Rod Gilbert may have been “Mr. Ranger” and one of the most popular athletes in the history of New York City. However, he was born and raised in Montreal – though luckily for the New York Rangers, they found him first.

Gilbert’s skills got him noticed at an early age. At 14, he was playing with grown men in the competition for the Allan Cup, Canada’s senior amateur championship. When the Rangers hired Yvon Prudhomme, the scout who had invited him to play senior hockey, to start a Junior B team, he signed Gilbert. Even better for the Rangers was that Gilbert proved to be a good talent scout, urging Prudhomme to sign boyhood friend and linemate Jean Ratelle, who became his longtime center with the Rangers.

Despite two serious back injuries that nearly derailed his hockey career, Gilbert was already a three-time 20-goal scorer by the time he and the Rangers came to the Montreal Forum for a Saturday night game against the first-place Canadiens on Feb. 24, 1968.

The Rangers were enjoying their best season in a decade – they ended up in second place, their best showing since 1957-58. But the Forum had been a house of horrors for the Rangers, who were 4-18 with one tie in their previous 23 visits to Montreal. The Canadiens were 19-0 with one tie in their previous 20 home games against all comers.

This night, however, was different. The greatest night of his career, and just the third four-goal game in Rangers history, came in his hometown that night — but only because Gilbert didn’t want to let his family and friends down.

“I was sick as a dog the morning of that game,” he remembered decades later.

“Friday night I had dinner with my parents and my brother and sister. I woke up with a 103-degree fever and I didn’t think I could play that night. I didn’t go to the pre-game skate; I stayed in bed. I was hot, and I called the doctor from the hotel. He gave me some antibiotics, and I went back to sleep. I wasn’t sure if I could play.”

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Rod Gilbert had career night for Rangers in hometown

But tickets for a Saturday night game were hard enough to get at the Forum in those pre-StubHub days, even for a Montreal native and visiting player. Having made the effort to get tickets for family and friends provided some extra incentive to suit up.

“I had bought 15 tickets for the game, so I had to play,” Gilbert remembered. “I wound up getting really hot in the warmup and forgetting about the whole thing (feeling sick). I went out there and just played.”

Did he ever!

After Ron Stewart gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead 4:13 into the game, Gilbert made it 2-0 at 6:28 with a power-play goal, rocketing a 20-footer past Canadiens goalie Rogie Vachon.

Montreal made it 2-1 at 6:06 of the second period on a goal by Yvan Cournoyer. But Gilbert restored the Rangers’ two-goal lead at 12:01, beating Vachon from 25 feet. He completed a hat trick at 19:10, beating Vachon over the shoulder from 35 feet.

“(Jean) Ratelle, (Vic) Hadfield and I had our line going in high gear,” Gilbert said.

Ratelle earned his third assist on Gilbert’s fourth goal of the night, flicking a loose puck past Vachon. Gilbert earned an assist on Ratelle’s goal at 16:34 that completed the scoring in the 6-1 victory.

Gilbert said Vachon, a fellow Hockey Hall of Famer, played well despite surrendering four goals to him and six to the Rangers.

“I got 16 shots on goal (an NHL record at the time), and I only scored four goals,” he said. “I should have had maybe eight. Rogie Vachon made some incredible saves against me.

“I was banging that thing toward the net — and remember, we didn’t shoot from far out. Our line worked it in pretty close. I had a lot of chances. I also had an assist on Ratelle’s goal, so I finished the night with five points. We didn’t win often in Montreal, so to win 6-1 and score four goals, that was a pretty big night.”

By the end of the night, even the fiercely pro-Canadiens crowd was giving some cheers to the hometown boy.

“They never should have let him get out of Montreal,” one fan said, according to The New York Times. “He learned to play here.”

#TodayInNYRhistory 10/14/1979: Rod Gilbert’s @rodgilbert7 #7 is raised to the @TheGarden rafters. pic.twitter.com/2ekkHbKp8S

— NYR Alumni Reports (@NYRalumni) October 14, 2017

Gilbert had two other four-goal games in his NHL career, both against the Detroit Red Wings. He scored four in a 5-5 tie against them at the Garden on Feb. 2, 1975, and again in a 5-4 win at the Olympia on Feb. 7, 1976.

But scoring four at the Forum in front of 16,070 fans on that February night was the kind of game no player would ever forget. Gilbert certainly didn’t.

“I had a lot of friends and family in Montreal – it was my hometown – so it was pretty important,” he said. “It was extra special.”

Instead, it happened before the game, and it was a special moment: Jonathan Quick was named the latest winner of the Rod Gilbert Mr. Ranger Award.

