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Your All-Time Top 5 New York Rangers

By Daniel Blanda|
Brian Leetch #2 of the New York Rangers controls the puck. Credit: Kent Smith /Allsport
Brian Leetch #2 of the New York Rangers controls the puck. Credit: Kent Smith /Allsport

The New York Rangers have had many great players don their classic jersey, but which are the top-five all time?

A little over a week ago, while patrolling the wild west of Twitter, I came across a tweet from the official NHL account:

Then, just this morning, the NHL tweeted this:

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1336733620933963777

Both of these posts got me thinking – if you, the passionate fans of New York, were asked to pick who you think the best Rangers of all-time were, who would you choose?

There has been a number of greats to play on Broadway, but I’d bet every penny I owned (both of them) that we won’t come up with a unanimous decision on this. The style of play has changed, the rules have changed, and side by side, the game today looks nothing like the game from sixty years ago.

Different generations are going to have different answers to this question. My grandfather’s answer is going to look a lot different than my fictional nephew’s answers. My grandfather would probably say Eddie Giacomin, Jean Ratelle, Andy Bathgate, Brad Park, and Rod Gilbert – if I had to guess. Meanwhile, my fictional, yet argumentatively sound nephew would probably say something like Kevin Weekes, Nigel Dawes, Wade Redden, Jed Ortmeyer, and Petr Prucha – you know, classic Rangers.

All jokes aside, some of the most iconic Rangers weren’t with the franchise very long. Jaromir Jagr was only with the Rangers for 277 regular-season games, but he tallied 319 points in that time. He also managed to produce the best individual season in terms of scoring with 54 goals and 123 points. Is that enough to put him in the top five Rangers all-time? He’s definitely a top-five Pittsburgh Penguin, but is he in the conversation for the Rangers as well?

Do you go back in time and look at someone like Bill Cook. Cook didn’t play in the NHL until he was 30-years-old, but he was the first player ever signed by the New York Rangers and was a part of the inaugural season. Whats more, he captained the team to not one, but two Stanley Cups. No other player has accomplished that in Rangers history.  Yet, because the year was 1928 and there were only six NHL teams, fans quickly forget. Not to mention, he served in the First World War so there’s that…

Well, what about the guys you don’t see on any all-time lists for the Rangers for whatever reason. Guys who were iconic Rangers, but maybe they weren’t scorers, or they didn’t play in New York long enough, or maybe they were simply a different breed of player. What about guys like Ron Duguay, Sergei Zubov, Brad Park, Jeff Beukeboom, and Harry Howell? Heck, what about players like Tie Domi or Sean Avery?

And dare I say it… do you consider Wayne Gretzky? Is end-of-his-career Gretzky still better than everyone else?

enter Wayne Gretzky of the New York Rangers Mandatory Credit: Robert Laberge /Allsport
enter Wayne Gretzky of the New York Rangers Mandatory Credit: Robert Laberge /Allsport

Comment your all-time top-five below, so we can argue about it.

Also, in case you were wondering, my all-time top-five Dallas Stars are Mike Modano, Sergei Zubov, Ed Belfour, Derian Hatcher, and Brenden Morrow. My all-time top-five Pittsburgh Penguins are Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Sidney Crosby, Paul Coffey, and Ron Francis. Carry on.

Here are a few career stats to jog your memories:

Regular Season

Former New York Ranger players Harry Howell and Andy Bathgate have their numbers retired(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Former New York Ranger players Harry Howell and Andy Bathgate have their numbers retired(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Games Played

  1. Harry Howell – 1160
  2. Brian Leetch – 1129
  3. Rod Gilbert – 1065
  4. Ron Greschner – 981
  5. Walt Tkaczuk – 945
  6. Marc Staal – 892
  7. Henrik Lundqvist – 887
  8. Jean Ratelle – 861
  9. Vic Hadfield – 841
  10. Jim Neilson – 811
NEW YORK, NY – 1973: Rod Gilbert #7 of the New York Rangers skates on the ice during an NHL game against the California Golden Seals circa 1973 at the Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – 1973: Rod Gilbert #7 of the New York Rangers skates on the ice during an NHL game against the California Golden Seals circa 1973 at the Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images)

Goals

  1. Rod Gilbert  – 406
  2. Jean Ratelle – 336
  3. Adam Graves – 280
  4. Andy Bathgate – 272
  5. Vic Hadfield – 262
  6. Camille Henry – 256
  7. Mark Messier – 250
  8. Steve Vickers – 246
  9. Brian Leetch – 240
  10. Bill Cook – 228
German ice hockey player Walt Tkaczuk (#18) and Canadian Bill Fairbairn of the New York Rangers scrabble behind the net with Doug Jarrett of the Chicago Blackhawks during a game, early 1970s. Jarrett’s teammates Czech player Stan Mitika (#21) and goalkeeper Gary Smith watch from in front of the net. (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images)
German ice hockey player Walt Tkaczuk (#18) and Canadian Bill Fairbairn of the New York Rangers scrabble behind the net with Doug Jarrett of the Chicago Blackhawks during a game, early 1970s. Jarrett’s teammates Czech player Stan Mitika (#21) and goalkeeper Gary Smith watch from in front of the net. (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images)

