The Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States . It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, coaches, officials, and other personnel outside the NHL. The trophy is named after Lester Patrick (1883–1960), player and longtime coach of the New York Rangers , who was a developer of ice hockey.
185-617: The Lester Patrick Trophy was presented by the New York Rangers in 1966. It honors the late Lester Patrick , who was a general manager and coach of the club. It is presented annually for "outstanding service to hockey in the United States". Players, coaches, referees, and executives are eligible to receive the trophy, and are chosen by a committee including the National Hockey League (NHL) commissioner and
370-629: A 2–0 series deficit. The team responded with consecutive 4–1 home wins in Games 3 and 4 to tie the series at two games apiece. However, the Rangers lost the next two games and were eliminated by the Senators. On June 14, 2017, the Rangers announced a buyout of Dan Girardi's contract. Just over a week later, the Rangers traded Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for
555-651: A 2–0 series lead. Igor Shesterkin was named the Vezina Trophy winner following the season. By the end of the following season , the Rangers had acquired Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola from the St. Louis Blues and Patrick Kane from the Blackhawks. The team made the playoffs, finishing third in their division, but lost to their river rivals , the New Jersey Devils in seven games, despite
740-621: A 2–0 series lead. As a result, Gallant was fired as head coach. He was replaced with Peter Laviolette following the season. Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles . The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference . The team was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent Cooke
925-477: A 2–1 series lead on the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins and then faltered in three-straight (some observers note a Ron Francis slapshot from outside the blue line that eluded goaltender Mike Richter as the series' turning point). The following year, injuries and a 1–11 regular season finish landed the Rangers at the bottom of the Patrick Division after being in a playoff position for much of
1110-521: A 4–7–2 record in December for only ten points. After the holiday break, the team gradually improved their play, going on a 10–3–1 run without any back-to-back losses in February. The Rangers finished the season with 101 points for back-to-back 100+ point seasons. Despite high hopes, the Rangers were eliminated in the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs by a Penguins team that would go on to win
1295-480: A 5-goal-game against Washington on March 5 and ending up with 41 goals in 57 games played. By early March 2020, the Rangers were within striking distance of the second wild-card position when the coronavirus pandemic halted the regular season. In May 2020, the league announced a 24-team playoff tournament to complete the season, where the Rangers were seeded eleventh and faced the Carolina Hurricanes;
1480-470: A 5–0 deficit in the third period and eventually win in overtime – the Kings upset the vaunted Oilers, but they wound up eliminated by eventual finalists Vancouver Canucks in five games. The 1982 off-season saw the moribund Rockies move to East Rutherford, New Jersey . To keep the divisions geographically and numerically balanced, the renamed New Jersey Devils were re-aligned to the Patrick Division while
1665-523: A KHL game in Russia on October 13. A disappointing second half of the season followed. After the Rangers went 2–7–3 in 12 games, coach Tom Renney was fired, with 2004 Stanley Cup and Jack Adams Award winner John Tortorella named as his replacement. The Rangers made the 2009 playoffs , but lost their opening-round series to the Washington Capitals four games to three. On June 30, 2009,
1850-692: A broken ankle and Gilbert hampered by injuries, Walt Tkaczuk played a key role as the Rangers defeated the defending champion Canadiens and the previous year's finalists, the Black Hawks, to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. While the Rangers lost to the Boston Bruins in six games, Tkaczuk earned much respect for holding the Bruins' Phil Esposito without a goal in the series. The Rangers played a legendary conference semifinals series against
2035-706: A contract in December to become coach and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks with just months left on his Kings contract – eventually being suspended by NHL President John Ziegler for creating a conflict of interest - and Dionne left the franchise in March in a trade to the New York Rangers . Despite these shocks, a young squad that would lead the Kings into the next decade, including star forwards Bernie Nicholls , Jimmy Carson , Luc Robitaille , and defenseman Steve Duchesne , started to flourish under head coach Mike Murphy , who played thirteen season with
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#17327808634202220-498: A cowboy waving a hockey stick aloft, before being changed to the familiar "RANGERS" in diagonal. Future Toronto Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe was hired to assemble the team, however he had a falling-out with Rickard's hockey man, Col. John S. Hammond , and was fired as manager-coach on the eve of the first season—he was paid a then-hefty $ 2,500 to leave. Smythe was replaced by Pacific Coast Hockey Association co-founder Lester Patrick . The new team Smythe assembled turned out to be
2405-437: A damaged nerve in his left shoulder . Blackburn could not rehabilitate the damaged nerve, and was forced to retire at the age of 22. Towards the end of the 2003–04 season , general manager Glen Sather finally gave in to a rebuilding process by trading away Brian Leetch, Alexei Kovalev, and eight others for numerous prospects and draft picks. With the retirements of Pavel Bure and Mark Messier, as well as Eric Lindros signing with
2590-653: A few bright spots in the form of draft picks that would attribute to future success for the team, beginning with the 2003 NHL entry draft . Players such as Dustin Brown (2003), Anze Kopitar , Jonathan Quick (both 2005), and Drew Doughty (2008) were drafted and would help the Kings reach the playoffs once again. During the 2009–10 season, the team had built a consistent roster with goaltender Jonathan Quick , defenseman Drew Doughty , and forwards Dustin Brown , Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams . Finishing sixth overall in
2775-464: A first-round draft pick (seventh overall) and former first-round pick Tony DeAngelo . The Rangers' management was also successful in signing top free agent defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk on July 1, to a four-year deal. With injuries sidelining Shattenkirk, Kreider, and Zibanejad, the Rangers struggled to compete. By February 8, 2018, the team had a 25–24–5 record, leading the front office to issue
2960-533: A first-round draft pick in 2015 , a conditional second-round pick in 2014 , and a conditional seventh-round pick in 2015, for Tampa Bay captain Martin St. Louis . The trade occurred both due to the Rangers' and Callahan's inability to reach a contract extension, as well as St. Louis' growing tension with the Lightning organization and subsequent request to be traded to New York. The 2013–14 Rangers were already
3145-471: A former Oiler teammate of Gretzky's, left in the summer of 1997 and the team failed in a bid to replace him with Colorado Avalanche superstar Joe Sakic . The Rangers missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, finishing no higher than fourth in their division. Gretzky retired at the end of the 1998–99 season . In March 2000, Smith was fired along with head coach John Muckler , and that summer, James Dolan hired Glen Sather to replace him. By
3330-506: A franchise-record seven-year postseason drought from 1998 to 2005 and languished for the majority of the 2000s before enjoying another period of prosperity after the 2004–05 NHL Lockout . After the arrival of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist , the Rangers thrived, missing the playoffs just once between 2006 and 2017. They reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014, falling to the Los Angeles Kings in five games. Several former members of
3515-655: A governor, a representative of the New York Rangers; and a previous inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame 's builder section , Hockey Hall of Fame player's section, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, NHL Broadcasters' Association, and the Professional Hockey Writers' Association . The trophy's first recipient was Jack Adams . 108 individuals, and three teams, have been given the trophy. The trophy has been given to women on two occasions; in 1999,
3700-660: A letter to fans announcing the Rangers would be committing to a rebuild and may "lose some familiar faces" in the process. Rick Nash was traded the day before the 2018 NHL trade deadline to the Bruins for a 2018 first-round pick, a 2019 seventh-round pick, Matt Beleskey , Ryan Spooner and Ryan Lindgren . The following day, the Rangers traded captain Ryan McDonagh and J. T. Miller to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Vladislav Namestnikov , prospects Brett Howden and Libor Hajek , and multiple draft picks. With
3885-410: A mediocre 2018–19 season , Gorton and his team remained committed to rebuilding the franchise. 2017 first-round draft pick Filip Chytil made his NHL debut, and early in the season Ryan Spooner was traded to Edmonton for Ryan Strome . With the trade deadline approaching and their playoff chances slim, the Rangers once again traded away veteran players, with fan-favorite Mats Zuccarello being sent to
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#17327808634204070-423: A new line with two young, mostly unknown players: second-year right winger Dave Taylor and left winger Charlie Simmer , who had been a career minor-leaguer. Each player benefited from each other, with Simmer being the gritty player who battled along the boards, Taylor being the play maker, and Dionne being the natural goal scorer. This line combination, known as the "Triple Crown Line", would go on to become one of
