One of the highest honors in the New York sports world is to be the captain of the Rangers. Some of the greatest players to take the ice for the Blueshirts have worn the C on their sweater. It is an honor to receive that title and is not something to be taken lightly. Since the start of the 21st century, seven players have donned the C. All of whom had varying degrees of success and accomplishments. Here is a ranking of the seven captains.
7. J.T. Miller (2025-)
It is a little unfair to put J.T. Miller at the bottom of this list, considering he has only had one season as the Rangers captain. However, things did not go great in that first season. He struggled offensively, having one of his worst seasons in years. He also failed to fix some of the culture problems the Rangers had. Many felt that Miller's intense personality would prevent the "quitting" that occurred the year prior. But that was not the case, and it could be argued he became part of the problem. Not exactly what you want to see from your leader.
6. Jacob Trouba (2022-25)
There was a bit of controversy to start Jacob Trouba's reign as captain, as many felt that honor should have gone to Chris Kreider. However, he proved he was more than capable of firing up the team. The Rangers got off to a slow start in the 2022-23 season.
In a game against the Blackhawks, Trouba got into a fight and threw his helmet against the boards on his way off the ice. This became a rallying cry as, after that, the Rangers went 32-12-8 and made it to the playoffs. However, what hurts Trouba is the dirty hits and bad penalties that cost the Rangers some key games.
5. Chris Drury (2008-11)
Before he was making the roster decisions for the Rangers, Chris Drury was the leader in the Rangers locker room. After only signing the year prior, Drury was named captain before the start of the 2008-09 season. Having served as the captain of the Sabres, the Rangers hoped his leadership and work ethic would rub off on the rest of the roster.
But that would not turn out to be the case. His first season as captain saw his numbers dip slightly, before they fell off a cliff in 2009-10. He also dealt with injuries, missing a large chunk of his final season. It was just an underwhelming tenure.
4. Mark Messier (2000-04)
If we were considering the greatest Rangers captains of all time, Mark Messier would likely be in the top three. Having been the captain of the team that broke the 54-year Cup drought, and his famous guarantee before game seven of the ECF, few have a resume like that. But all of that happened in the 90s. We are only interested in what happened since 2000 onward. His second stint as Rangers captain was uneventful. The Rangers were rebuilding and failed to make the playoffs in the four seasons he wore the C. The whole thing was just rather forgettable.
3. Ryan McDonagh (2014-18)
Ryan McDonagh was the first defenseman to be captain since Brian Leetch in 1999-00. He also had a different approach to leadership that seemed to work for the veteran-led Rangers. Rather than trying to fire the team up with fiery speeches or big hits, he let his play do the talking. He was not afraid to log a lot of ice time and do whatever it took to help them win games. This lead-by-example motto seemed to work as the Rangers made the playoffs three times with him as captain. He also left such a big hole that the Rangers left the captaincy open for four seasons after he was traded.
2. Ryan Callahan (2011-14)
Ryan Callahan made Rangers history, as he was the first New York-born player to be named captain. He was also instrumental in establishing a hard-nosed physical identity that came to define the Rangers during the early 2010s. He led by example, racking up 110 points in his two and a half seasons. He also delivered 557 hits and blocked 201 shots. This style of play helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011-12. The deepest playoff run in 15 years. His captaincy built the culture that led to all the success in the mid-2010s.
1. Jaromír Jágr (2006-08)
No one had better production as a captain during the 21st century than Jaromír Jágr. Sure, other guys made deeper playoff runs and had more team success. But no one dominated the ice the way Jágr did when he wore the C. His 2006-07 season, when he racked up 30 goals and 66 assists for 96 points, is the most a Rangers captain has produced in the 21st century. You can make the argument that it was the best season by a Rangers captain ever. His production is one of the biggest reasons they saw their first period of success since the mid-90s.
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