That was the challenge Schaap and ESPN faced with its latest documentary about the 1994 New York Rangers on the 30th anniversary of, perhaps, the most celebrated Stanley Cup championship in NHL history.

But Schapp believes they nailed it with “No Easy Victories: the 1994 New York Rangers,” which debuts Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

You may be able to tell that by the title of the documentary that the hook here is police officer Steven McDonald and his love of the Rangers and connection to the organization.

“When he was presenting the [Steven McDonald Extra Effort] award in ’94, he said, ‘There are no easy victories in the NHL. Who knows better than the New York Rangers and their fans?’ And that’s what it’s about,” Schapp told Forever Blueshirts. “If you win without the struggle, if you succeed without the challenges, what does it really mean?”

Tuesday, new @E60 looks back on the '94 @NYRangers on the 30th anniversary of their #StanleyCup win

While remembering the NYPD officer who inspired the team to break the 1940 curse

'No Easy Victories'
🏒9p ET | ESPN
🏒Streaming afterward on @ESPNPlus

🔗https://t.co/J0JolhXLfU pic.twitter.com/Wuzs62Ci3V

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) May 29, 2024

McDonald, a New York City police officer, was shot and paralyzed in July of 1986. His wife, Patti Ann, was expecting at the time, and later gave birth to their son, Conor, who followed in his father’s footsteps to join the NYPD.

Rangers fans know the McDonalds as part of their bigger family. And for the award that bears Steven McDonald’s name, which was won this season by Vincent Trocheck.

“Steven McDonald was probably the biggest Rangers fan of all,” Schapp said. “And that’s saying something.”

What this documentary focuses on is the relationship McDonald had with this special group of Rangers who won the franchise’s first championship in 54 years in the spring of 1994. And how the team’s overcoming adversity along the way was buoyed by McDonald’s faith and strength on a much larger scale.

“It’s about human beings in extraordinary situations under extraordinary pressure, and about love. About love that Rangers fans have for the team, about the love that the Rangers have for their fans, and specifically how Steven McDonald was an inspiration,” Schapp explained. “I think it’s a special story.”

Related: Here’s what’s next for Rangers after being eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoffs

‘Human connections’ at heart of latest 1994 Rangers documentary on ESPN

Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Adam Graves, Mike Keenan and Neil Smith are among those interviewed in the documentary. They share memories of The Guarantee, Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!, and The Waiting Is Over!

But family is a big subplot to all this, one that is actually brought out into the spotlight. And, not surprisingly, one that brings Messier to tears during the program.

“The touchpoints we really emphasized are those human connections,” Schapp said.

Schapp appeared to be most touched by McDonald, confined to a wheelchair and on a ventilator the rest off his life until his death in 2017, who publicly forgave his assailant. And then spent the rest of his life preaching forgiveness and unity, whether here in New York or in other stops worldwide.

“That message of forgiveness and faith and peace is a message he continued to deliver throughout the course of his life … people talk about him in terms of being a saint,” Schapp said.

That’s powerful context to this story.

But there’s also the hockey, and the McDonalds sure love their hockey, specifically the Rangers.

“Conor McDonald was seven years old at the time and he remembers everything vividly. Every shift he remembers,” Schapp offered. “That’s another cool thing about this show is that we kind of tell this story of the Rangers in that playoff run through the eyes of a seven-year-old, who had the best seat in The Garden with his dad as history was made.”

Which is part of why 1994 is so special. Generations of Rangers fans sharing in that moment with family, their blood family and their extended Blueshirts family.

And that’s what “No Easy Victories” aims to capture.

“It’s a special connection.”

The New York Rangers will present the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award before Tuesday night’s tilt with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Every year since the 1987-88 season, the New York Rangers have honored New York City Police Detective Steven McDonald, who was shot and injured in the line of duty on July 12, 1986 and passed away on January 10, 2017.

The Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award is presented to the Rangers player as selected by the fans that “goes above and beyond the call of duty.”

For more on the life of Steven McDonald read here.

New York Rangers to present Steven McDonald Award

The Rangers will present the award in a pregame ceremony and for what it’s worth I believe Chris Kreider will win it.

This has been an amazing season for the longest tenured Ranger with 10 years of service.

Kreider, 30, leads the team with 51 goals and 75 points in 79 games, both of which are career highs. He also leads the NHL with 26 power play goals.

