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Rangers Daily: Another ‘Forever Team’ inspires New York; Markstrom trade rumors
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- Rangers Daily: Another ‘Forever Team’ inspires New York; Markstrom trade rumors
Thirty-two years ago Sunday — June 14, 1994 — the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup to become a "Forever Team" in this great big city of ours.
All these years later, their co-tenants at The World's Most Famous Arena once again join the Rangers as a legendary championship team. The New York Knicks rallied again — because that's just what they do — to win Game 5 of the NBA Finals on the road in San Antonio on Saturday night, and secure their first title since 1973 .
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Another Forever Team inspiring New York City.
Almost to the day (if not year) that the Rangers ended a 54-year championship drought, the Knicks wiped out 53 years of their own futility, winning the NBA championship on June 13, 2026. That's pretty sweet symmetry right there.
Jalen Brunson, meet Mark Messier. OG Anunoby, you have your Stephane Matteau moment. Mike Brown, don't cause us any Mike Keenan post-championship drama please!
And New York, continue to enjoy this incredible party, and rock that championship parade down the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan on Thursday, just as you did in 1994 for the Rangers.
Sure, there've been other championships celebrated in New York in between the Rangers in 1994 and the Knicks today. The Giants had a pair of upset wins in the Super Bowl over the heavily-favored New England Patriots. The Liberty secured the WNBA title in 2024. And the Yankees, well, they won the World Series five times between 1996 and 2009.
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But it feels different when one of the Garden brethren win a championship, Perhaps that's because these teams simply don't do it often. It's become almost a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence when the Rangers or Knicks win the title. Heck, the Rangers won one single Stanley Cup championship in the past 86 years.
So, cherish this moment as a New York sports fan. There's zero guarantee that this year's brilliance carries over into next season for the Knicks. Or that it inspires the Rangers enough to get their act together and make a Cup run again any time soon.
But as former Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi told Forever Blueshirts on the Rink Rap podcast this past week, "Look at those '94 guys, they're legends for life." That's because they accomplished what appeared to be impossible for so long. Just like these gritty blue-collar Knicks.
Forever Team.
New York Rangers news and analysis
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Speaking of Girardi, he dished a few stories on former Rangers coach John Tortorella and praised him for teaching Girardi "how to be a pro" in this article pulled written off his Rink Rap interview this past week.
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Here's a first-hand account from our Ryan McInerney on exactly what the Rangers missed out on by losing the Draft Loettry and not getting the chance to pick Gavin McKenna first overall in this year's NHL Draft.
The latest Rangers report cards include end-of-season analysis and grades for J.T. Miller , Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox .
NHL news and rumors
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New Jersey Hockey Now: James Nichols elaborates on reports that the Devils are "gauging interest" in veteran goalie Jacob Markstrom on the trade market.
Detroit Hockey Now: Bob Duff breaks down whether the Dallas Stars might provide a solid trade fit for the Red Wings , should they move captain Dylan Larkin this summer.
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NHL.com: The Vegas Golden Knights are without injured center William Karlsson when they try to keep their season alive Sunday, trailing the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final 3-2 against the Carolina Hurricanes .
Sportsnet: Luke Fox provides five reasons why the Hurricanes should wrap up the Stanley Cup title Sunday.
The Athletic ($$): Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman debate the top prospects in this year's NHL Draft, which takes place June 26-27.
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