Assists

  1. Brian Leetch – 741
  2. Rod Gilbert – 615
  3. Jean Ratelle – 481
  4. Andy Bathgate – 457
  5. Walt Tkaczuk – 451
  6. Mark Messier – 441
  7. Ron Greschner – 431
  8. James Patrick – 363
  9. Steve Vickers – 340
  10. Vic Hadfield – 310
6 Dec 1997: Adam Graves #9 of the New York Rangers during the Rangers 3-3 tie with the Montreal Canadiens at the Molson Center in Montreal, Canada. Mandatory Credit: Robert Laberge /Allsport
6 Dec 1997: Adam Graves #9 of the New York Rangers during the Rangers 3-3 tie with the Montreal Canadiens at the Molson Center in Montreal, Canada. Mandatory Credit: Robert Laberge /Allsport

Points

  1. Rod Gilbert – 1021
  2. Brian Leetch – 981
  3. Jean Ratelle – 817
  4. Andy Bathgate – 729
  5. Mark Messier – 691
  6. Walt Tkaczuk – 678
  7. Ron Greschner – 610
  8. Steve Vickers – 586
  9. Vic Hadfield – 572
  10. Adam Graves – 507
TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 25: Ron Greschner #4 of the New York Rangers skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during NHL game action on November 25, 1989, at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto defeated New York 7-4. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 25: Ron Greschner #4 of the New York Rangers skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during NHL game action on November 25, 1989, at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto defeated New York 7-4. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)

Penalty Minutes

  1. Ron Greschner – 1226
  2. Jeff Beukeboom – 1157
  3. Harry Howell – 1147
  4. Dave Maloney – 1113
  5. Vic Hadfield – 1041
  6. Nick Fotiu – 970
  7. Lou Fontinato – 940
  8. Ivan “Ching” Johnson – 826
  9. Adam Graves – 810
  10. Barry Beck – 775
Canadian ice hockey player Gump Worsley (born Lorne Worsley), goalkeeper for the New York Rangers, reaches for an airborne hockey puck during a game, 1950s or early 1960s. (Photo by Robert Riger/Getty Images)
Canadian ice hockey player Gump Worsley (born Lorne Worsley), goalkeeper for the New York Rangers, reaches for an airborne hockey puck during a game, 1950s or early 1960s. (Photo by Robert Riger/Getty Images)

Wins

  1. Henrik Lundqvist – 459
  2. Mike Richter – 301
  3. Ed Giacomin – 267
  4. Gump Worsley – 204
  5. John Vanbiesbrouck – 200
  6. Dave Kerr – 157
  7. Chuck Rayner – 123
  8. Gilles Villemure – 98
  9. John Davidson – 93
  10. John Ross Roach – 80

Playoffs

MONTREAL, QC – JANUARY 14: Dan Girardi #5 of the New York Rangers skates during the NHL game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on January 14, 2017 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the New York Rangers 5-4. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC – JANUARY 14: Dan Girardi #5 of the New York Rangers skates during the NHL game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on January 14, 2017 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the New York Rangers 5-4. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Games Played

  1. Henrik Lundqvist – 130
  2. Dan Girardi – 122
  3. Marc Staal – 107
  4. Derek Stepan – 97
  5. Ryan McDonagh – 96
  6. Walt Tkaczuk – 93
  7. Don Maloney – 85
  8. Ron Greschner – 84
  9. Brian Leetch – 82
  10. Chris Kreider – 80
new york rangers
NEW YORK – CIRCA 1979: Ron Duguay #10 of the New York Rangers faces off against Jacques Lemaire #25 of the Montreal Canadiens during an NHL Hockey game circa 1979 at Madison Square Garden in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Duguay’s playing career went from 1977-99. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Goals

  1. Rod Gilbert – 34
  2. Mark Messier – 29
  3. Adam Graves – 28
  4. Ron Duguay – 28
  5. Brian Leetch – 28
  6. Steve Vickers – 24
  7. Chris Kreider – 24
  8. Anders Hedberg – 22
  9. Vic Hadfield – 22
  10. Don Maloney – 22
new york rangers
Mark Messier of the New York Rangers. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)