On Monday, Kreider was also nominated for the Bill Masterton Trophy which is awarded to the NHL player that best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication.

In 2017, he overcame a life-threatening blood clot to become one of the team’s leaders both on and off the ice.

“I had trouble choking back tears when the anthem was playing,” Kreider said to ESPN after returning from surgery. “When you’re in the NHL, you’re stuck in this maze where everyone is hyper competitive. You live and die with wins and losses. Then you get out of the maze and it changed my perspective for the better. Your career goes by so fast. This was my first opportunity to step back and see that. If you can’t be grateful playing in the NHL, shame on you.”

While Mika Zibanejad and Igor Shesterkin will warrant consideration, fans have gravitated this season to Kreider and his infectious play on the ice. He’s been thought of as the unofficial captain of the team and has done a beautiful job nurturing the young players in the lineup.

List of Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award Winners

Adam Fox won the award for the first time last season. Prior to that, Mika Zibanejad had been chosen for two consecutive seasons.

Chris Kreider has never won the award.

Adam Graves has been become synonymous with the award after winning it 5 times. Ryan Callahan also claimed the honor 4 times. Wayne Gretzky, who only spent three seasons in New York won the award once during the 1997-98 season.

NHL Rumors

Latest on Winnipeg Jets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois. Plus Patrick Kane and Robin Lehner. Read more.

Though he never wore the New York Rangers sweater, NYPD Detective Steven McDonald was one of the most recognizable faces at Madison Square Garden. And in a ceremony on Wednesday, the NYPD retired his badge number.

As many of you know, Detective Steven McDonald was shot and injured in the line of duty in Central Park in the summer of 1986. McDonald persevered through his limitations and became an inspiration to scores of people in New York City and around the world. To honor the bravery of the Detective, the Rangers established the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award to honor the player that “goes above and beyond the call of duty,” as voted on by the fans. McDonald passed away in January 2017, and the award has taken on an even greater meaning as his wife Patti Ann and son Conor, who is also an NYPD officer, continue to keep McDonald’s memory alive.

At the ceremony, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and NYPD Commissioner O’Neill retired Badge Number 15231 in McDonald’s honor. A fellow officer had been assigned the badge number, but said that he was more than happy to give it up when asked. “That shield was assigned to me when I graduated the police academy, at random I guess,” McNamara, who serves in 105 Precinct in Queens, said. “As soon as I found out I was shocked.” Conor McDonald added that it was beautiful for him to see a fellow officer hand over the badge number. “Being a cop I know how important your first shield is,” Conor said. “For him to give up his shield in honor of my father … this is a beautiful moment.”

To read the original story from the NY Post, click here

Jeff Gorton certainly delivered on the promise he made to the fans back on February 8, as he traded Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh to the Tampa Bay Lightning just minutes before the trade deadline Monday afternoon. Aside from the other deals the Rangers have made this week, McDonagh’s removal from the lineup leaves a new issue for the Rangers to deal with; who will be the next captain of the New York Rangers?

I am making the case for fan-favorite Mats Zuccarello to be named the 29th captain in the team’s history. Zuccarello has been loved by Rangers fans since he put on the Blueshirts sweater back in 2010. Zuccarello, who really started to take off as an important role player for the Rangers in 2013, is someone that Rangers fans seemingly cannot live without. With posting more than 40 points in each of his last five seasons as a Ranger, there is no doubt that he serves as an important leader on the ice at all times.

Aside from his offensive production, one of the most important awards you can win as a member of the Rangers is the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. This award has been given out to one member of the team since the 1987-1998 season, for a player who goes above and beyond on and off the ice, which is exactly what a captain should do. Mats Zuccarello has won this award three of the last five years, including last season. This shows the character and passion that Mats brings to this team on the ice, and off the ice, building character and relationships within the locker room and outside of hockey completely.

If you ask any fan of the Rangers, the one person that gives it his all each night is #36. Watching him play each and every night, with his ability to stand up for his teammates game in and game out is beyond satisfying. Watching Mats go out there and give a consistent effort, even if the team is having a down year, shows the love he has for being a Ranger. Above all, the fan appreciation of Zuccarello is the final reason he should be the next captain. There is nothing like hearing the Garden rain down with “Zuuuuc” after he makes a big play on the ice. Zuccarello is the entire package, a leader on and off the ice, a fan-favorite, and is capable of leading this hockey team.