4255-455: A notable highlight during that year on March 23, 1994, when he scored his 802nd career goal to pass Gordie Howe as the NHL's all-time leading goal-scorer. At the same time, McNall defaulted on a loan from Bank of America , who threatened to force the Kings into bankruptcy unless he sold the team. After the federal government launched an investigation into his financial practices, McNall finally sold
4440-439: A plus-minus rating of -9, despite the heavy expectations that came with his new deal. His first season with the Kings would be his only one, as he would be traded in a one-for-one deal to the Washington Capitals in exchange for goaltender Darcy Kuemper , who had previously spent time with the Kings. The Los Angeles Kings debuted in the NHL wearing purple – officially the shade "Forum blue" – and gold uniforms. The original design
4625-403: A record of 40–27–15, the Kings became the first defending Stanley Cup champion to miss the postseason since the 2006–07 Carolina Hurricanes and only the fourth overall since the 1967 NHL expansion season. At the start of the 2015–16 season, the Kings were expected to make the playoffs. They entered the playoffs as the fifth seed in their conference and second seed in their division. They faced
4810-414: A score of 2–1, Canadiens coach Jacques Demers requested a measurement of Kings defenseman Marty McSorley 's stick blade. His suspicions proved to be correct, as the curve of blade was too great, and McSorley was penalized. The Canadiens pulled their goaltender, Patrick Roy , giving them a two-man advantage, and Eric Desjardins scored on the resulting power play to tie the game. Montreal went on to win
4995-525: A seventh game back at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers won Game 7, 2–1, when Stephane Matteau scored a goal in double overtime, leading the team to the finals for the first time since 1979 . Up against the Vancouver Canucks , the Rangers again lost the series opener at home in overtime. The Rangers bounced back and they won the next three games, allowing the Canucks just four goals. However,
5180-466: A shootout, and the Flyers prevailed to move on to the playoffs. For the 2010–11 New York Rangers season , the team waived defenseman Wade Redden and brought in several players to achieve more balanced scoring. On November 12, the Rangers unveiled the new Heritage Jersey for the first time at the ice rink at Rockefeller Center in a special ceremony featuring Rangers alumni and current players discussing
5365-703: A strong team, setting a new franchise record of 25 road game wins. New York defeated Philadelphia in seven games in the first round of the 2014 playoffs , and in the next round rallied from a 3–1 series deficit for the first time in their history to defeat Pittsburgh in seven games. They then defeated the Montreal Canadiens in six games to become the Eastern Conference champions, moving on to the Cup Finals, their first visit in 20 years, to face 2012 champions Los Angeles Kings . The Rangers led
5550-546: A team record with 52 goals, breaking the prior record of 50 held by Vic Hadfield . The Rangers clinched the Presidents' Trophy by finishing with the best record in the NHL at 52–24–8, setting a franchise record with 112 points earned. The Rangers successfully made it past the first two rounds of the playoffs, sweeping the New York Islanders, and then defeating the Washington Capitals in five games. However, in
5735-499: A trade to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. He would be dealt to the St. Louis Blues in 1996. On October 6, 1995, one day before the 1995–96 season opener , a bankruptcy court approved the purchase of the Kings by Philip Anschutz and Edward P. Roski for $ 113.5 million. The subsequent rebuild saw the Kings only return to the playoffs in 1998 , led by captain Rob Blake and players like Jozef Stumpel and Glen Murray , where
Lester Patrick Trophy - Misplaced Pages Continue
5920-516: A tumultuous season, a major bright spot was the play of Adam Fox ; he led NHL defensemen with 42 assists, finished second in points with 47, and won the James Norris Memorial Trophy . In the 2021–22 season , the Rangers finished the regular season with a record of 52–24–6, making the playoffs for the first time since 2020. For the third time in franchise history, the Rangers overcame a 3–1 series deficit, this time against
6105-685: A winner. The Rangers won the American Division title their first year but lost to the Boston Bruins in the playoffs. The team's early success led to players becoming minor celebrities and fixtures in New York City's Roaring Twenties nightlife. It was during this time, playing at the Garden on 49th Street, blocks away from Times Square , that the Rangers obtained their nickname "The Broadway Blueshirts". On December 13, 1929,
6290-578: The 1976–77 season after constant feuding with then owner Jack Kent Cooke, and General Manager Jake Milford decided to leave as well. This led to struggles in the 1977–78 season , where the Kings finished below .500 and were easily swept out of the first round by the Maple Leafs. Afterwards, Vachon became a free agent and sign with the Red Wings. The following season, Kings coach Bob Berry tried juggling line combinations, and Dionne found himself on
6475-506: The 1986–87 season , the team acquired superstar center Marcel Dionne after almost 12 years with the Los Angeles Kings . In 1988, while a Ranger, Dionne moved into third place in NHL career goals scored . Dionne spent nine games in the minors before retiring during the 1988–89 season . Frustration was at its peak when the 1991–92 Rangers captured the Presidents' Trophy . They took
6660-408: The 2014 Stadium Series . The uniforms featured a metallic treatment of the alternate crown logo in front. The sleeve numbers were slightly tilted diagonally, while the back numbers were enlarged for visibility purposes. A new 'LA' alternate logo was placed on the left shoulder yoke. For the 2015 Stadium Series, the Kings wore a tricolored jersey featuring the team's silver, black and white colors. Both
6845-520: The 2014–15 season as the early favorites to retain their title. However, the Kings struggled often, with scoring slumps, defensemen losing games to injury and suspensions and frequent road losses. A defeat to the Calgary Flames in the penultimate game of the season eliminated the Kings from playoff contention, while qualifying Calgary, which coincidentally missed the postseason during the Kings' five-season playoff streak. Despite finishing with
7030-481: The Detroit Red Wings . Behind Dionne's offensive prowess, the strong goaltending of Rogie Vachon, and the speed and scoring touch of forward Butch Goring , the Kings played two of their most thrilling seasons yet, with playoff match ups against the then- Atlanta Flames in the first round, and the Boston Bruins in the second round, both times being eliminated by Boston. Bob Pulford left the Kings after
7215-905: The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena , home of the Lakers, but the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission, which managed the Sports Arena (and still manages the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum today), had already entered into an agreement with the WHL's Los Angeles Blades (whose owners had also tried to land the NHL expansion franchise in Los Angeles) to play their games at the Sports Arena. Frustrated by his dealings with
7400-721: The Miracle on Manchester . In 1988, the Kings traded with the Oilers to get their captain Wayne Gretzky , leading to a successful phase of the franchise that raised hockey's popularity in Los Angeles, and helped elevate the sport's profile in the American Sun Belt region. Gretzky, fellow Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille , and defenseman Rob Blake led the Kings to the franchise's sole division title in 1990–91 , and
7585-602: The NHL All-Rookie Team even as the Rangers fell back to last place in the Conference, and finished out of the playoffs. Later years saw other stars such as Alexei Kovalev, Jaromir Jagr , Martin Rucinsky and Bobby Holik added, but in 2002–03 and 2003–04 , the team again missed the playoffs. Blackburn started strongly in 2002–03, but burned out after 17 games. He missed 2003–04 due to mononucleosis and
Lester Patrick Trophy - Misplaced Pages Continue
7770-789: The National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference . The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden , an arena they share with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They are one of three NHL franchises located in the New York metropolitan area ; the others being the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders . Founded in 1926 by Tex Rickard ,
7955-496: The New Jersey Devils , and 2014 over the New York Rangers , while Quick and Williams respectively won the Conn Smythe Trophy . The franchise has had mixed success since; to the present day, the Kings qualified for the playoffs for the last three consecutive seasons, but only five times in the last decade, never advancing past the first round. When the NHL decided to expand for the 1967–68 season amid rumblings that
8140-618: The Philadelphia Flyers in the 1973–74 playoffs, losing in seven games and becoming the first Original Six club to lose a playoff series to a 1967 expansion team. This series was noted for a Game 7 fight between Dale Rolfe of the Rangers and Dave Schultz of the Flyers. The Rangers' new rivals, the New York Islanders , who entered the League in 1972 after paying a hefty territorial fee – some $ 4 million – to
8325-572: The Pittsburgh Penguins in a first round matchup that concluded with a game-winning overtime goal from Artemi Panarin . In the next round, they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games after trailing in the series 2–0 and 3–2, advancing to their first Eastern Conference Final since 2015. There they faced the back-to-back defending champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning , and lost the series in six games despite having
8510-463: The San Jose Sharks ' Joe Thornton ), but Jagr did win his third Pearson Award as the players' choice for the most outstanding player. Realizing that the team had trouble scoring goals in the 2005–06 campaign, the Rangers signed Triple Gold Club winner and 12-time 30-goal scorer Brendan Shanahan to a one-year contract. On October 5, 2006, opening night of the 2006–07 season , Jagr