The award, which was presented by Gilbert’s widow, Judy, recognizes the Rangers player “who best honors Rod’s legacy by exemplifying leadership qualities both on and off the ice and making a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.”

It was created to honor Gilbert, who passed away in 2021. It is extra meaningful to Quick, who grew up in Milford, Connecticut, idolized Mike Richter, and was a big Rangers fan throughout his childhood.

“It’s an honor. I know a lot of guys who’ve won it over the years and what they’ve meant to this organization and obviously what he’s meant to this organization and the legacy he’s left behind,” Quick said postgame.

Gilbert played his entire NHL career from 1960-77 with the Rangers, and his No. 7 was retired by the organization on Oct. 14, 1979 — the first number to be raised to the rafters at The Garden. He remains the all-time leader in Rangers history with 406 goals and 1,021 points, and is second with 615 assists and 1,065 games played.

After his retirement, the Hockey Hall of Famer spent 32 years working for the organization in community relations and charitable endeavors. He represented the Rangers, Rangers Alumni Association, Madison Square Garden and the Garden of Dreams Foundation, and was a beloved member of the Blueshirts family.

Chris Kreider won the inaugural award in the 2021-22 season, then Jacob Trouba and Adam Fox won it in the following two seasons.

“Through your experiences and what you’re able to go through, you look forward to the opportunity to give back, so that definitely means a lot,” Quick said

Quick was not told ahead of time that he won the Mr. Ranger award. Even as Judy made it clear that it was about to be given to a goaltender, Quick still did not think she was about to announce his name.

“When she said her husband would have a tough time scoring on this goalie, I thought she was talking about ‘Shesty,'” Quick said with a laugh, referring to Igor Shesterkin. “It’s truly special. She’s a great lady, just an honor to receive that.”

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Jonathan Quick adds latest Rangers award to list of career accolades

Though the Rangers did sign Quick to a one-year extension in March, the veteran goaltender’s career is nearing its end. Quick will be 40 when that contract expires at the end of next season, and he’s accomplished nearly all that a goaltender could ever dream of at the NHL level.

Winning the Mr. Ranger award just adds to a lengthy list of accolades in his 18-year career.

Quick led the Los Angeles Kings to two Stanley Cup championships (2012, 2014) and was voted winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy winner a MVP of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Two years later, his Kings bested the Rangers in the Final – Quick dominated, holding the Rangers to 10 goals in five games with a .932 save percentage.

Additionally, Quick played for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 when they won the Stanley Cup. Though he did not make an appearance in the playoffs, Quick still skated a lap with the Cup and picked up his third ring.

Quick has never won the Vezina Trophy as top NHL goalie in his career, but did win the Jennings Trophy twice with the Kings. That is awarded to the goalie(s) on the team which allows the fewest goals during a season.

He surpassed 400 career wins earlier this season and is now tied with Grant Fuhr for the 13th-most victories by an NHL goalie with 403. The all-time winningest United States-born goalie in NHL history is a lock one day to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame center not only was their first player to break the 100-point mark (109 points in 1971-72). But his 22nd goal of that season came on Dec. 25, 1971, and is the last ever scored by a member of the Rangers on Christmas Day.

Ratelle’s goal at 19:11 of the second period gave the Rangers a 2-1 victory against the Minnesota North Stars, their 24th win all-time on Dec. 25. Ed Giacomin got the win by making 22 saves. Defenseman Rod Seiling had the Rangers last Christmas fight when he squared off against Minnesota center Jude Drouin at 17:11 of the first period.

Before the NHL stopped playing games on Christmas, the Rangers had more fun on the holiday than Jolly Old St. Nick. In their first 45 NHL seasons after entering the NHL in 1926, the Rangers played 37 times on Christmas (plus six more on Christmas Eve, when they were 4-0 with two ties). 

Their 24-11-2 record on Dec. 25 is by far the best of any NHL team, and they went more than 20 years without a loss on Christmas, going 15-0-1 from 1928-49; the Detroit Red Wings ended the streak with a 4-1 win on Dec. 25, 1950.

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Christmas was usually a happy day for Rangers

Even when the Rangers were at their worst, Christmas was often a feel-good day.

One example was Dec. 25, 1942, when World War II had decimated the Rangers roster. New York came to Detroit with a 4-12-2 record on the way to a last-place finish. The Red Wings were third in the six-team league at 8-5-5 and had not lost at home all season.

But the Rangers played Grinch for the fans who filled the Olympia that night by winning 3-1. Rookie Red Garrett, at 18 years and 154 days old, set an  NHL record as the youngest defenseman to score his first goal. Since then, five defensemen have been younger when they scored their first NHL goal, but Garrett’s mark is still a Rangers record.