Rangers winger Mats Zuccarello has had quite the year both on and off the ice. He led the team with 59 points in the regular season and had seven points in the playoffs. He was consistent in his effort every night, regardless of whether or not he was tickling the twine. And this effort won him the team’s coveted Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.

And his offseason has been quite eventful as well. There was the time he stopped to say hello to a little kid playing hockey in his driveway. He will be playing his annual charity All-Star Game back in his native Norway in a couple of weeks, featuring teammates Kevin Hayes and Mika Zibanejad as well as his former teammate Carl Hagelin.

nowaycup.no

But before Zucc laces them up for his charity game, he laced up a different kind of boot. The diminutive forward played in the Norway Celebrity Cup soccer (football) game. And just like he does on the Garden ice, Zuccarello led his team to victory and contributed three points (G, 2A).

https://twitter.com/aj_ranger/status/892757446292275200

The undersized overachiever will be in a unique position this year on Broadway. He should be on the shortlist to take over the vacated alternate captain role after Dan Girardi was bought out, and will be expected to step up, even more, this year. No, this soccer game does not have any indication of what he will do when he takes the ice this October. But there is no denying that Mats Zuccarello is a special person both at the rink and away from it.

The Rangers announced today that they have re-signed forward Matt Puempel to a one-year deal, worth $725,000. The signing appears to be Jeff Gorton trying to add another player to the expansion draft, with the Blueshirts now being compliant for next week’s draft. With Jesper Fast, Oscar Lindberg, Antti Raanta and Michael Grabner all top candidates to be selected by Vegas, this gives George McPhee another player to look at from his former team. Should Puempel “survive” the expansion draft, he will be able to compete for a roster spot out of training camp.

The team also announced that they have hired former Rangers Jed Ortmeyer and Steve Eminger to their front office. Ortmeyer, who played with the Blueshirts from 2003-2007, will serve as the team’s director of player development. The role was recently vacated by Chris Drury, who was promoted to general manager of the Wolf Pack. When he was a player, Ortmeyer was one of the team’s hardest working players and was the recipient of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award in both the 2003-04 and 2006-07 campaigns. He was never the most skilled player, but he can instill his work ethic and dedication to the game in all of the Rangers young and talented prospects.

As for Eminger, he has been named as a professional scout. Eminger will be responsible for scouting the AHL and NHL’s talents. Eminger was always a serviceable defenseman, making the simple and smart plays.

Finally, the Blueshirts announced that they have hired Ben Prentiss as a strength and conditioning consultant. Prentiss, who owns Prentiss Hockey Performance in Connecticut, has been the offseason trainer for some of the NHL’s top current and former players including Jonathan Quick, Martin St. Louis, and Kevin Shattenkirk; and current Rangers Chris Kreider, Marc Staal and Pavel Buchnevich. Prentiss has become known as “the best-kept secret,” as this Players Tribune piece highlights. Perhaps this hiring may entice Shattenkirk a drop more to come back to his boyhood team.

NEXT GAME: The Rangers kick off the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Montreal when they face the Canadiens. Puck drops at 7!

LETS GO RANGERS!!

In what turned out to be an emotional night for the fans, players and media alike, the Rangers weren’t able to pull it together enough to secure the win. They hadn’t played for a week…and it really showed.

Return of Nash and Buchnevich

The return of Rick Nash from his groin injury and Pavel Buchnevich from his back injury has got the Blueshirts with an almost healthy roster. All they need is Mika Zibenajad to return and if rumor has it right, it should be as early as next week. What will happen is left to the imagination for right now, but one thing is clear: the team really missed Nash’s two-way play and Buch’s swift passes that cleanly make it to their mark (most of the time).

First Period Struggles

The first period got off to a rocky start, and to be honest, it’s completely par for the course where the Rangers are concerned. I don’t think any of us were surprised at the lack of even footing considering it’s been a few nights since they played last.

Nylander, an old street hockey buddy of Hank’s, opened up the scoring in the first, putting Toronto up 1-0. Nearly 13 minutes later van Riemsdyk made it 2-0.

Kreider Scores in Second

A really gassed up Chris Kreider worked hard to get the backhand shot above Andersen’s pads as he sprawled out while making saves.

https://twitter.com/BlueSeatBlogs/status/820081295753678848

While play did improve a little bit in the second, the defensive woes did not get any better. Add the fact that the Rangers kept finding themselves in the penalty box and it was a recipe for disaster.