8695-461: The San Jose Sharks , but lost to them in five games. On June 16, 2016, the Kings named Anze Kopitar the 14th captain in team history, replacing Dustin Brown, who had led the team for the past eight seasons. The Kings celebrated their 50th anniversary during the 2016–17 season along with the other still active 1967 expansion teams (the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins), and for
8880-597: The Stanley Cup Finals twice, losing to the Bruins in 1972 and the Canadiens in 1979. The Rangers subsequently embraced a rebuild for much of the 1980s and early 1990s, which eventually paid dividends in 1994, where the team, led by Mark Messier , Brian Leetch , Adam Graves , and Mike Richter , captured their fourth Stanley Cup. The team was unable to duplicate that success in the years that followed, and entered into another period of mediocrity. They endured
9065-532: The Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, which was built by Anschutz and Roski. Staples Center was a state-of-the-art arena, complete with luxury suites and all modern amenities. With a new home, a new coach ( Andy Murray ), a potential 50-goal scorer in the fold in Zigmund Palffy , and players such as Blake, Robitaille, Murray, Stumpel, Donald Audette , Ian Laperrière , and Mattias Norstrom ,
9250-560: The West Division and missed the playoffs again. During the 2021 NHL expansion draft , the Seattle Kraken selected Kurtis MacDermid from the Kings, who was left unprotected. In the lead-up to the 2021–22 season , the Kings acquired forwards Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson during the off-season. They also signed defenseman Alexander Edler in an effort to bolster their blue line presence. The Kings qualified for
9435-567: The Western Hockey League (WHL) was proposing to turn itself into a major league and compete for the Stanley Cup , Canadian entrepreneur Jack Kent Cooke paid the NHL $ 2 million to place one of the six expansion teams in Los Angeles. Following a fan contest to name the team, Cooke chose the name Kings because he wanted his club to take on "an air of royalty," and picked the original team colors of purple (or "Forum Blue", as it
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#17327808634209620-560: The Winnipeg Jets in exchange for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois , who signed an eight-year, $ 68 million contract upon being traded. The 2023–24 season got off to a strong start, as the team began the season with an 11-0-0 record on the road, breaking the NHL record (previously held by the Buffalo Sabres ) for the longest unbeaten road streak to start the year. Goaltender Cam Talbot 's resurgent play lead to him being named to
9805-526: The Winnipeg Jets took their place in the Smythe Division. It was immediately apparent that the Kings, now the lone American team in the division, would have a much more difficult time staying out of last place since Winnipeg, after struggling for their first two seasons after moving over from the WHA , had already improved to a .500 record the previous season. Despite Dionne's leadership, the Kings missed
9990-415: The 1970s and early 1980s, the Kings had many years marked by impressive play in the regular season only to be washed out by early playoff exits. Their highlights in those years included the strong goaltending of Rogie Vachon , and the "Triple Crown Line" of Charlie Simmer , Dave Taylor and Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne , who had a famous upset of the rising Edmonton Oilers in a 1982 playoff game known as
10175-653: The 1980s and early 1990s, making the playoffs each year. In the 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs , the Rangers, behind the play of rookie goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck , upended the Patrick Division -winning Flyers in five games followed by a six-game win over the Washington Capitals in the Patrick Division finals. Montreal, however, disposed of the Rangers in the Wales Conference finals behind a rookie goaltender of their own, Patrick Roy . For
10360-417: The 1980s. In 1987, coin collector Bruce McNall purchased the Kings from Buss and turned the team into a Stanley Cup contender almost overnight. After changing the team colors to silver and black, McNall acquired the league's best player, Wayne Gretzky, in a blockbuster trade with the Edmonton Oilers on August 9, 1988. The trade rocked the hockey world, especially north of the border, where Canadians mourned
10545-415: The 1983–84 Rangers for the best start in franchise history with a 5–0 record, and set the franchise record for best start in a season through the first 13 games by going 10–2–1 for 21 points, with the 10 wins and 21 points each becoming franchise records. A successful start to the season, however, was tempered with by the news of the sudden death of 2007 first-round pick Alexei Cherepanov, which occurred during
10730-414: The 1988–1998 Kings motif. The current logo, now in a black and silver banner with the updated crown logo and 'LA' abbreviation on top, made its debut with the jersey. Three years later, the Kings completed the transition back to the classic black and silver by unveiling a new away jersey, which unlike the home jersey, features a black and silver tail stripe. The Kings script from their 1988–98 logo returned on
10915-450: The 1998 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team was presented the trophy along with Harry Sinden , and in 2007, Cammi Granato individually won the trophy. Granato was also a member of the 1998 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team that received the trophy in 1998. - Trophy was awarded posthumously. New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City . The Rangers compete in
11100-476: The 2000–01 season, whereupon they swept the second-seeded St. Louis Blues, advancing to the conference finals for only the second time in franchise history. In doing so, the Kings also became the first NHL team to enter the playoffs as the eighth seed and eliminate the first- and second-seeded teams in the conference. They then defeated Phoenix in five games to reach the Stanley Cup Finals , culminating in an overtime goal by Dustin Penner in Game 5, and thus becoming
11285-414: The 2012 playoffs. After losing the first two games, the Kings won four in a row to eliminate the Blues in six games. In the second round, they then played a very tough San Jose Sharks team, this time with home-ice advantage. In the first game, Jarret Stoll suffered an injury from the Sharks' Raffi Torres , who ended up being suspended for the rest of the series. The Kings eventually won in seven games. In
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#173278086342011470-402: The 2019–20 season, the Kings brought back the 1992–1998 white uniform (with black letters and silver trim) as a heritage uniform for two games. The 2020 Stadium Series saw the Kings wear special black and white uniforms with "LA" tilted upward in front, along with chrome helmets. The uniforms took cues from the angular architecture and aircraft of the United States Air Force Academy . In
11655-449: The 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend. However, in January, the Kings' season collapsed; despite making no major lineup or personnel changes, the Kings suddenly won just three of their final seventeen games before the all-star break. On February 2, 2024, the Kings fired head coach McLellan, with assistant Jim Hiller named interim head coach. Under Hiller, the Kings regained their footing but never fully returned to their stronger form from earlier in
11840-402: The Canadiens in 1979 , who had Bob Gainey , Guy Lafleur , Larry Robinson , Ken Dryden , Guy Lapointe and Serge Savard . The Rangers reached the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals despite losing high-scoring center Jean Ratelle (who had been on pace over Bruin Phil Esposito to become the first Ranger since Bryan Hextall in 1942 to lead the NHL in scoring) to injury during the stretch drive of
12025-399: The Canucks won the next two 6–3 and 4–1 to set up a seventh game, for the second consecutive series, at home. In the seventh game, the Rangers took a 2–0 first period lead, with Messier scoring later to put the Rangers up 3–1, the eventual Cup winning goal as the home team won 3–2, becoming the first (and to this date, only) player to captain two teams to the Stanley Cup. Brian Leetch became
12210-483: The Coliseum Commission, Cooke said, "I am going to build my own arena. ... I've had enough of this balderdash." Construction on Cooke's new arena, the Forum , was not yet complete when the 1967–68 season began, so the Kings opened their first season at the Long Beach Arena in the neighboring city of Long Beach on October 14, 1967, defeating another expansion team, the Philadelphia Flyers , 4–2. The "Fabulous Forum" finally opened its doors on December 30, 1967, with
12395-460: The Colorado Avalanche once again, this time in the first round. The series would prove to be a carbon copy of their previous meeting, with the Kings behind three games to one and bouncing back to tie the series, only to be dominated in the seventh game and eliminated. The next seasons would be major disappointments as the Kings hit another major decline, missing the postseason up until the 2009–10 season . During those mediocre seasons, there would be
12580-472: The Colorado Avalanche six years earlier, but near the trade deadline, the Kings traded him to Tampa Bay for another goaltender, Ben Bishop who shared the crease with Jonathan Quick down the stretch, the superstar having returned from his injury. Despite the trade, the Kings ultimately missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons and, in the off-season, fired general manager Dean Lombardi and head coach Darryl Sutter. Assistant general manager Rob Blake
12765-442: The Columbus Blue Jackets and returned to New York to become the organization's new president. Davidson and Gorton addressed the team's defensive woes by acquiring top prospect Adam Fox from Carolina for a pair of picks, as well as veteran defenseman Jacob Trouba . The team also signed free agent Artemi Panarin to a seven-year deal on July 1. To help with salary cap restrictions, the Rangers then traded Jimmy Vesey and bought out