Even more amazing was what took place in Toronto a year later. The Rangers were 3-15-1 and on the way to an historically awful 6-39-5 record (.170 points percentage) when they arrived at Maple Leaf Gardens. Much to the shock of Toronto fans, the Rangers scored five straight goals and held on for a 5-3 victory. Ossie Aubuchon scored three of his 20 NHL goals for his only hat trick, and goalie Ken McAuley, who played all 50 games for one of the worst teams in history, kept the Maple Leafs off the scoreboard until there were less than 14 minutes remaining.

“This was Santa at work,” said a grinning coach Frank Boucher afterward, according to hockey historian Stan Fischler. “Everyone in the League believed the Rangers were Santa’s favorites — for one night at least.”

How unlikely was that Christmas victory? The Rangers won just twice more all season.

The best Christmas Eve-Christmas Day combo for the Rangers came in 1966, when New York re-emerged from the doldrums of the early 1960s under Emile Francis. Despite playing a back-to-back holiday set on the road, the Rangers found themselves in first place when they went to bed on the night of Dec. 25 after defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 at the Forum before ruining Christmas for the fans at Chicago Stadium with a 1-0 victory.

“I liked the Christmas Eve game more,” said Rangers Hall of Fame forward Rod Gilbert, a Montreal native. “My parents were probably at the game, and I had a chance to spend a little time with my family.”

Gilbert, who was single during the years when the Rangers played on Christmas, said that made a difference.

“The fact that I was not with family, directly — I had brothers, nephews, but I wasn’t married — I didn’t have that feeling that it was preventing me from enjoying [the holiday],” he said. “If it made sense to the League and sense to the fans that were at the game for me to entertain them, that was fine. It wasn’t depriving me of anything. … I didn’t have a family, so it didn’t affect me as much as the other guys.”

However, it was another Montreal native, Bernie “Boom-Boom” Geoffrion, who was the holiday hero for the Rangers. The longtime Canadiens star came out of retirement in 1966 and helped spark the Rangers to their first playoff berth in five years. He scored twice in the win at the Forum, then had the only goal of the game late in the second period to back Giacomin’s 27-save shutout.

The Rangers were 2-0-1 in their last three Christmas games, ending with the victory at Minnesota. Their 24 wins on Christmas Day represent an NHL record that will never be broken.

New York Rangers fans may find it hard to believe that it’s been 45 years since Rod Gilbert’s No. 7 became the first number in franchise history to be raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden. I know I do.

Rod was “Mr. Ranger.” He played his entire career in New York and was part of the “GAG Line” (Goal a Game) with longtime friend Jean Ratelle and Vic Hadfield. It’s arguably the most famous line in Rangers history. Gilbert still holds the franchise records for goals (406) and points (1,021). After he retired early in the 1977-78 season, his number was retired on Oct. 14, 1979, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame three years later.

But his off-ice career lasted even longer than his time on the ice at MSG. Gilbert was a beloved fixture for the Rangers organization and its fans during 32 seasons, which included serving as the Director, Special Projects and Community Relations Representative. He was also a goodwill ambassador for Madison Square Garden and committed to the Garden of Dreams Foundation.

He was also generous with his time, something that I experienced personally over the years, both as a member of the media and the father of a Rangers-loving son, who was thrilled to have his picture taken with Rod at the Garden. He died on Aug. 22, 2021, at age 80.

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Remembering Rod Gilbert on 45th anniversary of Rangers number being retired

Here are some highlights of conversations I had with Rod Gilbert over the years about memorable moments in his career.

1962 Stanley Cup Playoffs: A star is born

Gilbert made his first mark on the Rangers as a 21-year-old injury callup in the 1962 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Kenny  Schinkel, who happened to be a right wing, playing with Johnny Wilson and Dave Balon, broke his toe (in Game 2 of the Semifinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs). I was an emergency callup.

“It was the third game against the Maple Leafs and the Rangers were down 2-0. We lost the first two games at Maple Leaf Gardens and then we came back here, to the old Madison Square Garden.”

(He assisted on the game-winning goal by Balon in a 5-4 victory in Game 3, but Game 4 was his coming-out party).

“The first time I got on the ice, I scored a goal. I was very excited about that – just being in New York and finally playing here was amazing, and then my first time on the ice, I scored against Johnny Bower (a future Hall of Famer). Not only that, but toward the end of the first period, I got another one. It was 2-0 Rangers, and I had both goals.

