Modern Day
Following Kisio, the Rangers turned their attention to another Canadian ahead of the 1991-92 season. Mark Messier took the Rangers mantra for the next few years, and what a difference he made to this franchise. His promise after game six of the Eastern Conference Finals in 1994 was iconic, leading to the Rangers capturing their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. He was the first captain in over half a century to lift the Stanley Cup.
While we got Sam Rosen's iconic "and this one will last a lifetime" to describe that 1994 Stanley Cup, the Rangers eventually named a new captain after Messier, and it's the first American captain in the history of the Rangers. Defenseman Brian Leetch took the captaincy for three years between 1997-98 and the 1999-2000 season. Messier took his captaincy back until the lockout in 2004-05, and coming out of the lockout, almost everyone knows these captains.
Jaromir Jagr took over from 2005 until 2007, followed by Chris Drury, who led us into the 2010s. Drury was replaced by Ryan Callahan, followed by Ryan McDonagh. While the Rangers went four years without a captain following McDonagh's trade to the Lightning, eventually, Jacob Trouba took over until he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks this year. That brings us to today, as the New York Rangers debate who should be next to wear the iconic Rangers "C" and join this group.
Over almost a century, the New York Rangers have existed, and you can see the historical implications of the Rangers. Franchise icons like Andy Bathgate, Brian Leetch, Mark Messier, Harry Howell, and Jaromir Jagr have all donned this iconic letter. When the Rangers name their new captain, they'll be tasked with recapturing the Stanley Cup. It's been a long time since a Ranger had sustained success winning the cup.
You can see how the eras of Blueshirt's leadership have changed, how the mantra went from good leaders to good players. All were at least good enough to play in the NHL; in the 1990s, the Rangers looked to name only Hall of Famers as captains, and that was the case until even Callahan and McDonagh. But, as they say, all eras come to an end.