12950-427: The Dallas Stars in exchange for two draft picks and Kevin Hayes going to Winnipeg in exchange for a first-round pick, a conditional pick, and forward Brendan Lemieux . The Rangers received the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft , and subsequently used it to select forward Kaapo Kakko . On May 17, 2019, former Ranger goaltender and broadcaster John Davidson resigned from his position as president of
13135-402: The Hurricanes swept the Rangers. After being eliminated from the playoffs the Rangers were entered into the second phase of the NHL draft lottery where the team won the lottery and were awarded the first pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft , which Gorton used to select Alexis Lafreniere . Later in the off-season, the team traded veteran defenseman Marc Staal to the Red Wings. In September 2020,
13320-470: The Kings and was their captain for seven years, and his replacement Robbie Ftorek . The Kings made the playoffs for two seasons, but they were unable to get out of the first round given the playoff structuring forced them to play either the Oilers or the equally powerful Calgary Flames en route to the conference finals. In all, the Kings faced either the Oilers or the Flames in the playoffs four times during
13505-567: The Kings became the first team since the 2007 Anaheim Ducks to win the Stanley Cup at home, as well as the second Californian NHL team to do so. The Kings became the first eight seed champion in any of the North American major leagues, the first Stanley Cup champion that finished below fifth in its conference, and the third to finish below second in its division (after the 1993 Canadiens and the 1995 Devils). Goaltender Jonathan Quick
13690-490: The Kings being shut out by the Flyers, 2–0. While the first two seasons had the Kings qualifying for the playoffs, afterwards poor management led the Kings into hard times. The general managers established a history of trading away first-round draft picks, usually for veteran players, and attendance suffered during this time. Eventually the Kings made a few key acquisitions to resurge as a contender. By acquiring Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bob Pulford , who would later become
13875-532: The Kings finished with a 39–35–10 record (88 points), clinching third place in the Smythe Division. Heavily contested series in the 1993 playoffs had the Kings eliminating the Flames, Canucks and Leafs en route to their first berth in the Stanley Cup Finals. In the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals , the Kings faced the Montreal Canadiens . They won the first game 4–1, but late in Game 2, with the Kings leading by
14060-604: The Kings fired Stevens as head coach after the team started the 2018–19 season 4–8–1, and replaced him with Willie Desjardins . In Desjardins' debut on November 7, the Kings defeated the Ducks 4–1. The Kings finished the 2018–19 season in last place in both the Pacific Division and Western Conference with 71 points and they missed the playoffs for the third time in five seasons. The Kings hired Todd McLellan as their next head coach on April 16, 2019. The 2019–20 season
14245-419: The Kings improved dramatically, finishing the season the 1999–2000 season with a 39–31–12–4 record (94 points), good for second place in the Pacific Division. While Audette would struggle under the Kings' system and was unhappy as the number two right wing, most of the new Kings like Bryan Smolinski and Palffy would find success under Andy Murray. But in the 2000 playoffs, the Kings were once again dispatched in
14430-418: The Kings only resurging as they broke a six-year playoff drought in the 2009–10 season , with a team that included goaltender Jonathan Quick , defenseman Drew Doughty , and forwards Dustin Brown , Anze Kopitar , and Justin Williams . Under coach Darryl Sutter , who was hired early in the 2011–12 season , and with the acquisition of Jeff Carter , the Kings won two Stanley Cups in three years: 2012 over
14615-407: The Kings the first team in history to accomplish this feat, but they also managed to win all game sevens on opposing ice. For the third time, the Kings were finalists after finishing third in their division and sixth or lower in their conference. In the Stanley Cup Finals , the Kings faced the Eastern Conference -winning New York Rangers , who had defeated the Montreal Canadiens in six games in
14800-503: The Kings' colors changed to black and silver, mirroring those of the Los Angeles Raiders . The new uniforms did not deviate much from the prior design, save for the color scheme, a new primary Kings logo, and a switch from a contrasting yoke color to sleeve stripes. With minor changes to the text, number font and pant striping, the uniforms were used until the 1997–98 season . The Kings briefly reintroduced purple and gold to
14985-400: The Kings' first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1993 , where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens . After the 1993 Finals, the Kings entered financial problems, with a bankruptcy in 1995, which led to the franchise being acquired by Philip Anschutz (the owner of Anschutz Entertainment Group and the operators of Crypto.com Arena) and Edward P. Roski . A period of mediocrity ensued, with
15170-505: The Kings' head coach, in 1970, Finnish center Juha Widing in a trade from the New York Rangers, and Montreal Canadiens goaltender Rogie Vachon in 1971, the Kings went from being one of the worst defensive teams in the league to one of the best, and in 1974 they returned to the playoffs. After being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in both 1973–74 and 1974–75 , the Kings moved to significantly upgrade their offensive firepower when they acquired center Marcel Dionne from
15355-681: The MSG properties as their own company. The 1993–94 New York Rangers season was their most successful in 54 years, as Mike Keenan coached the Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup championship, winning their fourth Cup. By the 1993–94 season, the Rangers had acquired seven players who had been part of the Edmonton Oilers ' Cup-winning teams: Oilers captain (and new Rangers captain) Mark Messier , Adam Graves , Kevin Lowe , Jeff Beukeboom , Esa Tikkanen , Craig MacTavish and Glenn Anderson . Graves set
15540-552: The NHL's Kings did, as well as the Colorado Rockies (not to be confused with the NHL Rockies who became the New Jersey Devils ) of Major League Baseball . The bottom of the jerseys read the city name. A purple alternate jersey featuring the updated secondary crown logo was unveiled for the 1999–2000 season. In 2002, the crown logo became the primary while the shield logo was demoted to alternate status. The socks on
15725-404: The NHL's expanding or moving into other Sun Belt cities such as Dallas , Phoenix , Tampa , Miami , Nashville , and Las Vegas . In Gretzky's first season with the Kings, he led the team in scoring with 168 points on 54 goals and 114 assists and won his ninth Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player . The fourth overall Kings eliminated Gretzky's old team, the Oilers, in
15910-537: The Rangers $ 250,000 for their comments. Two days later, Rangers owner James Dolan fired president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton . Despite the timing, Dolan stated the firings were not related to the Wilson incident and statement, citing "culture" issues within the organization. Chris Drury was then announced as the Rangers' new president and general manager. On May 12, Drury fired head coach David Quinn, and replaced him with Gerard Gallant . Despite
16095-513: The Rangers are one of the Original Six teams that competed in the NHL before its 1967 expansion, along with the Boston Bruins , Chicago Blackhawks , Detroit Red Wings , Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs . The team attained success early on under the guidance of Lester Patrick , who coached a team containing Frank Boucher , Murray Murdoch , and Bun and Bill Cook to win the Stanley Cup in only their second season. They were
16280-622: The Rangers became the first team in the NHL to travel by plane when they hired the Curtiss-Wright Corporation to fly them to Toronto for a game against the Maple Leafs, which they lost 7–6. In only the Rangers' second season , they won the 1928 Stanley Cup , defeating the Montreal Maroons three games to two. One of the most memorable stories that emerged from the finals involved Patrick playing in goal at
16465-467: The Rangers bought out the final year of Henrik Lundqvist 's contract, ending his tenure in New York after 15 years. On January 31, 2021, defenseman Tony DeAngelo was placed on waivers, following reports that he had an altercation with teammate Alexandar Georgiev following an overtime loss. According to The Athletic , his continued "maturity" issues, combined with a marked decline in his play, led
16650-526: The Rangers from the League's rival, the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1978 . In the 1979 NHL playoffs, New York defeated the surging Islanders in the conference semi-finals and advanced to the 1979 Cup Finals, losing to the Canadiens. In the three consecutive 1982 through 1984 playoffs, the Rangers were eliminated by the rival Islanders, who went on to win the Stanley Cup each of those years. The Rangers stayed competitive through
16835-546: The Rangers have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame , four of whom— Buddy O'Connor , Chuck Rayner , Andy Bathgate , and Messier—have won the Hart Memorial Trophy while playing for the team. George Lewis "Tex" Rickard , president of Madison Square Garden , was awarded an NHL franchise for the 1926–27 season to compete with the New York Americans , who had begun play at the Garden
17020-482: The Rangers needed overtime to gain a 1–0 series lead, but they won game two more easily with a 6–2 victory. The series then shifted to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs won the next two games, tying the series at two games apiece. In Games 5 and 6, the Rangers won in overtime, taking the series four games to two to earn their third Stanley Cup. However, the Rangers collapsed by the mid-1940s, losing games by scores as lopsided as 15–0. In 1943–44 , goaltender Ken McAuley led