“I came into the locker room at the end of the period and Muzz Patrick was our coach and I said, ‘Can you hit me in the head so I can wake up. I think I’m dreaming about this.’ He said, ‘No, you’re here. Don’t worry. Go get another one.’ I went back out there and I did get an assist (on the game-winner by Balon). We won the game, 4-2. The fans were pretty excited – we hadn’t been in the playoffs for a while.”

(Rod told me years later that he used to kid Bower about that night).

“Sometimes I tell Johnny Bower, ‘Thank you so much for letting me score my first goal against you.’ He said, ‘Don’t worry kid. I let every kid score their first goal against me.’ I said, ‘Did you let me score the second one, too, at the end of the first period?’ and he said, ‘No, no, not that one.’ I always see him and thank him, and he just said, ‘Shut up!’ [with a smile].”

(The only bad part was that the Rangers lost the next two games and the series to the Maple Leafs, who went on to win the Stanley Cup).

“We went back to Toronto for Game 5. I recall that it was 2-2 and we went to overtime and I hit the post in the overtime. That would have made us a winner and put us ahead [in the series] 3-2. Instead, we wound up losing in double overtime; Red Kelly scored on Gump Worsley.

“The other problem was that we didn’t come back here (for Game 6), because of the circus. We played the sixth game in Toronto and got whacked, 7-1. We didn’t come back here, and I didn’t understand that. There’s a big difference playing at home and at Maple Leaf Gardens. We were good enough to beat them. Had we come back here, we win the next game, and then who knows. We could play with them. We had a good team.”

1968: Putting on a show for the home folks

One of the highlights of Gilbert’s career came on Feb. 24, 1968, when the Montreal native scored four goals in his hometown, helping the Rangers to a rare win at the Forum. As he recounts, it nearly didn’t happen.

“I was sick as a dog the morning of that game. Friday night I had dinner with my parents and my brother and sister, I woke up with a 103-degree fever and I didn’t think I could play that night. I didn’t go to the pre-game skate; I stayed in bed. I was hot, and I called the doctor from the hotel. He gave me some antibiotics, and I went back to sleep.

“I wasn’t sure if I could play, But I went out there; I had bought 15 tickets for the game, so I had to play. I wound up getting really hot in the warmup and forgetting about the whole thing (feeling sick). I went out there and just played.

“Ratelle, Hadfield and I had our line going in high gear. I got 16 shots on goal, and I only scored four goals. I should have had maybe eight. Rogie Vachon [the Canadiens goaltender] made some incredible saves against me.

“I was banging that thing toward the net – and remember, we didn’t shoot from far out. Our line worked it in pretty close. I had a lot of chances. I also had an assist on Ratelle’s goal, so I finished the night with five points. We didn’t win often in Montreal, so to win 6-1 and score four goals, that was a pretty big night.”

Especially for a hometown boy.

“I had a lot of friends in Montreal – it was my home town – so it was pretty important. It was extra special.”

1970: Saving the Rangers’ season – and his own

Gilbert had scored 28, 29 and 28 goals in the three previous seasons, but he’d managed just 14 entering the 1969-70 season finale against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden on the afternoon of April 5, 1970. He played a big role in helping the Rangers achieve the most unlikely playoff berth in their history.

“That was an emotional game for me. I was always one of the fans’ favorites, I tried hard all the time, and that year was the same. But for some reason, I didn’t produce, compared to the years before. I had a poor season for some reason. I had some injuries, but that’s no excuse. The fans were down on me because we were in the position of not making the playoffs, basically because I didn’t produce the way I had in the past.”

(Not that one goal, 36 seconds into the game, was going to turn the boos to cheers).

“I scored the first goal, and to my great surprise they booed me. They booed my name. It was the first time that had ever happened to me in my career in New York. Wow.”

(The Rangers not only needed a win and a loss that night by the Montreal Canadiens in Chicago, they also needed to finish with more goals scored than the Canadiens – that was the first tiebreaker at the time. Leading 4-1 after one period was just the beginning. Gilbert again got his team off to a quick start, beating Roger Crozier 20 seconds into the second period. That made it 5-1 and gave the Rangers at least the possibility of passing the Canadiens. The Garden crowd, perhaps sensing that they were seeing something special, reacted a lot differently to Gilbert’s second goal).

“I scored the fifth goal, which gave us a chance [to tie the Canadiens]. So they announce my name — ‘Goal scored by Rod Gilbert’ — and I got a standing ovation. They booed me when I score the first goal and they’re cheering me when I scored the fifth one. It was wonderful. I didn’t expect that.

“And then we kept going.”