Too Little, Too Late

Miller managed to score the Rangers’ second goal of the night, but he did it with only 1:25 remaining in the third, which basically gave them no time to rally and tie it up. While I know it’s hockey and anything can happen, their performance on the ice tonight did nothing to instill hope.

https://twitter.com/BlueSeatBlogs/status/820100264698978305

The main thing to keep in mind is that this team has had five days off, and while it’s no excuse in the land of the NHL, it certainly is a factor in how they played tonight. I’m hoping for a better performance tomorrow vs Montreal, and we’ll likely see Raanta in net.

Honoring A Hero

The Rangers host the Leafs tonight but will also be holding a special ceremony to honor Steven McDonald.

If you are coming to the #NYR game tonight @TheGarden remember to arrive early and wear blue to honor Steven McDonald. #TogetherWeAre104

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 13, 2017

AV fondly recalls Steven McDonald’s inspirational ‘Above and Beyond’ speech from 2014. “Our thoughts right now are with him and his family.”

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 13, 2017

Today our #NYR family honors Steven McDonald. Join us by changing your profile picture to our jersey with his badge #104. #TogetherWeAre104 pic.twitter.com/m9EO1uM8U6

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 13, 2017

MSL Gets His Number Retired in TB

Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis share a laugh during a Q&A ahead of St. Louis’ jersey retirement tomorrow evening. #MSL26 pic.twitter.com/hbn5PUWesJ

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 13, 2017

This is a well deserved honor for MSL and his family.

@TBLightning fans I’m on my way!! Can’t wait. See you soon! #honored #teamates pic.twitter.com/paUhx1mQrC

— Martin St.Louis (@mstlouis_26) January 12, 2017

LINEUP FOR TONIGHT AND ZIBANEJAD UPDATE

NYR lines 20-21-36: 40-13-10; 26-24-61, 89-73-19

— Steve Zipay (@stevezipay) January 13, 2017

NYR dpairs: 27-76: 5-22; 8-4

— Steve Zipay (@stevezipay) January 13, 2017

Lundqvist in goal, looks like Hrivik is healthy scratch

— Steve Zipay (@stevezipay) January 13, 2017

#NYR HC Alain Vigneault says Nash will play tomorrow and expects Buchnevich to play tomorrow. Says Zibanejad hasn’t had enough practice time

— Sean Hartnett (@HartnettHockey) January 12, 2017

We continuously lavish praise on athletes and celebrities that we often forget who the true heroes are. We applaud a singer’s performance or an athlete’s feat but never thank the everyday people who dedicate their lives to help others without fanfare and sometimes no appreciation. Teachers, paramedics, firemen, and police officers are the real heroes.

Today we have lost a true hero, an exemplary human being. Detective Steven McDonald who suffered a heart attack and has now passed away.

His Story

On July 12th, 1986, a young NYPD Detective was shot and paralyzed after being shot 3 times by a teen he stopped in Central Park. What was supposed to be the start of a normal life with his wife Patti Ann, who was 3 months pregnant, became a nightmare.

Steven McDonald however, is no ordinary person…his life through the power of his faith and family became a shining example of perseverance, love, and forgiveness. I urge you to read his beautiful story in these two great pieces:

The Steven McDonald Story

At Home with the McDonald’s

The Power of Prayer

Recently before Christmas, I attended reconciliation services at my Parrish. I hadn’t confessed my sins in over 30 years and was naturally embarrassed. Father Tom spoke to me of grace and of the power of prayer. He even explained how difficult it can be for him sometimes to pray.

Then he told me of his friendship with Steven McDonald. Little did I know that Steven and his family actually live close to me and have attended my church. He said to me that recently, Steven came to speak to the children and provide words of encouragement.

Afterwards, the priest spoke to Steven and marveled how strong he had become over the years. Rangers fans who have been watching him speak during the Extra Awards Ceremony will also note that over the years, his ability to speak improved. What started as a few words at a time, became complete sentences. When father mentioned it, Steven replied, “I knew I would. I pray every day.”

What Father Wrote In The Bulletin

Father Tom wrote this in our bulletin before Christmas. It’s about Steven McDonald’s recent visit to the Parrish. Out of respect for my church and Steven McDonald’s family, I will not link or reveal the Church…it simply isn’t my place.

Rest In Peace, Your Service Is Complete

cover photo courtesy of Drake