17205-450: The Rangers signed free agent Brad Richards to a nine-year contract. On September 12, Ryan Callahan was named the 26th captain in the Rangers' history. He became the fifth-youngest captain in team history. Brad Richards and Marc Staal were named alternate captains on the same day. In the 2011–12 New York Rangers season , the team finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, recording 51 wins and 109 points. Their leading scorer
17390-548: The Rangers to put him on the market; there were no takers. In a game against the Washington Capitals on May 3, 2021, Capitals forward Tom Wilson cross-checked Pavel Buchnevich in the head and slammed Artemi Panarin into the ice, ending his season. Wilson, a repeat offender, was fined the league maximum of $ 5,000 for the incident. The Rangers organization released a statement expressing disappointment in this decision, calling head of player safety George Parros "unfit to continue in his current role". The NHL subsequently fined
17575-508: The Rangers traded Brandon Dubinsky , Artem Anisimov , Tim Erixon and a 2013 first-round draft pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Rick Nash , Steven Delisle , and a 2013 conditional third-round pick. At the 2013 NHL trade deadline on April 3, the Rangers then traded Marian Gaborik and Steven Delisle to Columbus for Derick Brassard , Derek Dorsett , John Moore , and a 2014 sixth-round draft pick. After
17760-413: The Rangers traded Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt , and Michael Busto to the Montreal Canadiens for Ryan McDonagh , Chris Higgins , Pavel Valentenko , and Doug Janik . With Gomez's salary cap hit gone, the Rangers signed superstar Marian Gaborik on the first day of free agency. In the 2009–10 season , the Rangers failed to make the playoffs for the first time in five years. There was some criticism that
17945-567: The Rangers went 10–2–3 in the month and clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season. Facing the Atlanta Thrashers in the first round of the 2007 playoffs , the Rangers swept the series. However, they were eliminated in the next round by the Buffalo Sabres . At the 2007 NHL Entry Draft , the Rangers chose Alexei Cherepanov 17th overall, who had been ranked by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau as
18130-571: The Rangers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by Boston, management fired head coach John Tortorella, and on June 21, 2013, general manager Glen Sather formally introduced former Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault as Tortorella's replacement. A trade late in the 2013–14 season contributed to the Rangers reaching the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals . On March 5, 2014, the Rangers traded their captain Ryan Callahan, along with
18315-619: The Rangers were forced to play all of their games, including "home" games, in Toronto, while the circus was held at the Garden. They lost to the Detroit Red Wings in overtime in the seventh game of the finals. During this time, Red Wings owner James E. Norris became the largest stockholder in the Garden. However, he did not buy controlling interest in the arena, which would have violated the NHL's rule against one person owning more than one team. Nonetheless, he had enough support on
18500-504: The Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy for the third time in franchise history and their seventh division title by finishing with the best record in the NHL at 53–22–7. The 53 wins and 113 points both set franchise records. The team also won 28 road games in the regular season, breaking the franchise record set the previous season. In the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs , the Rangers dispatched the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games in
18685-550: The Rangers, were their first-round opponents in the 1975 playoffs. After splitting the first two games, the Islanders defeated the more-established Rangers 11 seconds into overtime of the deciding Game 3, establishing a rivalry that continued to grow for years. In a blockbuster trade with the Boston Bruins , the Rangers acquired Esposito and Carol Vadnais from the Bruins for Park, Ratelle and Joe Zanussi in 1975 , while Swedish stars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson jumped to
18870-515: The Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2002. The Kings started off the season with a sluggish October and November, and then found their game again to finish with 95 points. They in fact were tied in points with the second-place Phoenix Coyotes, and only finished third in the Pacific Division and seventh in the West due to a head-to-head record — the Coyotes won the season series, 3–0–2. In the playoffs they met
19055-471: The Stanley Cup. That summer, the Rangers extended Antti Raanta's contract, signed Pavel Buchnevich to an entry-level contract, and re-signed J. T. Miller, Chris Kreider , and Kevin Hayes . On July 18, 2016, the Rangers traded Derick Brassard and a 2018 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for Mika Zibanejad and a 2018 second-round draft pick. The team also signed Michael Grabner to a two-year deal and
19240-470: The Toronto Maple Leafs, the post-lockout Rangers, under new head coach Tom Renney , moved away from high-priced veterans towards a group of talented young players, such as Petr Prucha , Dominic Moore and Blair Betts . The Rangers were expected to struggle during the 2005–06 season , but behind stellar performances by Swedish rookie goaltender Henrik Lundqvist , the Rangers finished
19425-401: The West with 101 points, just the third 100-plus point season in franchise history, and establishing a franchise record with a nine-game unbeaten streak, the Kings returned to the playoffs, where they lost to a highly skilled third seeded Vancouver Canucks team in six games. The Kings entered the 2011 playoffs as the seventh seed in the West and played the second seeded San Jose Sharks in
19610-472: The age of 44. At the time, teams were not required to dress a backup goaltender . When the Rangers' starting goaltender, Lorne Chabot , left a game with an eye injury , Maroons head coach Eddie Gerard vetoed Patrick's original choice for an emergency replacement, Alex Connell of the Ottawa Senators , who was in attendance. An angry Patrick lined up between the pipes for two periods in Game 2 of
19795-469: The black and purple uniforms also switched designations to match their counterparts. Upon moving to the Reebok Edge design in 2007, the jerseys were updated without the tail stripes. The purple-tinged road jerseys were used until the 2010–11 season, while the home jersey was demoted to alternate status in 2011 and remained in use until 2013. In 2008, the Kings unveiled an alternate jersey inspired by
19980-401: The board to exercise de facto control. The Rangers remained a mark of futility in the NHL for most of the remainder of the Original Six era, missing the playoffs in 12 of the next 16 years. However, the team was rejuvenated in the late 1960s, symbolized by moving into the fourth version of Madison Square Garden in 1968. A year earlier, they made the playoffs for the first time in five years on
20165-658: The club record previously held by Adam Graves. Two games prior, on April 4, the Rangers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3–2, in a shootout, to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 1996–97 . In the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals , the Rangers drew a matchup with the Devils and were defeated in a four-game sweep. Jagr fell two points short of winning his sixth Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion in 2005–06 (the trophy went to
20350-444: The club to IDB Communications founder Jeffrey Sudikoff and former Madison Square Garden president Joseph Cohen. It later emerged that McNall's free-spending ways put the Kings in serious financial trouble; at one point, Cohen and Sudikoff were even unable to meet player payroll, and were ultimately forced into bankruptcy in 1995. They were forced to trade many of their stronger players, and the middling results led to Gretzky demanding
20535-518: The color scheme upon unveiling an alternate jersey for the 1995–96 season. The uniform featured a gradually fading black splash, medieval-inspired serif text, and a logo of a bearded figure wearing a golden crown. The so-called " Burger King " jersey proved to be unpopular with fans, and was scrapped after only one season. For the 1998–99 season, the Kings unveiled new logos, uniforms and a new purple-silver-white color scheme, as black and silver had become associated with gang colors . The shade of purple
20720-467: The conference finals against the third-seeded New Jersey Devils , the Rangers lost the series opener at home in double overtime, but won the next two games before the Devils defeated them 3–1 and 4–1. The series headed back to the Meadowlands for the sixth game, in which Messier, who had guaranteed a win to the press, scored three times in the final period to lead the Rangers to a 4–2 win and set up
20905-430: The conference finals, they faced the number one seed in the West and Presidents' Trophy winning- Chicago Blackhawks . After dropping the first two games, the Kings won Game 3 with Jeff Carter suffering an injury from Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith , who was suspended for Game 4 as a result. After losing Game 4, the Kings battled the Blackhawks through two overtime periods in Game 5, with Patrick Kane eventually scoring
21090-419: The conference finals. The Kings won the Stanley Cup in five games, culminating with an Alec Martinez goal in the second overtime of Game 5 at Staples Center . The championship run had a record-tying 26 playoff games (the 1986–87 Philadelphia Flyers and 2003–04 Calgary Flames being the others), with the Kings facing elimination a record seven times. With their Game 7 victory in the conference finals and wins in