They did indeed. The 9-5 victory, combined with a 10-3 loss by the Canadiens to Chicago that night, put the Rangers into the playoffs. To Gilbert, a Montreal native, the fact that the Rangers had made the playoffs at the expense of the Canadiens made it a little bit more special.

“It was quite a celebration. A memorable, memorable game because I’m from Montreal, and to knock those [guys] out — it had been 20-25 years since they’d missed the playoffs.

“We weren’t particularly fond of the Canadiens. We never won too many games against them, so we said, ‘Maybe this is the time we put them out of their misery.’ And Chicago did. It was amazing — that feeling that Montreal didn’t make it.”

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.

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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.

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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.

Despite a couple hot stretches, the dynamic two-way forward was marred by inconsistency and even-strength struggles. Mustering just eight goals at five-on-five, his lowest total since his first season in New York as a still-developing 23-year-old, Zibanejad was unable to reach the heights that the Rangers have grown accustomed to from his typically elite play.

That narrative persisted in the postseason. Zibanead was red hot to start, racking up three goals and 10 points in his first five games and recording at least one point in his first eight contests. But his production quickly slowed as the Blueshirts trudged through the second round and the competition got tougher, first against the Carolina Hurricanes then against the Florida Panthers.

Zibanejad finished the postseason with just three points in his final eight games and was held without a goal for 11 straight games to close out the playoffs. Along with a costly overtime turnover in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final, he struggled mightily against Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers, who completely neutralized his line for lengthy stretches.

It makes sense, then, that Zibanejad has not been showered with praise this offseason. However, it shouldn’t take away from the fact that he is already one of the greatest centers in Rangers history.

Related: ‘Secret language’ between Rangers stars makes it tough for linemates to fit in

Mika Zibanejad is already one of Rangers best centers all-time

Zibanejad ranks fourth all-time among Rangers centers with 527 points. He trails Jean Ratelle (817), Mark Messier (691), and Walt Tkaczuk (678). Ratelle and Messier are in the Hockey Hall of Fame and Tkaczuk spent 14 seasons in the NHL, all with New York.

He’s also fourth in goals among Blueshirts centers, notching 230 in his eight years with the Rangers, which trails Ratelle (336), Camille Henry (256), and Messier (250).

Last night, Mika Zibanejad scored his 100th power play goal with the Rangers, becoming the sixth member of the franchise to hit the milestone. He also tied Bill Cook for the 11th most goals in team history (228). #NYR pic.twitter.com/uPwtuf1Acr

— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) March 27, 2024

Zibanejad is averaging 30.9 goals over the past seven seasons and has never scored less than 24 in that span. In all likelihood, he’ll leap Messier and potentially Henry next season, which would make him the second all-time leading goal scorer among Rangers centers.

Of those mentioned, only Messier played after the 1983-84 season, making Zibanejad one of the best Rangers centers in the past 40 years.

Granted, there are others who had a strong impact but not the longevity in a Rangers uniform.

Wayne Gretzky famously spent the last three seasons of his storied career in New York, and while it didn’t result in a championship, he still recorded multiple 90-point seasons and led the League in assists in back-to-back years. He finished his Rangers career with 249 points in 234 games, ranking fourth all-time in Rangers history with 1.04 points per game.

Other notable centers include Derek Stepan, who amassed 128 goals and 360 points in his seven seasons with the Blueshirts, and Michael Nylander, who enjoyed two very solid seasons in the mid-2000s, tallying 162 points in 160 games.

Stepan was reliable, consistent, and a clutch postseason performer, but not quite the point producer that Zibanejad is, never topping 22 goals or 57 points in his career. Gretzky and Nylander were excellent in their brief stay with New York but didn’t stick around long enough to be in the conversation for the greatest Rangers center of all time.

You can argue that Zibanejad is already in that conversation based on the numbers he’s put up in his eight seasons. Those numbers will only continue to rise as he readies for his age-31 season.

Right now, it’s hard to put him over Messier, who earned icon status after leading them to the Stanley Cup championship in 1994, or Ratelle, whose numbers trail only Rod Gilbert and Brian Leetch. But the fact remains — Zibanejad will likely end his career with similar or better numbers in a Rangers uniform.

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

Mika Zibanejad could enter greatest Rangers of all time discussion

And not just that — when it’s all said and done, Zibanejad has a chance to be considered one of the greatest Rangers of all time.

Zibanejad ranks 11th all-time in goals (230) and points (527) and first all-time in overtime goals (8).

He trails linemate Chris Kreider for 10th in points (552). Both should leap over Vic Hadfield (572) and Steve Vickers (586) next season to firmly enter the Top 10. If Zibanejad can return to the 80-point mark, he’ll have a chance of rising as high as eighth, surpassing Ron Greschner (610) by next year.

