New to the Rangers

First Time Poster

 

firstly hope all are doing well in this period of uncertainty!

 

Living in Britain hockey is not a major sport for us, however a few years ago went down to local team and got hooked on the sport, albeit much lower quality than NHL!

 

I love to watch NHL games when I can and have found myself siding with the Rangers whenever they are playing. Would love to start following a team and having no real connection to any area of the US, would love your opinion on whether the Rangers would be a good team to follow.

 

The questions I'd have for you hardcore fans are:

1. What are the current thoughts on the team for next season?

2. Who are the players to watch out for next season, star players and young guns?

3. I'd love to find out more about the history of the club, any resources etc you could recommend to improve my learning?

4. What is life like as a Rangers fan?

Hiya - Fellow Brit Hockey Nut here too..

 

I don?t post on here much as I don?t have the depth of knowledge of these guys but it?s a great place to learn some of the detail and deeper background to what goes on.

 

The Game Day Threads are fantastic!

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi Michael,

 

Thanks for the heads up! Once the season begins I'll be sure to check this out!

 

What made you pick the rangers to follow?

Hiya - Fellow Brit Hockey Nut here too..

 

I don?t post on here much as I don?t have the depth of knowledge of these guys but it?s a great place to learn some of the detail and deeper background to what goes on.

 

The Game Day Threads are fantastic!

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

 

Sent from my SM-G960F using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

Welcome!

 

1. I'd say there probably hasn't been a better time to begin your Rangers fandom than now. Understand that the team is young and there are sure to be growing pains, you're not rooting for a team that will win a championship immediately, but the future is looking brighter than it probably has in a long time. The Rangers are still on their way out of a rebuild they committed themselves to in 2017-18 after coming off the tailend of their competitive seasons. It's too early to say whether or not they'll be a playoff team, though they won't be very competitive, however they're bound to be one of the more fun and dynamic teams to watch in the NHL. So don't expect too many wins just yet but expect a lot of goals for.

 

2. The Rangers have been building a lot of young talent of late and are probably set to be one of the most fun teams to watch over the next years. Hopefully. They have dynamic forwards up front like Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin who are among the best producers in the league. Then you have young studs coming into their own like Adam Fox, Igor Shesterkin, and Kaapo Kakko. And of course we have the latest addition, Alexis Lafreniere, who was the top prospect in the recent NHL draft who should hopefully have an immediate impact. They have a really young group so you'll get to watch them grow and hopefully develop into a competitive team to be reckoned with.

 

3. There's a lot of history given that the Rangers go back to 1926. Unfortunately we're without many championships to show for it, just four, but hopefully that changes in due time. However, there's plenty of great history regarding the early teams as well as those in the 60s-70s, the 1994 championship team, and most recently the competitive runs from 2012-2015. There's plenty on YouTube and there's a whole section on Rangers tradition on their website linked here: https://www.nhl.com/rangers/team/tradition?icmp=int_web_nyr_tradtn_subnav

 

4. Truthfully, it has its ups and downs. You're not signing up for something that will guarantee gratification if you go in expecting the wrong thing. The Rangers aren't a hockey equivalent of the Yankees, though their payroll will beg to differ. They're not a team churning out championships. Pain and frustration are guaranteed. But hopefully you find a way to love the team in spite of that the way many of us have. Despite the occasional tribulations it's a great fanbase to be a part of and the teams generally find ways to make themselves beloved despite their faults. Any of us can tell you we've probably been disappointed a number of times, but we've had a lot of enjoyment along the way. I'll reiterate that now is probably a better time than ever to start watching. Temper your expectations from the start, but get ready for some great and hopefully championship winning hockey in the very near future.

I’d definitely watch this:

 

It’s comfortably the best documentary on the 94 championship, and should give you a good insight in the pain, suffering and psyche of the Ranger fan base.

This is another gem.

 

http://youtu.be/anIxQbYGoAk

This is another gem.

 

http://youtu.be/anIxQbYGoAk

 

Yep, I have it on VHS. Definitely, something my dad used to indoctrinate me as a kid.

Welcome!