21275-420: The deal, right wing Adam Deadmarsh and defenseman Aaron Miller , became impact players for the Kings, who finished the 2000–01 season with a 38–28–13–3 record (92 points), good for a third-place finish in the Pacific Division and another first-round playoff date with the Detroit Red Wings. The heavily favored Red Wings suffered an upset, losing in six games for the Kings' first playoff series win since 1993. In
21460-505: The end of the 2000–01 season , the Rangers had landed a significant amount of star power. Messier had returned to New York, Theoren Fleury joined the Rangers after spending most of his career with the Calgary Flames and Eric Lindros was traded to the Rangers by the Flyers. The Rangers also acquired Pavel Bure late in 2001–02 from the Florida Panthers . It was also the rookie season of goalie Dan Blackburn , who made
21645-419: The eventual champion Oilers. Gretzky spearheaded the Kings to their first regular season division title in franchise history in the 1990–91 season, but the heavily favored Kings lost a close series against Edmonton in the second round that saw four games go into overtime. After a third straight elimination by the Oilers in 1992, Webster was fired. General manager Rogie Vachon was moved to a different position in
21830-492: The finals, allowing one goal to Maroons center Nels Stewart . Frank Boucher scored the game-winning goal in overtime for New York. After a loss to the Bruins in the 1929 Stanley Cup Finals and an early struggle in the early 1930s, the Rangers, led by brothers Bill and Bun Cook on the right and left wings, respectively, and Frank Boucher at center, defeated the Maple Leafs in the 1933 best-of-five finals three games to one to win their second Stanley Cup. The Rangers spent
22015-473: The first American-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, while Alexander Karpovtsev , Alexei Kovalev , Sergei Nemchinov and Sergei Zubov became the first Russians to have their names engraved on the Cup. Despite having coached the Rangers to a regular season first-place finish and the Stanley Cup victory, head coach Mike Keenan left after a dispute with general manager Neil Smith . During
22200-404: The first NHL franchise in the United States to win the trophy, and are still the fastest true expansion team in NHL history to do so. The team won two more Stanley Cups in 1933 and 1940. Following this initial grace period, the franchise struggled between the 1940s and 1960s, wherein playoff appearances and successes were infrequent. The team enjoyed a mini-renaissance in the 1970s, where they made
22385-414: The first four games of the series, but the Rangers lost Game 5 by a 2–0 scoreline at home. In Game 6, Derick Brassard scored a hat-trick and assisted on two other goals in an emphatic 7–3 Rangers victory to force Game 7 in New York. There, the Lightning shutout the Rangers 2–0, ending the Rangers' season, and marking the first occasion the Rangers had ever lost a Game 7 at home in franchise history as well as
22570-487: The first line. The 2022–23 season would start off well, as Fiala would lead the team in points for much of the season and be elected to the 2023 All-Star Game . Clinching the 2023 playoffs , the Kings once again faced the Edmonton Oilers in the first round, this time losing in six games. The Kings made a blockbuster move in the 2023 off-season, trading forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari to
22755-598: The first round of the 2014 playoffs , the Kings played their in-state rivals, the San Jose Sharks. After losing the first three games to the Sharks, the Kings became the fourth team in NHL history to win the final four games in a row after initially being down three games to none, beating the Sharks in San Jose in the deciding Game 7. In the second round, the Kings played another in-state rival, Anaheim. After starting
22940-435: The first round of the 1989 playoffs before being swept out in the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Flames. Clashes between Gretzky and head coach Robbie Ftorek led to Ftorek's dismissal, and he was replaced by Tom Webster . The next season , where Gretzky became the league's all-time leading scorer, was the inverse of its predecessor, with the Kings eliminating the defending champion Flames before falling to
23125-503: The first round, this time by the Detroit Red Wings in a four-game sweep. The 2000–01 season was controversial, as fans began to question AEG's commitment to the success of the Kings because they failed to significantly improve the team during the off-season. Adding fuel to the fire was the February 21, 2001, trade of star defenseman and fan favorite Rob Blake to the Colorado Avalanche . Despite this, two players received in
23310-440: The first round. Despite Anze Kopitar's absence with injury, the Kings pushed the series to six games until an overtime goal by Joe Thornton qualified the Sharks. A bad start to the 2011–12 season resulted in coach Terry Murray being fired, with Darryl Sutter being chosen as his replacement. The Kings were much improved under Sutter, finishing with the eighth seed after trading for Jeff Carter midseason and having finishing
23495-660: The first round. The Rangers then came back from a 3–1 series deficit to win their second-round series against the Capitals in seven games, becoming the first team in NHL history to battle back from a 3–1 deficit in back-to-back seasons and sending the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final for the third time in four years. However, after winning the first game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers lost Game 2 by four goals. The two teams split
23680-561: The first time since 2002, they hosted the NHL All-Star Game ; Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty would represent the Kings at the All-Star Game, with the former leading the team in scoring this season. Goaltender Jonathan Quick suffered an injury on opening night that sidelined him for most of the season, and the Kings struggled without him. Backup Peter Budaj filled the void, earning his first starting duties since his time with
23865-535: The first time they lost an elimination game at home since they lost to Buffalo in 2007 . On June 27, 2015, the Rangers traded Carl Hagelin to the Anaheim Ducks, Cam Talbot and a draft pick to the Edmonton Oilers, and prospect Ryan Haggerty to the Chicago Blackhawks for Antti Raanta , who replaced Talbot as Lundqvist's backup goaltender. Subsequently, on July 1, Glen Sather resigned as
24050-403: The first two games by two goals but lost each game in overtime, and were then shut-out at home 3–0 in Game 3. The Kings outshot the Rangers in Game 4, but the Rangers staved off elimination by winning the game 2–1. They had another lead in Game 5, but after the game was tied and subsequently sent to overtime, Kings defenseman Alec Martinez scored with 5:17 left in the second overtime period to win
24235-470: The first two games of the Cup Finals, they became the first team to win three consecutive playoff games after trailing by more than one goal in each game. Justin Williams , who scored twice in the Cup Finals and had points in all three Game 7s throughout the playoffs, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Having won two Stanley Cup championships in the last three years, the Kings entered
24420-669: The first-place Bruins four games to two. The Rangers' first-round victory gave them a bye until the finals. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the New York Americans in their first-round best-of-three series two games to one, and the Toronto Maple Leafs ousted the Chicago Black Hawks two games to none. The Maple Leafs then swept Detroit a best-of-three series to advance to the finals. The 1940 Cup Finals commenced in Madison Square Garden. In Game 1,
24605-426: The game for Los Angeles, 3–2, as well as the Stanley Cup. On June 20, 2014, a week after their season ended, the Rangers bought-out the remaining six years of Brad Richards' contract in order to free up salary cap space . On October 6, defenseman Ryan McDonagh was named the Rangers' 27th captain in team history, with Derek Stepan , Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Martin St. Louis serving as alternates. In 2014–15 ,
24790-447: The game in overtime on another goal by Desjardins, and the Kings never recovered. They dropped the next two games in overtime, and lost Game 5, 4–1, giving the Canadiens their league-leading 24th Stanley Cup in franchise history. The years after the 1993 playoff run were tough for the Kings, as a sluggish start in the 1993–94 season cost them a playoff berth, their first absence from the postseason since 1986. However, Gretzky provided
24975-407: The game-winning goal that won the game and the series, sending the Blackhawks to the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins (whom they defeated in six games for their second Stanley Cup in four seasons) and ending the Kings' season. During the 2013–14 season, the Kings acquired Marian Gaborik , and qualified for their fifth straight playoffs with the sixth-best result of the West. In
25160-425: The general manager, with Jeff Gorton taking his place to become the 11th general manager in team history. On July 2, Martin St. Louis announced his retirement. The team then re-signed Jesper Fast , J. T. Miller , and Derek Stepan. The Rangers started the 2015–16 season with a 14–2–2 record after 18 games, including a nine-game winning streak. However, the team lost their momentum and floundered, posting
25345-549: The helmets, and would stay that way until 2013, when they were replaced by the current Kings script. From the 2010–11 to the 2016–17 seasons, the Kings have also worn their classic purple and gold jerseys from the late 1970s as part of "Legends Night" on select home dates. Minor changes in the uniform include the NHL shield logo on the neck piping, as well as the use of the Reebok Edge design. The Kings wore silver jerseys with white trim, black stripes and shoulder yoke during
25530-616: The highest-scoring line combinations in NHL history. During the first three seasons of the Triple Crown Line, a period where Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Kings, the Lakers, and the Forum for $ 67.5 million, the Kings were eliminated in the first round. The Kings regressed in 1981–82 finishing 17th overall, but this was nevertheless good enough to make the 1982 Stanley Cup playoffs under the new format put in place that year as they were still fourth in their division with 63 points,
