New York Rangers: Top five fan favorites in Lundqvist era
Since Henrik Lundqvist became the Rangers goaltender during the 2005-2006 season, the team has seen continued success. Of all the players who have filtered through the organization, fans attached to some more than others.
In a franchise as storied as the New York Rangers, great players are a given. From Brian Leetch to Mark Messier to Rod Gilbert and everyone in between, the Rangers have had numerous greats wear the broadway blue.
While fans undoubtedly love all the Rangers greats, sometimes being a superior player on the ice isn’t the only way you can draw admiration from the fans. It could be a signature moment. It could be a tenacity and grit that is unmatched. Sometimes it might just be a name.
Whatever the case the Rangers have had plenty of crowd favorites. Here is a list of the top five fan favorites in the Henrik Lundqvist era.
Note: The list doesn’t necessarily list the best players, just the most beloved.
5- Dan Girardi
Don’t let the buyout fool you. Dan Girardi was as appreciated as any New York Ranger for the last 10 seasons. Playing almost 800 games with the Rangers, Girardi made his mark as a rugged defenseman. He never shied away from taking the body or giving it up.
Danny G, as many fans called him, was as blue collar as it comes. He is second only to Lundqvist in career playoff games with the Rangers at 122 games played. Not only that, but from the 2009-2010 season through last year, Girardi was inside the top 10 in the league when it came to blocked shots.
Girardi flourished under the defensive style of John Tortorella. He recorded 98 of his 230 career points in Tortorella’s four year tenure. Though he didn’t produce much the last few years, Girardi will still be looked at as one of the core group of players who established the Rangers as one of the better teams in the league for the last decade.
4-Jaromir Jagr
As big of an impact as Henrik Lundqvist has had in the last 10 years for the Rangers, Jagr kickstarted the success we have seen during this era. The Rangers hadn’t eclipsed 90 points since 1995-1996 until Jagr and company led them to a 100 point regular season in 2005-2006.
During that campaign Jagr set single season records in goals (54), power play goals (24) and points (123). Though the season ended abruptly in the playoffs, the Rangers still showed they were back. In his three full seasons with New York, Jagr totaled 290 points. He also added 29 in 31 games after coming over to the Rangers from the Capitals in the 2003-2004 season.
Though he has played for seven other teams during his career, there is no denying Rangers fans loved Jagr. A class act both on and off the ice he was a fan favorite in New York because he lead the charge in restoring the Rangers brand.
3-Brandon Dubinsky
The Rangers weren’t always the highly skilled team they are today. Before that New York had a bunch of blue collar grinders on the ice. Not many embodied this more than Dubinsky.
His treatment of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin alone could probably land Dubinsky on this list. And while that may be one of the larger factors as to why he was so loved by Rangers fans, there are certainly other aspects as well.
Dubinsky was a skilled pest who totaled 213 points in six seasons with the Rangers. He scored no less than 34 in a season and missed a total of just 23 games during his tenure with New York. The way he played the game, the brashness of it, is the main reason why New York fans everywhere would always take a moment to salute Duuuuuuubi.
2-Mats Zuccarello
Would you believe me if I told you the current Rangers “enforcer” is 5-7, 179 pounds? I’m not quite sure if I believe myself, but that type of playing style has landed Zucc near the top of this list. While Rangers fans obviously love his edge, Zuccarello won the fans over with his skill first.
After bouncing around from the minors to the NHL and back while Tortorella was coach, Zuccarello found a permanent spot in the lineup at the start of the 2013-2014 season. Since then all he has done is consistently finish top five on the Rangers in regular season scoring. The Norwegian is one of the most underrated passers in the game and has made everyone on the ice with him better.
All these reasons are more than enough to land Zucc on the list, but what puts him over the top: shootouts.
He went a perfect four for four in his first NHL season, using the same one to baffle goaltenders. From that moment on Rangers fans were Zuccarello fans and the love affair has only grown since.
1-Ryan Callahan
Could it have been anyone else? Zuccarello is close, but Captain Cally was the heart and soul of the New York Rangers for seven-plus seasons he wore broadway blue. Callahan was as fierce a competitor as the Rangers have had in this era. As cliche as it is, he left everything out on the ice.
Callahan won the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, which honors a Ranger who goes above and beyond the call of duty both on and off the ice, four times as a Ranger. He wore the C proudly for New York and always represented the Rangers with class.
On the ice his was a workhorse. Killing penalties, throwing big checks, scoring clutch goals and even dropping the mitts when he needed to. Callahan was the Rangers ultimate utility man and without a doubt the heart beat of the squad while he was a member.
While the team couldn’t hold on to Callahan, the ending of the story should not influence his time with the Rangers. When he was on the ice, every shift was played like his last.
Next: Top Five Players Rangers Fans Hate
Callahan tops the list because not only did his style of play on the ice make him an immediate crowd favorite, but everything he did off the ice was with an equal level of class and grit. If you think fan favorites, you have to think Ryan Callahan.