You can rarely pinpoint a trade that changed the entire trajectory of an organization in the National Hockey League, but there is very much one in the history of the New York Rangers. Looking into the past, we can see the formula that led to significant success for the Rangers around thirty years ago. It's a trade that changed everything about the organization and even impacted how it was viewed worldwide. Its impact helped cement the New York Rangers as a worldwide icon.
For this, we need to do a quick history lesson. The curse of 1940 looms large over most of the 20th century for the New York Rangers, and as we got into the 1990s, the Rangers started to develop the makings of a fantastic team. Doug Weight, Brian Leetch, Bernie Nicholls, Mike Gartner, Darren Turcotte, John Vanbiesbrouck, and Mike Richter were just some of the names the Blueshirts had. But they needed a leader.
On October 4th, 1991, the Rangers landed a leader. Neil Smith, who was the general manager of the Rangers at the time, traded Louis DeBrusk, Bernie Nicholls, Steven Rice, and David Shaw to the Edmonton Oilers for Jeff Buekeboom and four-time Stanley Cup Champion and former Hart Trophy winner Mark Messier. The Oilers were dismantling their core from the dynasty of the 1980s, and the Rangers grabbed Messier, who became a legend.
During his 698 games with the Rangers, Messier tallied 250 goals and 441 assists for 691 points with the Blueshirts. His production is entirely irrelevant because of what he did in 1994. Ahead of game six of the Eastern Conference Finals, he gave a promise to the fans of the Rangers that the roster would end the 54-year-long Stanley Cup drought before leading the Rangers to come back against the Devils and beat the Canucks for the first cup since 1940.
Many people remember the championship and celebrate it but don't grasp its global impact because of its timing. In 1994, the first series of the hit sitcom "Friends" aired, and the affinity the series had for hockey and the New York Rangers inspired many around the world to become loyal to the Blueshirts. If the Rangers don't win the cup in 1994, that changes.
Messier continued to lead the team and even came back to reclaim his captaincy after leaving for a brief tour of duty with the Vancouver Canucks. Without Messier's leadership in the room and by example on the ice, the Rangers reached heights the organization hadn't seen in over half a century. It was a massive moment for the city and the organization.
You can rarely see an exact trade on an exact day that changes a city and a franchise, but you can see the impact the Messier trade made 33 years after the deal was made to bring the Canadian to New York. As the Rangers now look again for a new leader to get this core to the heights of the 1994 team, they will need to find another Mark Messier. It is a difficult task, but it must be done.