 

I guess I had a similar and yet adoption of sport as you did when I would follow (non American) Football. I found myself watching more and more and got to the point I needed a club- Man U had Tim Howard and loaned him to Everton. Boom- I became an Everton supporter and have never let go. Much like your choice with the Rangers, we can't be accused of being front runners. Although in both cases, much to be excited about

 

1. What are the current thoughts on the team for next season?

Back in February of 2018 management sent a letter to the fan base detailing how a rebuild was coming. The letter said what we all knew- the aging, and formerly successful roster was in need of a complete overhaul. I think we all expected years of construction before this was a playoff team once again. Thanks to some very good luck in the draft, a few very good trades, and some free agency help the time line has sped up. This team still has holes and needs improvements in several spots, but the vibe is a positive one. The 2020-2021 version of the Rangers may well not make the playoffs, and that's perfectly fine. The roster is taking shape to be one that competes for championships for many years, due in large part to a management staff that is building the right way. Its a fun time to be a Ranger fan.

 

2. Who are the players to watch out for next season, star players and young guns?

DrewAPenalty had a great summation above.

 

3. I'd love to find out more about the history of the club, any resources etc you could recommend to improve my learning?

Long story short- the Rangers are an "Original Six" club- meaning the history and aura are as good as it gets.. Unfortunately the results aren't quite as impressive for such a storied franchise. 1994 being the last Cup winner.... 1940 before that. The Rangers are defined by being "this close" or the victim of a bad bounce here or a key injury there. There should be more championship hardware in the trophy case for sure. But I tell myself its going to make the next one that much sweeter. Definitely watch the video posted above by Gravesy- its as much a psychology documentary as it is a championship video.

 

4. What is life like as a Rangers fan?

Frustrating. Exciting. Excruciating. Exuberant. I've had a discussion with myself that asks "Why do I do this to myself"... I'll also have the same inner monologue that "This is fucking amazing!!!!" Often times these thoughts can happen in the same playoff series. Being a Rangers fan is a roller-coaster of emotions, but that will make the payoff that much better.

Thank you all for your kind and insightful responses above! I'll be sure to watch the above.

 

I love the idea of the rebuild and joining the journey nearer the beginning. I do not like to chase glory in sport and have always been a season ticket at Bristol City a second tier english football team. I'm aware of the joys and heartbreak of supporting a team and celebrating a team victory because its an achievement not an expectation (as it is watching the man City, Chelsea, Liverpool of the English football league).

 

Sounds like an exciting future for the team and i'll enjoy the journey! While I can't join the frustration of 26 years without a trophy, I'm excited to follow the rangers moving forward and shall have my fingers crossed for future success!

 

I am fortunate enough to work in NYC on occasions and will endeavour from now to try and get tickets where possible. Is this at all achievable or do I have little hope?

 

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Welcome!

 

 

4. What is life like as a Rangers fan?

Frustrating. Exciting. Excruciating. Exuberant. I've had a discussion with myself that asks "Why do I do this to myself"... I'll also have the same inner monologue that "This is fucking amazing!!!!" Often times these thoughts can happen in the same playoff series. Being a Rangers fan is a roller-coaster of emotions, but that will make the payoff that much better.

 

That is so dead on the money, Flynn!!! :rofl:

 

Welcome aboard, my man!!!

 

I'm just gonna add as a little scouting report on our website: Be prepared for some good entertainment...A lot of these guys can make you spit your coffee through your nose with some of their commentary!!! ;)

 

Have a blast with us, dude!!!

First Time Poster

 

firstly hope all are doing well in this period of uncertainty!

 

Living in Britain hockey is not a major sport for us, however a few years ago went down to local team and got hooked on the sport, albeit much lower quality than NHL!

 

I love to watch NHL games when I can and have found myself siding with the Rangers whenever they are playing. Would love to start following a team and having no real connection to any area of the US, would love your opinion on whether the Rangers would be a good team to follow.

 

The questions I'd have for you hardcore fans are:

1. What are the current thoughts on the team for next season?

2. Who are the players to watch out for next season, star players and young guns?

3. I'd love to find out more about the history of the club, any resources etc you could recommend to improve my learning?

