The Team That Almost Wasn't: The New York Rangers Thrive in the "New" NHL
Brian O'Connor
Issue date: 2/8/06 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 2 next >
After the unfortunate reality of a missed season in 2004, the Rangers set out to make a strong showing after rule changes, salary caps, and stricter penalty enforcement changed the National Hockey League. When the 2005-06 season began, the Rangers made good on their League's promise of a more interesting game, as the team exceeded all expectations of finishing dead-last in the Eastern Conference. The team is reaping the rewards of promising rookies and veterans alike, and as they are but two points behind the first place Philadelphia Flyers, the team looks prepared to enter the Stanley Cup playoffs.
With revised rules and talented rookies, the Rangers metamorphosed from a team of aged hockey legends playing out the less-sparkling years of their lives on losing team. The members of the 1994 championship team either retired from the game, or were traded to other teams. Brian Leetch, Alexei Kovalev, and Eric Lindros, all prominent members of the organization, were either traded or were not re-signed. Bowing to pressure from fans, the New York sports media, and trustees, Glen Sather decided to restructure the team, and by 2005, a new team comprised of rookies and prospects emerged.
Diverting from former habits of acquiring high-priced and underproductive all-stars, the front office focused on undiscovered talents; this new tactic garnered them some of the most talked about rookies in the League. Rookie goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has not only surpassed the lackluster Kevin Weekes in the depth chart, but has also gained recognition as the best rookie goaltender in the League, posting an impressive save percentage of .926, and two shutouts this year. Petr Prucha is one of the team's most impressive forwards, boasting 25 goals on the season. Prucha's performance is leading many to compare him to hockey legend Jaromir Jagr, who currently succeeds Prucha by 8 goals for the season.
The results of the re-energized, reformed Rangers come as a surprise to both the Ranger faithful and the NHL. Many analysts placed the team at the bottom of not only the Atlantic Division, but also the Eastern Conference at large. With memories of curses, playoff droughts, and disappointments beginning 66 years ago, the team looked as if its combination of aging hockey veterans with inexperienced rookies would fail to place in the playoffs for another year, marking the seventh year the team would fail to make it into the off-season.
With revised rules and talented rookies, the Rangers metamorphosed from a team of aged hockey legends playing out the less-sparkling years of their lives on losing team. The members of the 1994 championship team either retired from the game, or were traded to other teams. Brian Leetch, Alexei Kovalev, and Eric Lindros, all prominent members of the organization, were either traded or were not re-signed. Bowing to pressure from fans, the New York sports media, and trustees, Glen Sather decided to restructure the team, and by 2005, a new team comprised of rookies and prospects emerged.
Diverting from former habits of acquiring high-priced and underproductive all-stars, the front office focused on undiscovered talents; this new tactic garnered them some of the most talked about rookies in the League. Rookie goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has not only surpassed the lackluster Kevin Weekes in the depth chart, but has also gained recognition as the best rookie goaltender in the League, posting an impressive save percentage of .926, and two shutouts this year. Petr Prucha is one of the team's most impressive forwards, boasting 25 goals on the season. Prucha's performance is leading many to compare him to hockey legend Jaromir Jagr, who currently succeeds Prucha by 8 goals for the season.
The results of the re-energized, reformed Rangers come as a surprise to both the Ranger faithful and the NHL. Many analysts placed the team at the bottom of not only the Atlantic Division, but also the Eastern Conference at large. With memories of curses, playoff droughts, and disappointments beginning 66 years ago, the team looked as if its combination of aging hockey veterans with inexperienced rookies would fail to place in the playoffs for another year, marking the seventh year the team would fail to make it into the off-season.