1991–92 New York Rangers season
Encyclopedia
The 1991–92 New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

 season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

saw the Rangers finish in first place in the Patrick Division
Patrick Division
The Patrick Division of the National Hockey League was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division moved to the Prince of Wales Conference in 1981. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Lester Patrick...

 with a record of 50 wins, 25 losses, and 5 ties for 105 points. This was the highest points total in the league that season, netting the Rangers the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...

. This season marked the first time since the 1941-42 NHL season
1941-42 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...

 that the Rangers were the top team in the NHL. In the playoffs, they defeated their cross-river rivals
Devils–Rangers rivalry
The New Jersey Devils - New York Rangers Rivalry , exist between two National Hockey League teams in the New York metropolitan area...

, the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

, in seven games in the Division Semi-finals before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

 champion Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

 in six games in the Division Finals.

The 1991–92 season was Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...

's first in New York, having arrived from the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

 via trade on October 5, 1991. He scored 35 goals and 72 assists for 107 points, winning his second Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...

 as the league's Most Valuable Player. Rangers defenceman Brian Leetch
Brian Leetch
Brian Joseph Leetch is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 18 National Hockey League seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. He is generally considered one of the top defensemen in NHL history, being particularly noted for his...

 had a spectacular season, leading all rearguards in the NHL in scoring (22 goals and 80 assists for 102 points) and receiving the James Norris Memorial Trophy
James Norris Memorial Trophy
The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top "defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position". The James Norris Memorial Trophy has been awarded 55 times to 23 different players since its beginnings in...

 as the league's top defenceman. The Rangers, along with the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...

 and Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

, had five 30-goal scorers. New York was not shut out in any of their 80 regular-season games.

Regular season

Towards the end of the regular season, the NHL went on a 10-day strike, causing the league to shut down from April 1-April 12. The games that were originally scheduled to be played during that 10-day period were made up once the strike was over.

Schedule and Results

{| class="toccolours" width=90% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0060A9; color: #FFFFFF;" | 1991-92 Game Log
|- valign="top"
|
The 1991–92 New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

 season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

saw the Rangers finish in first place in the Patrick Division
Patrick Division
The Patrick Division of the National Hockey League was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division moved to the Prince of Wales Conference in 1981. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Lester Patrick...

 with a record of 50 wins, 25 losses, and 5 ties for 105 points. This was the highest points total in the league that season, netting the Rangers the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...

. This season marked the first time since the 1941-42 NHL season
1941-42 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...

 that the Rangers were the top team in the NHL. In the playoffs, they defeated their cross-river rivals
Devils–Rangers rivalry
The New Jersey Devils - New York Rangers Rivalry , exist between two National Hockey League teams in the New York metropolitan area...

, the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

, in seven games in the Division Semi-finals before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

 champion Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

 in six games in the Division Finals.

The 1991–92 season was Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...

's first in New York, having arrived from the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

 via trade on October 5, 1991. He scored 35 goals and 72 assists for 107 points, winning his second Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...

 as the league's Most Valuable Player. Rangers defenceman Brian Leetch
Brian Leetch
Brian Joseph Leetch is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 18 National Hockey League seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. He is generally considered one of the top defensemen in NHL history, being particularly noted for his...

 had a spectacular season, leading all rearguards in the NHL in scoring (22 goals and 80 assists for 102 points) and receiving the James Norris Memorial Trophy
James Norris Memorial Trophy
The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top "defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position". The James Norris Memorial Trophy has been awarded 55 times to 23 different players since its beginnings in...

 as the league's top defenceman. The Rangers, along with the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...

 and Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

, had five 30-goal scorers. New York was not shut out in any of their 80 regular-season games.

Regular season

Towards the end of the regular season, the NHL went on a 10-day strike, causing the league to shut down from April 1-April 12. The games that were originally scheduled to be played during that 10-day period were made up once the strike was over.

Schedule and Results

{| class="toccolours" width=90% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0060A9; color: #FFFFFF;" | 1991-92 Game Log
|- valign="top"
|
The 1991–92 New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

 season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

saw the Rangers finish in first place in the Patrick Division
Patrick Division
The Patrick Division of the National Hockey League was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division moved to the Prince of Wales Conference in 1981. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Lester Patrick...

 with a record of 50 wins, 25 losses, and 5 ties for 105 points. This was the highest points total in the league that season, netting the Rangers the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...

. This season marked the first time since the 1941-42 NHL season
1941-42 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...

 that the Rangers were the top team in the NHL. In the playoffs, they defeated their cross-river rivals
Devils–Rangers rivalry
The New Jersey Devils - New York Rangers Rivalry , exist between two National Hockey League teams in the New York metropolitan area...

, the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

, in seven games in the Division Semi-finals before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

 champion Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

 in six games in the Division Finals.

The 1991–92 season was Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...

's first in New York, having arrived from the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

 via trade on October 5, 1991. He scored 35 goals and 72 assists for 107 points, winning his second Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...

 as the league's Most Valuable Player. Rangers defenceman Brian Leetch
Brian Leetch
Brian Joseph Leetch is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 18 National Hockey League seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. He is generally considered one of the top defensemen in NHL history, being particularly noted for his...

 had a spectacular season, leading all rearguards in the NHL in scoring (22 goals and 80 assists for 102 points) and receiving the James Norris Memorial Trophy
James Norris Memorial Trophy
The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top "defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position". The James Norris Memorial Trophy has been awarded 55 times to 23 different players since its beginnings in...

 as the league's top defenceman. The Rangers, along with the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...

 and Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

, had five 30-goal scorers. New York was not shut out in any of their 80 regular-season games.

Regular season

Towards the end of the regular season, the NHL went on a 10-day strike, causing the league to shut down from April 1-April 12. The games that were originally scheduled to be played during that 10-day period were made up once the strike was over.

Schedule and Results

{| class="toccolours" width=90% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#0060A9; color: #FFFFFF;" | 1991-92 Game Log
|- valign="top"
|