We often refer to Madison Square Garden as the most iconic hockey arena in the world, and that is true. While there have been several iterations of our beloved Garden, the Rangers get to call the modern, state-of-the-art arena home and an arena with so much history. However, it is a history that should be talked about more. It's a rich history, and the world's most famous arena goes back a long way.
To reach the beginning of this story, we must go so far back in time that it predates the New York Rangers themselves. Back in 1925, boxing promoter Tex Rickard was building the arena, which had no immediate use outside of that. So, as Rickard looked for uses, he ventured into a few avenues. There were a few basketball games early, long before the birth of the Knicks, but a team was looking for a building.
The New York Americans were entering their first season and needed somewhere to call home. Being one of the few hockey teams in the new National Hockey League, Rickard let them use the building in their first season. The New York Americans were so successful in their first year that Rickard fell in love with the sport and got his own team for the following year. Thus, the New York Rangers were born.
New York won three Stanley Cups between their inauguration and 1940, and the story of the 1940 Stanley Cup still haunts the organization, but very few know of its origins. And for the story of the curse of 1940, we must return to the Americans. After the Rangers usurped their success, the Americans became second fiddle in New York. They were forced to suspend operations in 1942 due to the Second World War, with most American players leaving to fight.
As the Americans looked to get back onto the ice in 1946, Tex flexed his muscle as MSG owner to say they wouldn't be allowed to return to the Garden, famously burning the mortgage on the Garden in the bowl of the cup. Since he no longer needed the money, the Americans needed a new home, which annoyed Red Dutton, the coach and general manager of the Americans.
Dutton, who had acted as the president of the NHL after Frank Calder died in 1943 until he resigned in 1946 (replaced by Clarence Campbell) with the belief that he would revive the franchise of the Americans, but with no access to the Garden, they couldn't return to the ice. It meant his dream of restoring the Americans never came to fruition. It annoyed him greatly, leaving him to proclaim that the Rangers would never win another Stanley Cup for as long as he lived.
Dutton passed away in 1987 at the age of 88. New York hadn't won the cup since 1940. However, seven years later, led by the great Mark Messier, the New York Rangers got over the hump. They claimed the Stanley Cup once more and thought they had broken the curse with Messier's promise. However, that is the only cup they have won since Dutton cursed the organization. One Stanley Cup in 84 years. So, I leave you with the question: is the organization still cursed?