4. What is life like as a Rangers fan?

 

Welcome to the Rangers fandom - and our forum!

 

1. What are the current thoughts on the team for next season?

 

Many of my fellow posters have covered that we're nearing what we think is the end of our rebuild period and transitioning to competitive play. It's going to be a "cardiac kids" kind of team next year. There will be moments where we're unbearably frustrating because we're just so young. There will be moments where we're absolutely terrifying to play against. It'll be a rollercoaster.

 

In the coming few days we're going into the free agency period; that will add some players and answer some questions around just how competitive we'll be next season, but most of us feel like the season after next is when we're going to start to see something special here.

 

2. Who are the players to watch out for next season, star players and young guns?

 

The Rangers will have more young guns than star players next year, barring a seismic shift. We've been in the middle of a now 30 month rebuild, and we're just scratching the surface of our depth of youth.

 

As your star players go, the Rangers are led by Artemi Panarin - who was third in MVP voting - and Mika Zibanejad, who led the league in goals per game last year. Both are in the midst of their primes (Zibanejad is 27, and Panarin will be 29 shortly), and they're both exceptionally skilled players. Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba round out the stars, with Kreider the frontrunner to wear the captain's C.

 

As the young guns go - all eyes will be on our first #1 overall pick in over 50 years, Alexis Lafreniere. He's an extremely skilled wing who has been hyped as a truly special player for over three years, and he's expected to step right into a key role on the team. He, and goaltender Igor Shesterkin, are likely the league frontrunners for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the top rookie player.

 

Adam Fox was fourth in rookie of the year voting last year, and will also be worth keeping eyes on. He's emblematic of a shift taking place in defensive philosophy as the game becomes more aware of the importance of puck possession and the defense position evolves.

 

Last years 2nd overall pick, Kaapo Kakko, is expected to take the next step as well, and will likely line up opposite Lafreniere, potentially centered by the somehow still barely 21 Filip Chytil. We're also expecting defensive prospects K'Andre Miller, Libor Hajek, and possibly Nils Lundkvist to play roles on this team, and there are possibly even more spots lower in the lineup for more defensively minded young players like Morgan Barron.

 

3. I'd love to find out more about the history of the club, any resources etc you could recommend to improve my learning?

 

The documentary others have linked is fantastic. I'd start there.

 

There are also some important bits of Rangers lore worth knowing - Wikipedia's actually got a solid overview. The big ones to know are:

 

The Curse of 1940 - in which the Rangers' consistently awful luck is traced by legend to their burning of the MSG lease in the Stanley Cup upon winning in 1940 and/or to Red Dutton, owner of the Brooklyn Americans, swearing on that teams' failure that so long as he would live the Rangers would not win another cup. He died in 1987.

 

Eddie Giacomin, the GAG line and the early 1970s Rangers - one of the most competitive stretches of Rangers hockey largely led by Eddie Giacomin, Brad Park, Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert, and Vic Hadfield. They ran into Bobby Orr and his Bruins in their 1972 finals appearance. Giacomin was particularly special - when he was traded to the Red Wings and subsequently played the very next night against the Rangers, the entire arena was actively cheering for him and the Red Wings.

 

The early 80s Rangers and the Islanders rivalry - Giacomin passed the metaphorical torch to John Davidson, and the Rangers retooled in the mid-70s around Phil Esposito, Carol Vadnais, and some rather strong youth (Dave and Don Maloney, Ron Greschner, Ron Duguay, and Nick Fotiu). They also brought over talent from Sweden in the form of Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson. While that group found their way to the Cup Finals against the Montreal "had future Hall of Famers on their third line" Canadiens, their rivals quickly became the New York Islanders. In fact, many fans think that had Denis Potvin not injured the aforementioned Nilsson with a dirty hit in 1979, that may have been the end of the Curse. This is the origin of the "Potvin Sucks" chant that will almost assuredly one day ring through the Garden again shortly.

 

Sam and JD - Sam Rosen and the aforementioned John Davidson took on NY Rangers broadcast duties in the late 80s. They remained a pair through the 2006 season, after which John Davidson took on NHL executive duties. Sam Rosen calls our games to this day - and JD is now our team President.

