Hockey Programs

  1965-66 Regular Season Rangers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs      The New York Rangers had some pretty lean seasons in the early to mid 1960s. From 1959 to 1966, the Rangers would make the playoffs just once. They would typically finish in fifth place, just ahead of the Boston Bruins, in the six-team NHL. New York was generally viewed as a smaller team that didn't have the depth that the top four teams did.      Emile Francis was in his second season as General Manager of the Rangers, while ex-Black Hawk forward Red Sullivan was back for his second season as Rangers head coach. The team played its home games at the third version of Madison Square Garden, which sat 15,925.       New York wound up in the basement in 1965-66, finishing with a 18-41-11 record. Their 47 points were one point behind fifth-place Boston and 43 behind league-best Montreal. After a 5-10-5 start, Francis replaced Sullivan behind the bench. Average attendance at MS...

1960-61 Regular Season: Rangers vs. Detroit Red Wings      The New York Rangers were entering some pretty lean seasons by 1960-61. In fact, in the last ten seasons of the Original Six era (1957-67), New York qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs just three times, all first-round exits. The typical Rangers season during this era saw the team finish in fifth place, about 12-15 points out of the final postseason berth.      1960-61 was no different for the "Broadway Blueshirts". While New York was able to climb out of the basement, their forgettable 22-38-10 record kept them out of the playoffs. The Rangers' 54 points were twelve behind fourth-place Detroit for the final playoff spot.      It wasn't that the Rangers didn't have talented players on their roster. Indeed, during the Original Six era, even bottom feeders like Boston and New York had a couple Hall-of-Famers on their lineups. Unfortunately, neither the Bruins or Rangers had the...

1936-37 Stanley Cup Playoffs Rangers vs. Montreal Maroons      This is the third-oldest program in my collection, and the oldest hockey program I own. It's two years older than the 1939 Philadelphia Ramblers program I bought a few years ago.       The New York Rangers were one of the stronger franchises in the Depression-era NHL. Since being founded in 1926, the Rangers made four trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, winning in 1927 and 1933. The team was led by Lester Patrick, who came to Madison Square Garden from the Western Hockey League's Victoria Cougars. Patrick took on the dual role of GM/Coach, and the Rangers made the playoffs ever year but one under his watch. Despite being the second team to arrive in New York, the Rangers quickly became the more popular of the two Big Apple NHL teams, leaving the Americans in the dust.      The Rangers had a so-so season in 1936-37, finishing in third place in the American Division with a 19-20...