Hope for The New York Rangers in 2019

By: Alexis Kateridge

Chase sponsored the 25th anniversary ceremony this year. (Photo credit: NHL.com)

Hockey season is in full swing, and with it comes talk of who will be making it all the way to the Stanley cup.

Many fans are hoping and praying that the New York Rangers will claim the title this year in light of a long run without a championship.

It has been 25 years since the New York Rangers have won the Stanley Cup in the 1993-94 season. On February 8th, 2019, the team from that year gathered at Madison Square Garden to celebrate their impressive victory.

The Vancouver Canucks were playing the New York Rangers in this battle for the title. Ultimately, the New York Rangers came out on top to end their 54 year wait for cup (NHL.com).

Mark Messier, the captain that season, reflects back on what made their win so amazing (NHL.com).

“We were galvanized with the belief of what was possible,” Messier reflects on the fateful season (NHL.com).

It was an emotional ceremony for all as the ‘33-34 team lined up next to the 2018-19 season team. Many of the current players were inspired by the ‘94 win, such as Henrik Lundqvist and Kevin Shattenkirk (NHL.com).

The ceremony started off with the ‘34 team walking out onto the ice amid season ticket holders from their championship season (NHL.com).

ESPN spoke with some of the players from that team in an interview.

Notably, they spoke with Adam Graves, who said that “Back then, you never thought you’d be impacting the way we have been. It is very special” (ESPN.com).

During the event, a video was played that showed highlights from the New York Rangers impressive season. You can find the video on the New York Rangers twitter page, @NYRangers (ESPN.com).

Sports have a large impact on not only the players, but also the fans. Having the Season Ticket Holders really enhance the emotions of the night, because in a way, it was their win, too.

Messier tells ESPN, “I didn’t realize Madison Square Garden holds 2 million people. Because I’ve talked to 2 million people over 25 years that were here that night. That’s been interesting.

“It never gets old … never get tired of speaking with people on the street or in the subway or trains or taxi drivers that recognize the guys or myself and thank us for the Cup”(ESPN.com).

Coach Mike Keenan reflected on how hard it is to win the Stanley Cup, “When Mark came across the ice to celebrate the Stanley Cup victory and handed it to me, and I looked it over, the first thing that came to my mind is I can’t believe how difficult this trophy is to win” (ESPN.com).

Keenan’s comment was extremely accurate seeing as this is the Ranger’s only Stanley Cup win over the last 79 years (ESPN.com).

There is a sincere hope for the 2018-19 team to also grab the title. Current Coach David Quinn set up a meeting between the current team and the Champions.

Quinns hope was to inspire the current team to work harder to gain another title for the big apple.

The New York Rangers are currently 7th in their division and 13th in their conference (NHL.com).

One thing fans love about the New York Rangers is their dedication to the sport, their fans, and even each other. At the ceremony, Messier went on to say, “We weren’t a group, we weren’t even a team. We were a family” (NHL.com).

You can purchase commemorative 1994 Championship t-shirts at the MSG team store located in Chase square, as well as in the Garden in sections 102, 114, and 219 (NHL.com).