Assists

  1. Brian Leetch – 61
  2. Mark Messier – 51
  3. Don Maloney – 35
  4. Jean Ratelle – 33
  5. Rod Gilbert – 33
  6. Brad Park – 32
  7. Ron Greschner – 32
  8. Walt Tkaczuk – 32
  9. Ryan McDonagh – 31
  10. Derek Stepan – 30
Derek Stepan #21 of the New York Rangers (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
Derek Stepan #21 of the New York Rangers (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

Points

  1. Brian Leetch – 89
  2. Mark Messier – 80
  3. Rod Gilbert – 67
  4. Don Maloney – 57
  5. Walt Tkaczuk – 51
  6. Steve Vickers – 49
  7. Ron Greschner – 49
  8. Derek Stepan – 49
  9. Ron Duguay – 47
  10. Anders Hedberg – 46
Vic Hadfield #11 of the New York Rangers . (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images)
Vic Hadfield #11 of the New York Rangers . (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images)

Penalty Minutes

  1. Ivan “Ching” Johnson – 150
  2. Jeff Beukeboom – 147
  3. Ed Hospodar – 135
  4. Brad Park – 129
  5. Walt Tkaczuk – 119
  6. Vic Hadfield – 106
  7. Ron Greschner – 106
  8. Ron Duguay – 103
  9. Ted Irvine – 102
  10. Troy Mallette – 99
Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Wins

  1. Henrik Lundqvist – 61
  2. Mike Richter – 41
  3. Eddie Giacomin – 29
  4. Dave Kerr – 17
  5. John Davidson – 16
  6. John Vanbiesbrouck – 13
  7. Eddie Mio – 9
  8. Chuck Rayner – 9
  9. John Ross Roach – 9
  10. Steve Baker – 7

Single Season Records

Canadian hockey player Jean Ratelle (right) of the New York Rangers on the ice during a game against the Minnesota North Stars, February 1972. (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images)
Canadian hockey player Jean Ratelle (right) of the New York Rangers on the ice during a game against the Minnesota North Stars, February 1972. (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images)

Goals

  1. Jaromir Jagr – 54
  2. Adam Graves – 52
  3. Vic Hadfield – 50
  4. Mike Gartner – 49
  5. Pierre Larouche – 48
  6. Mark Messier – 47
  7. Jean Ratelle – 46
  8. Mike Gartner – 45
  9. Rod Gilbert – 43
  10. John Ogrodnick – 43
1993-1994: Sergei Zubov of the New York Rangers. Mandatory Credit: Robert Laberge /Allsport
1993-1994: Sergei Zubov of the New York Rangers. Mandatory Credit: Robert Laberge /Allsport

Assists

  1. .Brian Leetch – 80
  2. Sergei Zubov – 77
  3. Brian Leetch – 72
  4. Mark Messier – 72
  5. Wayne Gretzky – 72
  6. Brian Leetch – 70
  7. Jaromir Jagr – 69
  8. Wayne Gretzky – 67
  9. Mark Messier – 66
  10. Jaromir Jagr – 66
UNIONDALE, NY – MARCH 06: Jaromir Jagr #68 of the New York Rangers skates against the New York Islanders on March 6, 2008 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NY – MARCH 06: Jaromir Jagr #68 of the New York Rangers skates against the New York Islanders on March 6, 2008 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Points

  1. Jaromir Jagr -123
  2. Jean Ratelle – 109
  3. Mark Messier – 107
  4. Vic Hadfield -106
  5. Mike Rogers -103
  6. Brian Leetch – 102
  7. Mark Messier – 99
  8. Rod Gilbert – 97
  9. Rod Gilbert – 97
  10. Wayne Gretzky – 97
TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 25: Troy Mallette #26 of the New York Rangers (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 25: Troy Mallette #26 of the New York Rangers (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)

Penalty Minutes

  1. Troy Mallette – 305
  2. Kris King – 286
  3. Troy Mallette – 252
  4. Tie Domi – 246
  5. Barry Beck – 231
  6. Chris Simon – 225
  7. Kris King – 224
  8. Michel Petit – 223
  9. Jeff Beukeboom – 220
  10. Theoren Fleury – 216
13 Dec 1996: Goaltender Mike Richter of the New York Rangers looks on during a game against the Buffalo Sabres at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Rangers won the game, 3-0.
13 Dec 1996: Goaltender Mike Richter of the New York Rangers looks on during a game against the Buffalo Sabres at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Rangers won the game, 3-0.

Wins

  1. Mike Richter – 42
  2. Henrik Lundqvist – 39
  3. Ed Giacomin – 38
  4. Henrik Lundqvist – 38
  5. Henrik Lundqvist – 37
  6. Henrik Lundqvist – 37
  7. Ed Giacomin – 36
  8. Henrik Lundqvist – 36
  9. Ed Giacomin – 35
  10. Henrik Lundqvist – 35
  11. Henrik Lundqvist – 35
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