25715-491: The highly skilled St. Louis Blues swept the team in four games. The Kings suffered through an injury-plagued season in 1998–99 as they finished last in the Pacific Division and missed the playoffs with a 32–45–5 record, leading to the dismissal of head coach Larry Robinson . The Kings, along with the Los Angeles Lakers, made an even bigger move in 1999 , as they left The Forum after 32 seasons and moved to
25900-482: The history of the storied franchise. The club wore the jersey for the first time on November 17 when they played the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers' playoff chances came down to the final day of the regular season for the second-straight year. The team defeated the New Jersey Devils and passed the Carolina Hurricanes in the standings, putting the Rangers in the playoffs after missing out
26085-409: The last two years of Shattenkirk's contract. The 2019–20 season was a step forward for the rebuilding Rangers; Panarin lived up expectations and earned a Hart Trophy nomination, rookie goaltender Igor Shesterkin proved to be a worthy successor to aging superstar Henrik Lundqvist, Chris Kreider signed a seven-year contract extension, and Mika Zibanejad emerged as an elite forward, recording
26270-421: The league with 39 losses and 310 goals allowed in 50 games played; his 6.24 goals-against average that year remains the worst in NHL history by a goaltender playing at least 25 games in a season. They missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons before earning the fourth and final playoff spot in 1947–48 . They lost in the first round and missed the playoffs again in 1948–49 . In the 1950 Stanley Cup Finals ,
26455-556: The lockout-shortened 1994–95 season , the Rangers won their first-round series with the Quebec Nordiques , but lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Philadelphia Flyers in four games with succeeding head coach Colin Campbell . General manager Neil Smith orchestrated a deal that sent Sergei Zubov and center Petr Nedved to Pittsburgh in exchange for defenseman Ulf Samuelsson and left-winger Luc Robitaille in
26640-671: The loss of a player they considered a national treasure. Gretzky's arrival generated much excitement about hockey and the NHL in Southern California, and the ensuing popularity of the Kings is credited for the arrival of another team in the region (the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, renamed the Anaheim Ducks in 2006), as well as the arrival of a new team in Northern California (the San Jose Sharks ) and
26825-473: The lowest point total of any playoff team but ahead of the Colorado Rockies , the worst team in the league that season. However, Los Angeles managed to upset the second overall Edmonton Oilers , who finished 48 points ahead of them during the season and were led by the young Wayne Gretzky . With two victories in Edmonton and one at the Forum – dubbed " Miracle on Manchester ", where the Kings managed to erase
27010-627: The much-anticipated college sensation Jimmy Vesey to a two-year entry-level contract. The Rangers finished 2016–17 in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with 102 points. In the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs , they won their series with the Montreal Canadiens in six games. In the second game of their second-round series with the Ottawa Senators, the Rangers held a two-goal lead on three different occasions, but lost in double overtime, putting themselves in
27195-426: The number one European skater. Despite the departure of Michael Nylander, the 2007 free agency season started with a bang for the Rangers, with the signing of two high-profile centerman; Scott Gomez on a seven-year contract, as well as Chris Drury on a five-year deal. The moves, along with retaining most other key players, had been met favorably, and the Rangers made the playoffs for the third consecutive season and
27380-467: The off-season acquisition of Gaborik had not paid off, despite Gaborik scoring 42 goals and 86 points in the season. The final two games of the season were a home-and-home against the Philadelphia Flyers, with both teams competing for the same playoff spot. The Rangers skated away with the victory in the first game, keeping their postseason hopes alive. In the second game, the Flyers peppered Henrik Lundqvist with 47 shots, but scored only once. The game went to
27565-530: The organization and named Nick Beverley as his successor, and Beverley hired Barry Melrose , then with the American Hockey League 's Adirondack Red Wings , as head coach. Melrose would help the Kings reach new heights in the 1992–93 season , even if Gretzky missed 39 games with a career-threatening herniated thoracic disk. Led by Luc Robitaille, who served as captain in Gretzky's absence,
27750-541: The playoffs for the first time in four seasons, despite losing Drew Doughty to injury. This season would also prove to be Dustin Brown's last, as the forward announced on April 28, 2022, that he would retire following the 2022 playoffs . They were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers in seven games in the first round. During the 2022 off-season, the Kings acquired Kevin Fiala from the Minnesota Wild to replace Brown on
27935-437: The playoffs in the next two seasons. The Kings managed to record a winning record in 1984–85 under coach Pat Quinn , although it was still only good enough for fourth place. This time, the Kings were quickly swept out of the playoffs by the Oilers on their way to capturing their second-straight Stanley Cup championship. After a losing season in 1985–86 , the Kings saw two important departures during 1986–87 , as Quinn signed
28120-466: The previous season. The Americans' early success in their inaugural season exceeded expectations, leading Rickard to pursue a second team for the Garden despite promising the Amerks that they were going to be the only hockey team to play there. The new team was quickly nicknamed "Tex's Rangers". Rickard's franchise began play in the 1926–27 season. The first team crest was a horse sketched in blue carrying
28305-484: The previous season. The Rangers faced Washington in the first round and lost the series in five games. It was the second time in three years that the Capitals eliminated the Rangers from the playoffs, fueling a rivalry that lasted several seasons. On May 13, 2011, Rangers forward Derek Boogaard was found dead in his Minnesota apartment. On June 29, the Rangers bought out captain Chris Drury's contract. On July 3,
28490-595: The regular season was officially ended, and the Kings were one of seven teams left out of the playoffs. They were automatically entered into the first phase of the 2020 NHL draft lottery , in which the Kings received the second overall pick. In the 2020–21 season , the Kings had another rebuilding year as they traded Jeff Carter , extended Alex Iafallo and saw debuts of prospects such as Jaret Anderson-Dolan , Arthur Kaliyev , Tobias Bjornfot , Rasmus Kupari and Quinton Byfield . A bright spot saw Anze Kopitar score his 1,000th point near season's end. They finished sixth in
28675-497: The regular season. The strength of players such as Brad Park , Jean Ratelle, Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert (the last three constructing the famed " GAG line ", standing for "goal-a-game") carried them through the playoffs. They defeated the defending-champion Canadiens in the first round and the Chicago Black Hawks in the second, but lost to the Bruins in the finals. In the 1972 playoffs, with Ratelle sidelined with
28860-443: The rest of the 1930s playing close to 0.500 hockey until their next Cup win. Lester Patrick stepped down as head coach and was replaced by Frank Boucher. In their 1939–40 season , the Rangers finished the regular season in second place behind Boston. The two teams then met in the first round of the playoffs. The Bruins gained a two-games-to-one series lead from New York, but the Rangers recovered to win three-straight games, defeating
29045-519: The season with a 40–27–15 record for 95 points. The Kings then headed into the 2012 playoffs against the back-to-back Presidents' Trophy -winning Vancouver Canucks . After playing two games in Vancouver and one in Los Angeles, the Kings were up 3–0 in the series, a franchise first. By winning Game 5 in Vancouver in overtime, the Kings advanced to the conference semifinals for the first time since
29230-409: The season with a record of 44–26–12, their best record since 1993–94. Jagr broke the Rangers' single-season points record with a first-period assist in a 5–1 win against the New York Islanders on March 29, 2006. The assist gave him 110 points on the season, breaking Jean Ratelle 's record. Less than two weeks later, on April 8, Jagr scored his 53rd goal of the season against the Boston Bruins, breaking
29415-406: The season. Head coach Roger Neilson did not finish the season. During this period, the Rangers were owned by Gulf+Western , which was renamed to Paramount Communications in 1989, and sold to Viacom in 1994. Viacom then sold the team to ITT Corporation and Cablevision , and a couple of years later, ITT sold their ownership stake to Cablevision, who owned the team until 2010, when they spun off
29600-483: The season. They finished third in the Pacific Division and clinched the 2024 playoffs , where they would be eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers for the third year in a row, this time in five games. Hiller was subsequently promoted to full-time head coach following the season. Much discussion during and after the Kings' season centered around Pierre-Luc Dubois, as his season in Los Angeles was largely underwhelming. Dubois only managed 16 goals and 40 points, and finished with
29785-666: The second round for the second season in a row. Despite these streaks, the Rangers failed to meet expectations, losing their second-round series to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The following off-season saw the departures of captain Jaromir Jagr to the KHL, and alternate captains Martin Straka and Brendan Shanahan, who left to play in the Czech Republic and with the New Jersey Devils, respectively. Following Jagr's departure, Chris Drury