Zibanejad is in a good position to leap Messier, Henry, Brian Leetch (240), and Steve Vickers (246) in goals, and if he can muster up another 30-goal season, would come awfully close to Vic Hadfield’s 262, which ranks sixth.

And that’s just for next season. Zibanejad has six years left on an eight-year deal that takes him through the 2029-30 season when he’ll be 36 years old. Rod Gilbert’s 406 goals and 1,021 points, both first in franchise history, may be difficult to reach, but Zibanejad could easily finish his career in the top three all-time for both statistics.

It’s an interesting conversation to have about a player who, outside of his recent struggles, is generally beloved by the fanbase but isn’t necessarily discussed as an all-time franchise great.

It certainly feels different than the dialogue surrounding the homegrown Kreider, who ranks third all-time in goals and will likely surpass Gilbert in the next few years. Kreider feels like a shoo-in to have his number raised in the rafters. Zibanejad’s legacy is less certain.

In New York, legacies are formed in the playoffs. Four of the 11 retired jerseys belong to members of the 1994 Stanley Cup team. Others like Gilbert and Henrik Lundqvist performed valiantly despite their team’s failing to win championships.

Whether it’s fair or not, there’s a different attitude with players who were brought in as opposed to drafted and raised in the system. It may take Zibanejad overcoming his postseason woes and bringing a Cup to New York in order to earn all-time status treatment from the demanding Blueshirts fans.

Either way, the fact remains. Zibanejad will be an all-time Rangers great when it’s all said and done.

Interestingly, Kreider appeared to score his 300th goal in the second period of that game against the Coyotes, but it was overturned because of goalie interference. But he kept p[lugging away and scored early in the third period and now sits behind Jean Ratelle (336) and Rod Gilbert (406) for the franchise record.

This one counts!

No. 300 for Chris Kreider!

(via @MarchMadnessMBB) https://t.co/hwpcfZpnpe

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) March 31, 2024

At just 32, he’s averaged 41 goals over the past three seasons; there’s a chance Kreider could challenge Gilbert’s record before his contract expires at the end of 2026-27. No matter how close he is to becoming the Rangers’ all-time leading goal scorer, here are some interesting statistics from his first 302 goals, with five games still remaining this season.

Related: Rangers need to avoid this possible 1st-round playoff opponent

Inside the Numbers: Chris Kreider becomes 3rd Rangers player with 300 goals

1996: Kreider has fired 1,996 shots on goal throughout his career, and with 302 goals, he has a 15.1 shooting percentage

217: The Rangers have won 217 games when Kreider scores a goal, with a record of 217-71-14 when he finds the back of the net.

157: Although Kreider made his NHL debut during the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, he scored his first regular-season goal on Feb. 5, 2013, against Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center.

His first three goals came on the road, and he finally scored at home at Madison Square Garden in a game against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 31, 2013. Since then, he’s collected 157 at The World’s Most Famous Arena.

145: Kreider has collected 145 goals on the road, accounting for 48 percent of his career goal total.

111: When he scored his 300th NHL goal on Mar. 30 against the Arizona Coyotes, he became the 111th player to achieve the milestone with one NHL team. Kreider is also the 39th skater to reach 300 goals with an Original Six franchise.

108: Kreider has tied Gilbert for second on the all-time franchise list with 108 power-play goals. He is only nine power-play goals away from breaking the franchise record, currently held by Camille Henry, with 116.

106: From Hall of Famers like Brodeur and Roberto Luongo to former teammates Alexandar Georgiev and Cam Talbot, Kreider has beaten 106 different goalies over his 12 NHL seasons.

105: As of April 6, Kreider is 105 goals away from breaking Gilbert’s team record of 406 goals, which has been the top mark since his last game on Nov. 23, 1977.

100: Kreider scored his 100th career goal on Dec. 15, 2017, on home ice against current teammate Jonathan Quick, then with the Los Angeles Kings.

Related: Inside the Numbers: Jonathan Quick’s historic NHL career with Rangers, Kings, Golden Knights

93: Mika Zibanejad wears jersey #93, so it is only fitting that as of their most recent game together on Apr. 5, against the Detroit Red Wings, Zibanejad has assisted on 93 (30.7 percent) of Kreider’s career goals.

67: Whether it’s been Adam Fox, Henrik Lundqvist or Patrick Kane, 67 different skaters have earned an assist on at least one of Kreider’s goals.

59: According to his career splits available at Hockey-Reference.com, Kreider does his best work between November and March, averaging 47.5 goals in those two months, but historically, he’s scored the most goals in February with 59.