 

The Guarantee - Down 3-2 to the New Jersey Devils - the new rivals as the Islanders faded into relative obscurity and hilarious mismanagement - Captain Mark Messier guarantees the win in game 6, and delivers with a third period hat trick. In the pivotal Game 7, Devils wing Valeri Zelepukin ties the game with 7.7 seconds remaining in the third period to send the game to overtime. Stephane Matteau ended the game in the second overtime on a wraparound,

and probably one of the top calls in the history of sports broadcasting.

 

And This One Will Last a Lifetime -

, and probably the moment that truly cemented all of us here as Rangers fans.

 

The Dark Ages - From 1998-2004, the Rangers kept bringing in well-beyond-their-prime talent, trading for top players with injury problems, or just generally making poor management decisions. This hit a fever pitch in 2004, when Glen Sather unceremoniously blew the team up, including sending beloved defenseman Brian Leetch to Toronto.

 

There's quite a bit more of the post-lockout stuff - Henrik Lundqvist, John Tortorella, the rise back to relevance and the early 2010s teams that routinely competed for the Cup, and hopefully someday, the Letter, the ping-pong ball and the Cups that followed.

 

4. What is life like as a Rangers fan?

 

It's frustrating and amazing at the same time. The Rangers have a large, devoted, occasionally impulsive fanbase and an aura of history around them, but not too much codified success to show for it.

Thank you all for your kind and insightful responses above! I'll be sure to watch the above.

 

I love the idea of the rebuild and joining the journey nearer the beginning. I do not like to chase glory in sport and have always been a season ticket at Bristol City a second tier english football team. I'm aware of the joys and heartbreak of supporting a team and celebrating a team victory because its an achievement not an expectation (as it is watching the man City, Chelsea, Liverpool of the English football league).

 

Sounds like an exciting future for the team and i'll enjoy the journey! While I can't join the frustration of 26 years without a trophy, I'm excited to follow the rangers moving forward and shall have my fingers crossed for future success!

 

I am fortunate enough to work in NYC on occasions and will endeavour from now to try and get tickets where possible. Is this at all achievable or do I have little hope?

 

Sent from my SM-G960F using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

 

We're probably reasonably analogous to Arsenal at this point. We have this one year that we keep talking about, we're a big name club with big expectations that never quite get there, but we finally figured out how to build out the right way, brought in a young, talented coach to lead the group, and will be competitive for a while.

 

As for tickets while in town - yeah, totally doable. Games, especially in the fall and winter on weeknights, are not ridiculously expensive on the resale market. More than once, I've just bought on my phone, headed to the StubHub window a few blocks away, and walked right in.

Amazing response, so much information! I'll be certain to check all this out! I'll set about on the wiki page now

 

Looking forward to the journey! Also amazed at how friendly and informative the responses are on here.

 

Glad to see so much excitement and positivity around the club. A real culture shock to what I'm used to reading the doom and gloom of british football forums!

Welcome to the Rangers fandom - and our forum!

 

1. What are the current thoughts on the team for next season?

 

Many of my fellow posters have covered that we're nearing what we think is the end of our rebuild period and transitioning to competitive play. It's going to be a "cardiac kids" kind of team next year. There will be moments where we're unbearably frustrating because we're just so young. There will be moments where we're absolutely terrifying to play against. It'll be a rollercoaster.

 

In the coming few days we're going into the free agency period; that will add some players and answer some questions around just how competitive we'll be next season, but most of us feel like the season after next is when we're going to start to see something special here.

 

2. Who are the players to watch out for next season, star players and young guns?

 

The Rangers will have more young guns than star players next year, barring a seismic shift. We've been in the middle of a now 30 month rebuild, and we're just scratching the surface of our depth of youth.

 

As your star players go, the Rangers are led by Artemi Panarin - who was third in MVP voting - and Mika Zibanejad, who led the league in goals per game last year. Both are in the midst of their primes (Zibanejad is 27, and Panarin will be 29 shortly), and they're both exceptionally skilled players. Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba round out the stars, with Kreider the frontrunner to wear the captain's C.

