Four men of the New York Ranger's historically legendary goaltending department have taken home hockey's holy grail. Meet the netminders that lifted the silver chalice over their heads in the Rangers sweater.
The New York Rangers championship of 1928, 1933, 1940, and 1994 featured six different men winning a championship for the city. These men, were Lorne Chabot, Lester Patrick, Joe Miller, Andy Aitkenhead, Dave Kerr, and Mike Richter.
The history of the Rangers is often unspoken of, but as Robert Heinlein stated, “A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.”
Lorne Chabot/Lester Patrick/Joe Miller
Chabot is largely credited with winning the Ranger's first Stanley Cup, but it actually took three goalkeepers and the Montreal Forum to capture the club's first championship. Chabot’s play took the Rangers to their first appearance in the finals in just the club's second year of existence.
Lo and behold, the circus scheduled a performance at Madison Square Garden during the 1928 Stanley Cup Final, forcing the Rangers to play the series of home games in Montreal. When Chabot was struck with a puck, coach Lester Patrick hopped into the net and famously stole a game in the series. Willis Reed levels of legendary. The baseball Pittsburgh Pirates manager took over as bench boss as Patrick hopped into the cage.
The Rangers borrowed New York Americans netminder Joe “Red Light” Miller for the next three games, winning two games to secure the series win. They were the first non-Canadian team to earn Lord Stanleys Cup.
Here is a video created by the NHL in 2017 about Lester Patrick:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxpFCCJRXnA[/embed]
Andy Aitkenhead:
John Ross-Roach lead the Rangers to two separate championship runs, but could Andy Aitkenhead had taken over the crease in 1932-1933.
Leading the team to victory, an overtime shutout is the performance the Scottish native provided his New York Rangers club with to secure a second championship in 1933. He did so staring down the ice at the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender, Lorne Chabot.
Below are Foster Hewitt's interviews of the 1932-1933 New York Rangers.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0YJWztdbq0[/embed]
Dave Kerr:
Kerr won the Vezina Trophy in 1940, lead the league in goals allowed, and had a 19-game unbeaten streak. He would lead the Rangers to the club's third Stanley Cup-winning campaign, the last for the next half-century. He only missed a single match as a New York Ranger from 1934 to 1941. He was the second hockey player to be on the cover of Time magazine, his image was used in the March 14th, 1938 issue.
Here is footage of the Ranger's 1940 championship:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J27fTUNteDA[/embed]
Mike Richter:
The only Rangers retired goaltender to win a championship with the team is Mike Richter, who won the Stanley Cup in 1994 to break the organization's 54-year championship drought. Richter posted four shutouts, and his athleticism and acrobatic style led to a .921 save percentage and 574. The most notable save in the glorious victory was a penalty shot save on Russian sniper Pavel Bure in the fourth game of the Stanley Cup Final.
Here is a video created by the New York Rangers highlighting Richters save:
The New York Rangers have had prestigious goaltending throughout its history. Will Igor Shesterkin deliver a Stanley Cup and add his name to this roster?