Blue Line Station
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NHL in New York: MSG’s First National Hockey League Team

By Conor Power

4 Jun 1994: NEW YORK RANGER''S ALEXEI KOVALEV SLIDES PAST CANUCKS GOALTENDER KIRK MCLEAN AFTER SCORING IN THE THIRD PERIOD TO PUT THE RANGERS UP 5-1 DURING GAME THREE OF THE STANLEY CUP FINALS IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA. THE RANGERS LEAD THE CANUCKS, T
4 Jun 1994: NEW YORK RANGER''S ALEXEI KOVALEV SLIDES PAST CANUCKS GOALTENDER KIRK MCLEAN AFTER SCORING IN THE THIRD PERIOD TO PUT THE RANGERS UP 5-1 DURING GAME THREE OF THE STANLEY CUP FINALS IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA. THE RANGERS LEAD THE CANUCKS, T /
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To prove that every working man in America is the heart and soul behind his country’s all-out war effort, the Wholesale and Warehouse Workers Union in New York City met for this imposing Victory rally in the city’s famous Madison Square Garden. (Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
To prove that every working man in America is the heart and soul behind his country’s all-out war effort, the Wholesale and Warehouse Workers Union in New York City met for this imposing Victory rally in the city’s famous Madison Square Garden. (Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) /

Brooklyn Americans

As the war raged on ahead of the 1941-42 season, Red Dutton announced that the team was going to be renamed the Brooklyn Americans with the intent of moving to Brooklyn. This was an attempt to find a new market that was going to be loyal to the team and keep the franchise operating during the bad financial times that had stricken them so much. It was not a good situation.

When no arena was found before the season, they played it out at Madison Square Garden. It was a close call as to whether or not the franchise would make it to the end of the season, but they did so finishing bottom of the standings yet again. This would be the last time we’d see the Americans on the ice as the franchise announced that they would be suspending operations until the conclusion of the second world war.

Skipping ahead to the end of the war in 1945, Dutton came back looking to resume operations, but the league expelled the franchise. Officially, the history books have the Americans as retiring from the NHL in 1942, despite the organization having every intention to return to the league. It broke several promises that the NHL had made to the organization, and this was probably done under pressure from Madison Square Garden and the Rangers.

In their 17 years in existence, the Americans had a record of 255 wins, 402 losses, and 127 ties for 637 points. You can see a lot of why they struggled. People enjoy winning and the feeling of being victorious. A losing franchise in a city with a team that saw so much success early in existence with the Rangers didn’t really have the chance to survive or thrive. This in particular made Red Dutton quite the angry man.

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