New York Rangers: Building an Identity

It’s different in New York

There’s a different expectation with New York teams across the world of sports. New York City metropolitan area fans expect the best of the best– they want a level of excellence exceeding that of any opponent. They want a successful but classy organization that takes advantage of their resources and is ahead of the curve.

New York fans demand a front office that is intelligent and innovative. They demand a team that performs against the worst team as if it’s the championship game. More than any other city, perhaps, New York simply demands the best. Anything less is not going to cut it.

Representing a city as great as New York City is not an easy task by any means. The minute someone pulls on that jersey or signs that contract they better know they are responsible for helping one of the most fanatic sports towns in the world. New York fans are often characterized as impatient, intense and maybe a little spoiled, but that’s the price you pay for the Big City. In the NHL, the fan expectation is elevated. As one of the Original Six teams in the NHL, the Rangers carry a higher honor.

More from Editorials

• Rangers’ Playoff Redemption Recipe: Grit and Fresh Hopes
• Rangers’ Roster Chatter: Who’s Making the Cut and Who’s in the Penalty Box?
• These Rangers must learn Peter Laviolette’s ropes before they can fly
• Filip Chytil Could Take Major Steps in the 2023-24 Season
• Looking forward to the upcoming season for Artemi Panarin

Of all the Originals, the six teams have collectively claimed the Cup 64 times. This amounts to more than half the Cups going to one of the six clubs since the league was founded in 1917. Out of the six, New York has earned the fewest number  of Cups, despite their longevity in the league. Nonetheless, securing a Stanley Cup is one of the toughest accomplishments in sports, and the path to the Cup cannot be built overnight.

As Panarin’s arrival has reminded everyone this prior Free Agency period, it’s just different in New York. The franchise provides a draw that a player can start a “second career” in New York, reinvent your game, and become a New York legend. Just as Rangers icon Mark Messier stated, coming to New York has an appeal, the draw of representing New York is like no other. But he reminds us, representing New York is also an enormous challenge.

Similar to the timeframe of Messier’s addition to New York in 1991, the Rangers did not possess a leading goal-scorer at the point when Panarin arrived. With the season frozen, Panarin sits tied for third place in the whole league with 95 points in 69 games played. Although teammate Mika Zibanejad is fifth in the league for most goals at 41, Panarin trails with 32 in 13th place.

Despite being a different breed of player, there are multiple parallels with Messier and Panarin’s integration with the Rangers. Along with skill, they both provide leadership, which, in particular, is integral to this Ranger’s youth era. Since swapping his Blue Jackets sweater to become a Blueshirt, Panarin has surpassed multiple personal records. For a player of Panarin’s caliber to come to New York during this time and bring such individual success is impossible to go unnoticed.