52: In 2021-22, Kreider had his best season, collecting 77 points and becoming a member of the 50-goal club. He finished the campaign with 52 lamplighters, tying Adam Graves (1993-94) for the second-most in a single season. Jaromir Jagr owns the franchise record with 54 in 2005-06.

50: Since scoring his first NHL goal against the Devils, it is not surprising that he has the most career goals against the Rangers rival, with 50. Overall, his best performances have come against division rivals: the New York Islanders (44), Washington Capitals (43), Philadelphia Flyers (42) and Pittsburgh Penguins (42).

47: According to Stathead.com, Kreider has scored 47 goals that have tied the game for the Rangers at some point in 810 career games.

44: Kreider’s first game-winning goal came on Jan. 3, 2015, against Michael Neuvirth and the Sabres. Since that night, he’s collected 43 more game-winners to climb to third in Rangers history behind Ratelle (46) and Gilbert (52).

9: Although he’s known for his skills on the man advantage, Kreider has nine shorthanded goals, including tallies against the San Jose Sharks, Arizona Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, Penguins and Sabres.

9: Kreider has scored nine unassisted goals in his career, with his first coming against the Calgary Flames on Dec. 16, 2014. He’s got eight more such goals against the Coyotes (x2), Blues (x2), Canadiens, Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks.

8: Through 302 career goals, Kreider has beaten netminders Tristan Jarry and Sergei Bobrovsky most often, with each goalie surrendering eight goals apiece. Although Jarry has only played with the Penguins, Bobrovsky has given up goals while playing with the Columbus Blue Jackets (five) and Florida Panthers (three).

8: Kreider has scored eight empty-net goals, five of which came at Madison Square Garden and three on the road. He’s scored two against the Penguins and one against the Minnesota Wild, Blues, Devils, Blue Jackets and Kings. On Jan. 13, 2022, Kreider scored into an empty net at the SAP Center in San Jose to collect his 200th goal.

6: In 12 seasons, he has collected six hat tricks, which ties him for fourth all-time in Rangers history, a spot he occupies with seven other players, including Mark Messier, Phil Esposito and Ratelle. He remains three away from Bill Cook’s record of nine. Kreider has split his production evenly with three on the road against the Devils, Flyers and Colorado Avalanche and three at home against the Canadiens, Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks.

6: As mentioned, Kreider’s best season was 2021-22, when he scored 52 goals. That was the campaign when he registered the longest goal-scoring streak of his career, which lasted six games from Jan. 13- 24, 2022. During the streak, he had a lamplighter against the Sharks, Flyers, Coyotes, Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes.

0: Kreider is one of the most gifted scorers in Rangers history but has yet to score a penalty shot goal, failing on four attempts. He did not convert on penalty shots against the Bruins (Nov. 19, 2013), Lightning (Nov. 19, 2015), Panthers (Nov. 21, 2015) nor Penguins (Apr. 8, 2021). 

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.

The award commemorates one of the greatest players and team ambassadors in Rangers history. Gilbert played his entire 18-season NHL career with the Rangers from 1960-78. Following his retirement, Gilbert’s No. 7 was raised to the Madison Square Garden rafters in October 1979 and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.

Gilbert is the Blueshirts’ all-time leader in goals (406) and points (1,021) in 1,065 games. He was an upbeat, positive ambassador for the organization after retiring as a player.

He earned the nickname “Mr. Ranger” and set the standard of what it meant to properly represent the team. The award goes to the player “who best honors Rod’s legacy by exemplifying leadership qualities both on and off the ice, and making a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.”

Chris Kreider was the first recipient of the award in 2021-22, followed by Jacob Trouba in 2022-23. This year, there are several Rangers who could potentially receive the honor.

Related: Artemi Panarin plans to up his game after ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ moment

Top Rangers candidates for award named in honor of Rod Gilbert

Jonathan Quick

Jonathan Quick has had an outstanding season for the Rangers thus far. The 38-year-old goalie has posted a 17-5-2 record, .913 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against average. He also just set the record for the most wins by a United States-born goaltender in NHL history with his victory over the Arizona Coyotes on March 30.

Aside from his stellar play, Quick has brought a veteran presence to New York’s locker room and has been a great leader for his favorite childhood team.

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

Quick has certainly been one of the team’s best leaders on and off the ice, and is setting an example of what it means to be a Ranger.

Jacob Trouba

It is hard to talk about an award given to someone with outstanding leadership qualities without mentioning the Rangers captain. Jacob Trouba has once again been a strong leader for New York throughout the season. After earning the Mr. Ranger award last season, he is certainly in the running to do it again.