29970-466: The second round, the Kings forced seven games in their series against the Avalanche, but lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions. Afterwards, during the off-season, Luc Robitaille turned down a one-year deal with a substantial pay cut and ended up signing with Detroit, as the Red Wings represented his best chance at winning the Stanley Cup, and like Tomas Sandstrom before him in 1997, Robitaille won
30155-499: The second team in NHL history to beat the top three Conference seeds in the playoffs (the Calgary Flames achieved the same feat in 2004, ironically also under Darryl Sutter) and the first eighth seed to accomplish the feat. Los Angeles faced the New Jersey Devils in the Cup Finals, defeating them in six games to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. With the Game 6 victory occurring on home ice at Staples Center,
30340-551: The series 4–3, sending them to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1997. In the Conference Finals, they faced the New Jersey Devils, a major divisional rival. After leading the series 2–1, the Rangers lost 3 games in a row, losing Game 6 in New Jersey with a goal by Devils forward Adam Henrique at 1:03 in overtime, giving the Devils a 4–2 series win and ending the Rangers' season. On July 23, 2012,
30525-407: The series in the fifth and sixth games. On June 1, 2014, the Kings advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in three years after winning Game 7, 4–3, in overtime through a goal from Alec Martinez , clinching their third Western Conference title in franchise history. The Kings became the first team in NHL history to win three Game 7s en route to a Stanley Cup Finals berth. Not only were
30710-475: The series with two wins, the Kings lost three-straight games, trailing the series three games to two. However, for the second time in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Kings were able to rally back after being down in the series and defeated the Ducks in Anaheim in Game 7. In the third round, the Kings jumped out to a three-games-to-one lead against Stanley Cup-defending Chicago, but were unable to close out
30895-451: The sleeve and back numbers are enlarged, while white pants were used with this jersey. As part of the Kings' 50th anniversary in the 2016–17 season, the team wore commemorative silver alternate jerseys with a black shoulder yoke and striping for every Saturday home game. The logos and lettering were accented with metallic gold, while a purple neckline featured five gold diamonds to symbolize the Kings' original colors. A 50th Anniversary patch
31080-454: The strength of rookie goaltender Eddie Giacomin and 37-year-old former 1950s Montreal Canadiens star right wing Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion , signed out of retirement in 1966. The Rangers made the finals twice in the 1970s, but lost both times to two '70s powerhouses; in six games to the Boston Bruins in 1972 , who were led by such stars as Bobby Orr , Phil Esposito , Ken Hodge , Johnny Bucyk and Wayne Cashman ; and in five games to
31265-464: The summer of 1995. The 1995–96 Rangers defeated the Canadiens in six games in the playoffs, but lost their second-round series to the Penguins in five games. The Rangers then acquired Wayne Gretzky in 1996. Gretzky's greatest accomplishment with the Rangers was leading them to the 1997 Eastern Conference finals , where they lost 4–1 to the Flyers, who were then led by Eric Lindros . Mark Messier,
31450-436: The team missing the playoffs for the first time since 2010 , finishing under .500 for the first time since 2004 , and placing last in the Metropolitan Division, head coach Vigneault was fired after the conclusion of the season. On May 23, David Quinn was hired as the team's new head coach. During the off-season, Hayes, Vesey, Brady Skjei and Spooner all filed for salary arbitration and all of them were re-signed. Despite
31635-431: The third overtime, giving the Rangers a 2–1 lead in the series, but Washington came back to tie the series 2–2 in Game 4. Washington was up by one during the final minutes of Game 5 when Joel Ward committed a high-sticking double-minor. Richards scored to tie with just 6.6 seconds remaining, and in overtime, defenseman Marc Staal scored on the second penalty of the double-minor just 1:35 into overtime. Rangers went on to win
31820-464: Was Marian Gaborik, who finished the season with 41 goals and 76 points while playing all 82 games. In the first round of the playoffs, the Rangers faced the eighth-seeded Ottawa Senators. After falling behind 3–2 in the series, the Rangers bounced back to win Game 6 in Ottawa as well as Game 7 at home. In the next round, the Rangers once again faced the Capitals. In Game 3, Gaborik scored to win 14:41 into
32005-513: Was a lighter shade than the one used in the "Forum blue and gold" era. The new primary logo was a shield and crest featuring three royal symbols–a sunglass-clad lion, a crown and the Sun. The jerseys featured the shield logo with hints of purple on the yoke, sleeve stripes and tail. By coincidence, this was the same color scheme as the NBA's Sacramento Kings , who had rebranded to the scheme four years before
32190-410: Was adorned on the right shoulder. Adidas signed an agreement with the NHL to be the official manufacturer of uniforms and licensed apparel for all teams, starting with the 2017–18 season, replacing Reebok . The home and away uniforms that were debuted in the 2007–08 season remained identical with the exception of the new Adidas ADIZERO template and the new collar. With the new collar, the NHL shield
32375-541: Was awarded an NHL expansion franchise for Los Angeles on February 9, 1966, becoming one of the six teams that began play as part of the 1967 NHL expansion . The team plays its home games at Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles , their home since the start of the 1999–2000 season . Prior to that, the Kings played for 32 years at the Forum in Inglewood, California , a suburb of Los Angeles. During
32560-422: Was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs, and soon after signed a ten-year contract extension on June 28. Due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout , the 2012–13 NHL season began on January 19, 2013, and was shortened to 48 games. The Kings finished the season as the fifth seed in the West and began the defense of the Cup on the road against the St. Louis Blues, who they swept in
32745-473: Was highlighted by several rebuilding moves, as players such as Trevor Lewis , Jack Campbell , Kyle Clifford , Derek Forbort and Alec Martinez would all depart the team, through trades or via free agency. The team notably won the 2020 Stadium Series in a 3–1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, which saw Tyler Toffoli score the league's first hat trick in an outdoor regular season game; Toffoli
32930-666: Was later officially called) and gold because they were colors traditionally associated with royalty. This color scheme, first popularized by the NCAA 's LSU Tigers and later on the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL), was then adopted by the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), which Cooke also owned. Cooke wanted his new NHL team to play in
33115-407: Was moved to the front and center on a pentagon with a new "Chrome Flex" style. The waist stripes on the road white jersey became curved instead of being straight across. In the 2018–19 season, the Kings brought back their silver alternate uniforms last used in the 2016–17 season, minus the metallic gold elements in the logo and numerals. The uniform was retired following the 2020–21 season. During
33300-407: Was named captain on October 3, 2008. The Rangers were one of four NHL teams to open the 2008–09 season in Europe, being featured in the Victoria Cup final, defeating the European Champions Cup winner Metallurg Magnitogorsk in Bern , Switzerland. This was followed by two NHL regular season games against Tampa Bay in Prague on October 4 and 5, and the Rangers won both games. The Rangers tied
33485-425: Was named the first team captain since Mark Messier's retirement. Though the Rangers started slow in the first half of the 2006–07 season, the second half was dominated by the stellar goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist. On February 5, 2007, the Rangers acquired agitating forward Sean Avery in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings, which brought further intensity to the team. Despite losing several players to injury in March,
33670-448: Was promoted to be the new general manager and John Stevens took over as head coach after serving as associate head coach for the Kings for several seasons. In the 2017 NHL expansion draft , the Vegas Golden Knights drafted defenseman Brayden McNabb , who had been left unprotected by the Kings. In the next season , the Kings clinched the 2018 playoffs as a wild card, but were swept by the expansion Golden Knights. On November 4, 2018,
33855-407: Was simple and straightforward, featuring monochrome striping on the shoulders and tail, as well as purple pants with white and gold trim. Later on, white trim was added on the numbers, and names were also added, while tail stripes were adjusted. At one point, gold pants were used to pair with the gold uniforms during the 1970s. A variation of the original crown logo, with a contrasting color background,
34040-466: Was traded to the Vancouver Canucks two days after the feat. In their later portion of the season, the Kings called up several prospects including Mikey Anderson , Gabriel Vilardi and Cal Petersen , as the team went on a seven-game win streak, showcasing their deep and talented prospect pool. However, this win streak would mark the end of their season; the NHL would pause its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and as part of their plan to return to play,
34225-399: Was used with this uniform. From 1980 to 1988, the Kings modified their uniforms to include a contrasting yoke that extends from sleeve to sleeve. White was also added to the socks, on the tail stripes, and at the bottom of the yoke, but the color was removed from the pants. The names and numbers were also modified to a standard NHL block lettering. Just in time for Wayne Gretzky's arrival,
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