 

As the young guns go - all eyes will be on our first #1 overall pick in over 50 years, Alexis Lafreniere. He's an extremely skilled wing who has been hyped as a truly special player for over three years, and he's expected to step right into a key role on the team. He, and goaltender Igor Shesterkin, are likely the league frontrunners for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the top rookie player.

 

Adam Fox was fourth in rookie of the year voting last year, and will also be worth keeping eyes on. He's emblematic of a shift taking place in defensive philosophy as the game becomes more aware of the importance of puck possession and the defense position evolves.

 

Last years 2nd overall pick, Kaapo Kakko, is expected to take the next step as well, and will likely line up opposite Lafreniere, potentially centered by the somehow still barely 21 Filip Chytil. We're also expecting defensive prospects K'Andre Miller, Libor Hajek, and possibly Nils Lundkvist to play roles on this team, and there are possibly even more spots lower in the lineup for more defensively minded young players like Morgan Barron.

 

3. I'd love to find out more about the history of the club, any resources etc you could recommend to improve my learning?

 

The documentary others have linked is fantastic. I'd start there.

 

There are also some important bits of Rangers lore worth knowing - Wikipedia's actually got a solid overview. The big ones to know are:

 

The Curse of 1940 - in which the Rangers' consistently awful luck is traced by legend to their burning of the MSG lease in the Stanley Cup upon winning in 1940 and/or to Red Dutton, owner of the Brooklyn Americans, swearing on that teams' failure that so long as he would live the Rangers would not win another cup. He died in 1987.

 

Eddie Giacomin, the GAG line and the early 1970s Rangers - one of the most competitive stretches of Rangers hockey largely led by Eddie Giacomin, Brad Park, Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert, and Vic Hadfield. They ran into Bobby Orr and his Bruins in their 1972 finals appearance. Giacomin was particularly special - when he was traded to the Red Wings and subsequently played the very next night against the Rangers, the entire arena was actively cheering for him and the Red Wings.

 

The early 80s Rangers and the Islanders rivalry - Giacomin passed the metaphorical torch to John Davidson, and the Rangers retooled in the mid-70s around Phil Esposito, Carol Vadnais, and some rather strong youth (Dave and Don Maloney, Ron Greschner, Ron Duguay, and Nick Fotiu). They also brought over talent from Sweden in the form of Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson. While that group found their way to the Cup Finals against the Montreal "had future Hall of Famers on their third line" Canadiens, their rivals quickly became the New York Islanders. In fact, many fans think that had Denis Potvin not injured the aforementioned Nilsson with a dirty hit in 1979, that may have been the end of the Curse. This is the origin of the "Potvin Sucks" chant that will almost assuredly one day ring through the Garden again shortly.

 

Sam and JD - Sam Rosen and the aforementioned John Davidson took on NY Rangers broadcast duties in the late 80s. They remained a pair through the 2006 season, after which John Davidson took on NHL executive duties. Sam Rosen calls our games to this day - and JD is now our team President.

 

The Guarantee - Down 3-2 to the New Jersey Devils - the new rivals as the Islanders faded into relative obscurity and hilarious mismanagement - Captain Mark Messier guarantees the win in game 6, and delivers with a third period hat trick. In the pivotal Game 7, Devils wing Valeri Zelepukin ties the game with 7.7 seconds remaining in the third period to send the game to overtime. Stephane Matteau ended the game in the second overtime on a wraparound,

and probably one of the top calls in the history of sports broadcasting.

 

And This One Will Last a Lifetime -

, and probably the moment that truly cemented all of us here as Rangers fans.

 

The Dark Ages - From 1998-2004, the Rangers kept bringing in well-beyond-their-prime talent, trading for top players with injury problems, or just generally making poor management decisions. This hit a fever pitch in 2004, when Glen Sather unceremoniously blew the team up, including sending beloved defenseman Brian Leetch to Toronto.

 

There's quite a bit more of the post-lockout stuff - Henrik Lundqvist, John Tortorella, the rise back to relevance and the early 2010s teams that routinely competed for the Cup, and hopefully someday, the Letter, the ping-pong ball and the Cups that followed.

