what younger brother Don has to say on the matter.

“Well, we always thought he had a face for radio, so this is quite a coup for him!”

If you know the Maloney brothers even just a little bit, you know quips and sarcasm are a big part of their relationship. So, for that to be Don’s initial comment about Dave on the most recent episode of the pod is totally in character.

In fact, in my windup to the audience about my three-decade relationship with Don, I segued into how after working with Don at the Islanders, I had the chance to work with Dave at the Rangers for a decade.

That prompted this interjection by the younger sibling.

“Yeah, sorry, I’ll apologize for the whole family about that!”

But you should know it goes both ways. When I told Dave last week that my best friend growing up in Queens (shoutout to Crister Larson!) bought a No. 12 Rangers jersey with “Don Maloney” stitched on it back in the day, he fired back with a quip of his own.

“Yeah, well, that’s because his jerseys were available on the [sales] rack and mine were all sold out.”

You get the idea. If the back and forth between these two Rangers legends was a tennis match, we’d be in a fifth-set tiebreak at Wimbledon by this point.

But all joking aside, there’s deep appreciation, respect and love between the brothers, who were also Rangers teammates. Dave at 68 is two years older than Don, and was Rangers captain when his younger sibling was called up from New Haven of the American Hockey League in February of 1979 and proceeded to score in his NHL debut at The Garden on his first shot against the Boston Bruins.

Together they helped the Rangers stun the Islanders in the playoff semifinals that spring and advance to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost in five games to the Montreal Canadiens. After their playing days, each made his way back to the Rangers. Don was assistant general manager working under, first, Neil Smith and then Glen Sather; Dave as radio analyst, working primarily alongside Kenny Albert, who’ll also be his partner on MSGN next season.

“I’m very, very proud of him. You know, you just don’t show up at 6 o’clock for a 7 o’clock game and say, ‘So, what do you want to talk about tonight?’ There’s so much work and preparation that goes into it,” Don told me on RINK RAP this week. “It’s a lot of work, a lot of prep. And I always admired Dave for the amount of time he put in for the radio work. He’s always been a great partner with Kenny Albert, I think they do a great job. I’m really, really happy for him.”

Don added that he thinks it’s pretty cool Dave will be in the same role that one of their former teammates — and good friends — filled at the highest level for years.

“J.D. really set a standard,” Maloney said about former Rangers goalie, TV analyst and team president John Davidson. “You think about through the 80s and 90s and where he went and became this global ambassador of the game. And anybody that knows John Davidson, his personality, he’s upbeat, he’s funny, but has a very good mind. … He’s a really well-liked, easy person to listen to. He made it simple, even for us players, to understand what was going on on the ice.

“Dave had a good model to follow and he’s done really well in his own right.”

Don shared so many other stories and insights that are well worth listening to during our conversation.

You can check out the entire interview on YouTube or can LISTEN HERE.

New York Rangers news

The 2025-26 NHL schedule was officially released Wednesday. Our John Kreiser breaks down all you need to about the Rangers schedule next season.

One of the cool takeaways from my interview with Don Maloney was his take on why the Rangers missed Glen Sather — who stepped down as an advisor in June 2024 — so much last season, saying the veteran executive was “a senior voice to calm things down.”

If Scott Morrow really was the “Jack Eichel of the blue line” in college at UMass, the Rangers may have gotten a steal in the K’Andre Miller trade with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Breaking down the imperfect 3C choices for the Rangers ahead of training camp in September.

Recent Rangers draft pick Artyom Gonchar did a recent interview in Russia and spoke about the influence his famous uncle — former NHL star Sergei Gonchar — has on him. “He sees potential in me.”

Speaking of prospects, here’s our Top 10 list of future Rangers, after the 2025 NHL Draft.

The fans have their say! In a recent Forever Blueshirts poll on social media, fans voted overwhelmingly that the hiring of coach Mike Sullivan was the Rangers most impactful move this offseason.

On a sad note, former Rangers goalie Wayne Thomas passed away at the age of 77.

The San Jose Sharks, for whom Thomas worked for more than 20 years, confirmed that the team learned of Thomas’ death Wednesday from his family. A team spokesman said he died at his home in Falmouth, Massachusetts, after a battle with cancer.

Thomas arrived in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens in 1972-73, one year after leading their Nova Scotia farm team to the Calder Cup championship in the American Hockey League. He played parts of two seasons with Montreal and two full seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs – earning the victory in the 1976 NHL All-Star Game.

We join the Sharks and hockey community in mourning the passing of Rangers alum Wayne Thomas. We are thinking of Wayne’s friends and loved ones during this difficult time. https://t.co/u0ND8Hgtfs

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 16, 2025

But the emergence of Mike Palmateer as Toronto’s new No. 1 in net made Thomas expendable, and the Rangers claimed him on waivers before the start of the 1977-78 season.

The Rangers planned to use Thomas as the backup to John Davidson. But when Davidson got hurt, Thomas wound up playing 41 games, posting a 12-20 record with seven ties, a 3.60 goals-against average and four shutouts.

His lone winning season with the Rangers came in 1978-79, when he was 15-10 with three ties, finishing with a 3.64 goals-against average and a save percentage of .866. He lost his only start in the playoffs that spring, serving as the backup to Davidson, whose play carried the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final; they lost to the Canadiens in five games.

WATCH: Complete Forever Blueshirts interview with former Rangers great Don Maloney

Wayne Thomas, Rangers goalie and minor-league coach, dies at 77

The Ottawa native saw limited action during the next two seasons before retiring as a player in January 1981. He played 94 games during his four seasons in New York, and was 34-43 with 11 ties, a 3.64 GAA, a save percentage of .875 and five shutouts. In his eight NHL seasons, he was 103-93 with 34 ties, a 3.34 GAA, .891 save percentage and 10 shutouts.

Thomas’ last game for the Rangers was on Jan. 11, 1981, a 5-3 loss to Toronto at Madison Square Garden – and by the end of the month, he had been named their goaltending coach, one of the first in the NHL.

READ MORE: How Rangers missed Glen Sather, ‘senior voice to calm things down’ during epic 2024-25 failure

He remained in that role until the end of the 1984-85 season, when he was named coach of the Salt Lake City Golden Eagles of the IHL, a Rangers minor league affiliate. Thomas coached Salt Lake to the Turner Cup championship in his second season with the team. He was awarded the Commissioner’s Trophy as the IHL Coach of the Year.

His success in the minors brought him back to the NHL in the fall of 1987 as an assistant with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he worked with future Hockey Hall of Famer Ed Belfour. Thomas later joined the St. Louis Blues in the same role to work with another talented young goaltender, Curtis Joseph.

The NHL Alumni Association is deeply saddened to learn that Wayne Thomas has passed away at the age of 77.

A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Wayne played junior hockey for his hometown Ottawa Capitals of the Central Canada Hockey League before playing three seasons of collegiate… pic.twitter.com/SdHOOuWEno

— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) July 16, 2025

Thomas moved to the Sharks in 1993 as both an assistant coach and an assistant to the general manager. He stayed with the team for 22 seasons and retired in 2015 as an assistant GM and vice president. In all, he spent 45 years in professional hockey.

For all his success as an executive, Thomas’ core passion was his daily work on and off the ice with NHL goaltenders throughout his coaching career. He continued fruitful relationships with many of them until his passing.

“During the last 17 years of Wayne’s life, his greatest joy and love was his grandchildren,” the Sharks said in a statement. “He was overjoyed to attend every activity, concert, play, and sporting event and was an active participant in their growth and development.”