Trouba’s contributions off the ice and within the community have been very notable this year. Through the use of his unique artwork, Trouba was able to make a $100,000 donation to the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which he is now partnered with. The donation helps enrich young people within the community. This humanitarian side of the Rangers captain combined with his on ice leadership could very well earn him his second consecutive Mr. Ranger award.

Vincent Trocheck

In his second season with the Rangers, Vincent Trocheck has fit in very nicely. On the ice, he is having one of the best seasons as he currently sits tied with his NHL career high in points (75) And was selected to to play in the NHL All-Star Game. He has stepped his game up to another level and has centered one of the best lines in the NHL with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere.

Off the ice, he has also shown how he has brought the team together, focusing on the family aspect. Over the past two years, Trocheck makes it a point to host a team dinner when New York travels to Pittsburgh. His grandmother cooks for the whole team, bringing everyone together for a family meal.

Trocheck has always valued family, and has helped out with the Junior Rangers program, which his son Leo also takes part in. He has certainly exemplified what it means to be a Ranger, both on and off the ice.

Chris Kreider

After having won the inaugural Mr. Ranger award, Chris Kreider is most definitely deserving of the title once again. On the ice, he has 68 points, just nine shy of his career-best. In his 12th season as a Ranger, he is still playing at the top of his game. Similar to Gilbert, Kreider is and always has been a New York Ranger through and through.

After Kreider received the award in 2022, general manager Chris Drury mentioned, “Chris has consistently and willingly devoted his time and efforts to charitable endeavors, especially through the Garden of Dreams Foundation. Chris’ contributions in the community exemplify the kindness and generosity that Rod demonstrated throughout his life.”

This, combined with his leadership and dedication to the Rangers, puts Kreider in the conversation for the Mr. Ranger award on a yearly basis.

Wait. What?

That’s right. Kreider entered the game sitting on 299 goals after scoring Thursday in a 3-2 shootout win against the Colorado Avalanche. Then he scored late in the second period and again in the third Saturday against the Coyotes.

But the popular 32-year-old forward exited Mullett Arena afterward with an even 300 goals in his NHL career.

That was actually fitting considering the crazy circumstances in this crazy back-and-forth victory, New York’s fifth in a row.

Related: Key area Rangers must improve upon against top NHL teams

Chis Kreider scores 300th goal twice in Rangers win against Coyotes

Kreider appeared to achieve the coveted milestone at 16:38 of the second period with the Rangers leading the Coyotes 3-2. Parked right outside the crease, he banged home a rebound and the celebration was on. Kreider was handed the puck as a memento and he was feted on the bench by his appreciative teammates.

But hold on. The goal was reviewed and the on-ice call eventually overturned when it was determined Jack Roslovic interfered with Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka.

Kreider disgustedly flipped the puck back on to the ice. It no longer held any value to him since he was back to 299 goals.

Chris Kreider's 300th career goal was disallowed so naturally he threw the puck back onto the ice 😭 https://t.co/hFA6Vx8mYv

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 30, 2024

However, he didn’t need to wait long to officially become the third player in Rangers history to score 300 goals. At 5:45 of the third period, Kreider skated in front of Vejmelka to deflect a Ryan Lindgren shot into the net for a 4-3 Rangers lead and his unquestioned 300th goal.

This one counts!

No. 300 for Chris Kreider!

(via @MarchMadnessMBB) https://t.co/hwpcfZpnpe

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) March 31, 2024

That Kreider scored each of his goals — one that counted, one that didn’t — from within a few feet of the net is no surprise. That’s where he does his best work and where most of his 35 goals this season and a large chunk of his 300 since his rookie season in 2012-13 come from.

“Chris Kreider milestone. I thought he was probably our most dominant forward tonight, just the way he competed out there,” coach Peter Laviolette said while standing in the Arizona sunshine outside the arena postgame.

Only Hockey Hall of Famers Rod Gilbert (406) and Jean Ratelle (336) have scored more goals when wearing a Rangers sweater.

And Kreider is showing no signs of slowing down. He scored 52 goals two seasons ago, tying Adam Graves for second most in a single Rangers season, behind Jaromir Jagr, who had 54 in 2005-06. He scored 36 last season and should pass that total with eight games remaining this season.

He’s scored 20 or more goals nine times in the NHL. And he’s third all-time in Rangers history with 106 power-play goals, tied with Brian Leetch behind Camille Henry (116) and Gilbert (108).

Though it took him an extra few minutes and a second chance Saturday, that 300th goal cements Kreider as one of the all-time great New York Rangers.