 

4. What is life like as a Rangers fan?

 

It's frustrating and amazing at the same time. The Rangers have a large, devoted, occasionally impulsive fanbase and an aura of history around them, but not too much codified success to show for it.

 

Sent from my SM-G960F using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

Thats great to know! I'll certainly keep an eye out next time I am over.

 

I'm also curious, what is the first game you guys look for when the schedule is released? Which clubs do you dislike or have a largest rivalry with? Is it more based on location or long standing rivalry with the other early teams?

We're probably reasonably analogous to Arsenal at this point. We have this one year that we keep talking about, we're a big name club with big expectations that never quite get there, but we finally figured out how to build out the right way, brought in a young, talented coach to lead the group, and will be competitive for a while.

 

As for tickets while in town - yeah, totally doable. Games, especially in the fall and winter on weeknights, are not ridiculously expensive on the resale market. More than once, I've just bought on my phone, headed to the StubHub window a few blocks away, and walked right in.

 

Sent from my SM-G960F using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

I really can't add anything that hasn't been said already, great informative posts. I can say that this indeed a perfect time to start following the Rangers as they are building a new core and it's a group you can kind of grow up with. They are already one of the youngest teams in the league, and will only continue in that trend. When they are winning, there's no greater feeling in the world. Unfortunately you missed their peak run from 2011-2015, but greater days are ahead. The rebuild has no doubt been sped up significantly with Lafreniere, already addding to Kaako's addition from last year's draft.

 

Other than that, I've always liked their Original Six status, they play in NYC at MSG, their fantastic jerseys, and there's just this charm to them that I can't really explain. Even if they might not have the best luck in the world, they almost always have good intentions. If you are a reader, there are tons of really good Rangers books available on Amazon regarding their history and anything else you may want to know.

First Time Poster

 

firstly hope all are doing well in this period of uncertainty!

 

Living in Britain hockey is not a major sport for us, however a few years ago went down to local team and got hooked on the sport, albeit much lower quality than NHL!

 

I love to watch NHL games when I can and have found myself siding with the Rangers whenever they are playing. Would love to start following a team and having no real connection to any area of the US, would love your opinion on whether the Rangers would be a good team to follow.

 

The questions I'd have for you hardcore fans are:

1. What are the current thoughts on the team for next season?

2. Who are the players to watch out for next season, star players and young guns?

3. I'd love to find out more about the history of the club, any resources etc you could recommend to improve my learning?

4. What is life like as a Rangers fan?

 

Hell yeah! Let's goooo!

 

1) The team is very exciting. They went through a period of 12+ years of good, competitive hockey and made the playoffs every year in that time except for once. They went to the final four three times, and the finals once - where they unfortunately lost to Los Angeles. After that finals appearance they won the league the next year but lost in game 7 in the Conference Finals. After that loss, things went south. The team got older. They limped into the playoffs a few years in a row and went out early.

 

The current General Manager sent a letter to the fans that said they'd be getting rid of all the players we'd come to love over the last 12 years in order to get younger. And they did just that. Just last week, the franchise's best goalie to ever play was bought out of his contract and he is no longer with the team.

 

But after they traded everyone away, they got the 2nd overall pick in the entry draft followed by the 1st overall pick two days ago. Last year they were the youngest team in the league but still managed to make the playoffs. This year they'll try to improve on that. So in short: the team is very very promising. They're gearing up to be good for a long long time. So get on the bandwagon now because it's about to get good.

 

2) Star players: Panarin, Zibanejad

Young guns: Lafrenier, Kakko, Fox, Shesterkin

 

3) Wikipedia lol. Rangers are one of the oldest teams in the league (which isn't that old compared to EPL teams) so there's a ton of books written about them.

 

4) Life is better now that the team is on the rise. It's an exciting time to be a fan. Our rival teams (Islanders, Flyers, Penguins) are very good and our closest proximity rival (Devils) are very bad. The future is bright.

Glad to see so much excitement and positivity around the club. A real culture shock to what I'm used to reading the doom and gloom of british football forums!

 

Oh, no, we have that too. You've just caught us at a particularly good time given recent circumstances. But it's part of the process. The frustration makes the more successful moments that much better.

