World War II had a negative effect on the Rangers in a lot of ways; not the least of which was the loss of many 1940 Stanley Cup winners to the Canadian and American armed forces.
By the 1942-43 season the Blueshirts didn't have a single goalie in their system – Sugar Jim Henry was in the Canadian Army – and without a reserve puck stopper manager Lester Patrick had to "borrow" Jimmy Franks from the Detroit Red Wings.
Young Rangers forward Grant I(Knobby) Warwick was rejected by the Canadian Army because of faulty hearing, yet took time out during the campaign to contribute a pint of blood to the American Red Cross for fighting men abroad.
Knobby's father was fighting overseas with the Canadians while Hall of Fame defenseman Art Coulter, captain of New York's 1940 titlists, had joined the U.S. Coast Guard.
Ironically, Coulter appeared in several Eastern Amateur Hockey League games on Sunday afternoons at the old Garden in the 42-43 season.
Coulter was based at the Coast Guard's Curtis Bay Yard in Baltimore which iced the Cutters, a team in the EAHL. Future Ranger blueliner Bob Dill also was on the Cutters who regularly faced the New York Rovers on Sunday afternoons at MSG.
One of the most promising Blueshirt rookies that year was defenseman Dudley (Red) Garrett. He played 23 games for the New Yorkers – including a game-winner against Detroit – and then enlisted in the Canadian Navy.
Garrett served on the corvette Shawinigan in the North Atlantic until November 25, 1944 when the Shawinigan was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine. Red Garrett, the entire crew and all officers died.
The Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award is given annually to the best rookie in the American Hockey League.