 

Thats great to know! I'll certainly keep an eye out next time I am over.

 

I'm also curious, what is the first game you guys look for when the schedule is released? Which clubs do you dislike or have a largest rivalry with? Is it more based on location or long standing rivalry with the other early teams?

 

Location and long-standing rivalry certainly go hand in hand at this point. There's enough history and bad blood with some geographically close teams like the New Jersey Devils, the New York Islanders, and the Philadelphia Flyers. Then there are reasons to dislike other teams like Pittsburgh, Montreal, and Washington be it for dislikable players (Pittsburgh), dislikable fans (Montreal) or just being forced to endure what seemed like an eternity of playoff series against the same team (Washington).

Thats great to know! I'll certainly keep an eye out next time I am over.

 

I'm also curious, what is the first game you guys look for when the schedule is released? Which clubs do you dislike or have a largest rivalry with? Is it more based on location or long standing rivalry with the other early teams?

 

Sent from my SM-G960F using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

 

I think you might get of a somewhat similar response from the group on this one- the rankings may differ a touch- but learn to despise these clubs.

 

1. NY Islanders- They suck. I have it on solid background that the Islanders invented COVID. They are close, they are annoying, and they had an epic run of 4 straight Cups in the 80's that is still brought up far too often.

2. Philadelphia Flyers - They also suck. I'm certain they kick puppies and push the elderly down in crosswalks.

3. NJ Devils - They suck as well- They have won too much since 1994, and they suck- not sure if I made that clear. Proximity breeds irritation here as well. Screw NJ.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins - They most definitely suck. The entire team has a very punchable face. They have also won too much. I still also get sick to my stomach when I think about the 1992 playoffs.

5. Boston Bruins - Just hate Boston in everything. It feels better that way. Boston Sucks.

6. Tie- The rest of the Metropolitan Division- I don't necessarily hate Columbus or Carolina (although I'm developing a strong dislike there), but as division mates, we are required to maintain a healthy level of disdain.

As for tickets while in town - yeah, totally doable. Games, especially in the fall and winter on weeknights, are not ridiculously expensive on the resale market. More than once, I've just bought on my phone, headed to the StubHub window a few blocks away, and walked right in.

 

In addition, I'd mention that sometimes it's actually beneficial to look the day before or day of when resellers start to get a little bit antsier. Prices will tend to drop and there's normally a sweet spot around 11-3 PM where tickets will be at their lowest available price. They'll tend to spike back up afterward with sellers either pulling their tickets off or due to a then diminished quantity. Big games also factor into pricing. A game against the New Jersey Devils is always bound to be more expensive if you want to watch at MSG. A trip across the water to the Prudential Center, while not nearly as nice and a slightly different experience as the away team, is a little bit cheaper. Then something like a major debut of a player could also have an impact on prices.

First Time Poster

 

firstly hope all are doing well in this period of uncertainty!

 

Living in Britain hockey is not a major sport for us, however a few years ago went down to local team and got hooked on the sport, albeit much lower quality than NHL!

 

I love to watch NHL games when I can and have found myself siding with the Rangers whenever they are playing. Would love to start following a team and having no real connection to any area of the US, would love your opinion on whether the Rangers would be a good team to follow.

 

The questions I'd have for you hardcore fans are:

1. What are the current thoughts on the team for next season?

2. Who are the players to watch out for next season, star players and young guns?

3. I'd love to find out more about the history of the club, any resources etc you could recommend to improve my learning?

4. What is life like as a Rangers fan?

 

I was just like you in 2011.

 

9 years later its been a lot of heartbreaks, but a lot of fun along the way.

 

Everyone else has covered the most in what to expect as a Rangers fan and I think you found the perfect year to start.

 

As for players to watch there?s a lot. Zibanejad, Kakko, Fox, Lafreniere, Shesterkin, but Panarin is just something else. Look out for #10 (and his cellys)!

 

 

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I think you might get of a somewhat similar response from the group on this one- the rankings may differ a touch- but learn to despise these clubs.

 

1. NY Islanders- They suck. I have it on solid background that the Islanders invented COVID. They are close, they are annoying, and they had an epic run of 4 straight Cups in the 80's that is still brought up far too often.

2. Philadelphia Flyers - They also suck. I'm certain they kick puppies and push the elderly down in crosswalks.

3. NJ Devils - They suck as well- They have won too much since 1994, and they suck- not sure if I made that clear. Proximity breeds irritation here as well. Screw NJ.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins - They most definitely suck. The entire team has a very punchable face. They have also won too much. I still also get sick to my stomach when I think about the 1992 playoffs.

5. Boston Bruins - Just hate Boston in everything. It feels better that way. Boston Sucks.

6. Tie- The rest of the Metropolitan Division- I don't necessarily hate Columbus or Carolina (although I'm developing a strong dislike there), but as division mates, we are required to maintain a healthy level of disdain.

 

This is absolutely epic!!

 

The only one you left off was Alec Martinez! :rofl:

I think you might get of a somewhat similar response from the group on this one- the rankings may differ a touch- but learn to despise these clubs.

 

1. NY Islanders- They suck. I have it on solid background that the Islanders invented COVID. They are close, they are annoying, and they had an epic run of 4 straight Cups in the 80's that is still brought up far too often.

2. Philadelphia Flyers - They also suck. I'm certain they kick puppies and push the elderly down in crosswalks.

3. NJ Devils - They suck as well- They have won too much since 1994, and they suck- not sure if I made that clear. Proximity breeds irritation here as well. Screw NJ.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins - They most definitely suck. The entire team has a very punchable face. They have also won too much. I still also get sick to my stomach when I think about the 1992 playoffs.

5. Boston Bruins - Just hate Boston in everything. It feels better that way. Boston Sucks.

6. Tie- The rest of the Metropolitan Division- I don't necessarily hate Columbus or Carolina (although I'm developing a strong dislike there), but as division mates, we are required to maintain a healthy level of disdain.

 

This is about right. I think we're also going to circle the first home game (pending that devious Islander Flu) against the Capitals (assuming Henrik signs there tomorrow), the first game against Detroit (for Staal), and perhaps a fabricated Lafreniere v Stutzle/Byfield thing.

Welcome ! As someone on this side of the pond, I can relate. I ended up a Man United fan starting in the 80s. Went to my first game at Old Trafford Liverpool vs United. Back then, Liverpool as I’m sure you know where THE club so a 10 year old me went for United and fell in love ever since.

 

Others have already mentioned plenty of good info so I’ll just talk about the tickets. If fans are allowed you definitely will be able to score tickets. Best way is if you are in Manhattan same say they are playing, usually you can get pretty good seats about an hour before puck drop by growing various apps like vivid seats, stub hub, etc.

 

Glad to have you here. Great place to talk hockey!

Welcome aboard Brit Ranger rule # 1 is don't be shy. we all bleed Ranger blue. We may not all agree on how we get there but all we care about is winning hockey and moving this team forward. There's a lot of banter back and forth between the guys that have been around here for years but unless you come on here with the purpose of trolling everyone you'll be just fine and treated extremely well so don't be shy and jump right in. You too Michael the reality is there's no experts here only a few hundred arm chair GMs who just love the game. It's just a great place.

Hi Michael,

 

Thanks for the heads up! Once the season begins I'll be sure to check this out!

 

What made you pick the rangers to follow?

 

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What made me follow the Rangers?

 

It?s not a what, it?s a who - I am firmly of the opinion that the Great and Sainted Brian Leetch is the finest player to ever lace up a pair.

 

So it went from there really, a passing interest has slowly ramped up into a near obsession.

 

Bizarrely I have never seen the Rangers play - although I?ve been to Tampa and Miami to see the Bolts play the Islanders (a very satisfying 5-1 spanking of that lot) and the Captials (early experiences of a shoot out) - then the Panthers play the Penguins. Unfortunately Crosby was outstanding but we had a great time baiting the Pens fans and I got to see Jagr play and score - he was the only reason we trailed down to Miami.

 

We did get the playoff series v The Canes on Freesports over here - which does show a good chunk of NHL action - but that wasn?t exactly great fun to watch :(

 

 

 

 

 

 

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