The 1991–92 New York Rangers season was the franchise's 66th season. The season saw the Rangers finish in first place in the Patrick Division with a record of 50 wins, 25 losses, and 5 ties for 105 points. This was the highest points total in the league that season, netting the Rangers the Presidents' Trophy. This season marked the first time since the 1941–42 NHL season that the Rangers were the top team in the NHL. In the playoffs, they defeated their cross-river rivals, the New Jersey Devils, in seven games in the Division Semi-finals before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the Division Finals.
The 1991–92 season was Mark Messier's first in New York, having arrived from the Edmonton Oilers via trade on October 5, 1991. He scored 35 goals and 72 assists for 107 points, winning his second Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player. Rangers defenceman Brian Leetch had a spectacular season, leading all rearguards in the NHL in scoring (22 goals and 80 assists for 102 points) and receiving the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's top defenceman. The Rangers, along with the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, had five 30-goal scorers. New York was not shut out in any of their 80 regular-season games.
Pre-season
On September 27, 1991, the Rangers played the Los Angeles Kings in the first ever outdoor NHL game in Las Vegas, Nevada, at Caesars Palace. This was also the first NHL game in Las Vegas since 1968. The crowd on hand was 13,000 with the Kings beating the Rangers 5–2.
Regular season Towards the end of the regular season, the NHL went on a 10-day strike, causing the league to shut down from April 1–April 12. The games that were originally scheduled to be played during that 10-day period were made up once the strike was over.
The Rangers had an effective penalty-killing unit, as they tied the Montreal Canadiens and the Washington Capitals for the fewest power-play goals allowed during the regular season, with just 60. The Rangers also led the NHL in penalty-killing percentage (84.81%).
Season standings
Schedule and results
| 1 || 3 || @ Boston Bruins || 5 – 3 || 0–1–0
| 2 || 5 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 2 – 1 OT || 1–1–0
| 3 || 7 || Boston Bruins || 2 – 1 OT || 2–1–0
| 4 || 9 || New York Islanders || 5 – 3 || 3–1–0
| 5 || 11 || @ Washington Capitals || 5 – 1 || 3–2–0
| 6 || 12 || @ Hartford Whalers || 5 – 2 || 3–3–0
| 7 || 14 || Washington Capitals || 5 – 3 || 3–4–0
| 8 || 16 || New Jersey Devils || 4 – 2 || 4–4–0
| 9 || 19 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 5 – 4 || 5–4–0
| 10 || 20 || Edmonton Oilers || 4 – 3 || 5–5–0
| 11 || 23 || Los Angeles Kings || 7 – 2 || 6–5–0
| 12 || 26 || @ Quebec Nordiques || 5 – 3 || 7–5–0
| 13 || 29 || Minnesota North Stars || 3 – 2 || 8–5–0
| 14 || 31 || Quebec Nordiques || 5 – 4 || 9–5–0
| 15 || 2 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 4 – 2 || 10–5–0
| 16 || 4 || Calgary Flames || 4 – 0 || 11–5–0
| 17 || 6 || Montreal Canadiens || 4 – 1 || 11–6–0
| 18 || 8 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 3 – 3 OT || 11–6–1
| 19 || 11 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 3 – 1 || 12–6–1
| 20 || 13 || Washington Capitals || 5 – 3 || 12–7–1
| 21 || 16 || @ New York Islanders || 4 – 2 || 12–8–1
| 22 || 19 || @ Vancouver Canucks || 4 – 3 || 13–8–1
| 23 || 21 || @ Los Angeles Kings || 6 – 1 || 13–9–1
| 24 || 23 || @ St. Louis Blues || 3 – 0 || 14–9–1
| 25 || 27 || @ Winnipeg Jets || 3 – 2 || 14–10–1
| 26 || 29 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 5 – 4 OT || 15–10–1
| 27 || 2 || Philadelphia Flyers || 4 – 2 || 16–10–1
| 28 || 6 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 6 – 5 OT || 16–11–1
| 29 || 8 || Boston Bruins || 4 – 0 || 17–11–1
| 30 || 10 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 5 – 3 || 17–12–1
| 31 || 13 || @ Washington Capitals || 5 – 3 || 18–12–1
| 32 || 14 || @ Hartford Whalers || 6 – 2 || 19–12–1
| 33 || 16 || San Jose Sharks || 4 – 3 OT || 20–12–1
| 34 || 18 || Philadelphia Flyers || 6 – 3 || 21–12–1
| 35 || 21 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 7 – 5 || 22–12–1
| 36 || 23 || New Jersey Devils || 3 – 0 || 23–12–1
| 37 || 26 || @ Washington Capitals || 8 – 6 || 24–12–1
| 38 || 28 || @ New York Islanders || 5 – 4 || 24–13–1
| 39 || 29 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 6 – 3 || 24–14–1
| 40 || 31 || @ Winnipeg Jets || 5 – 2 || 25–14–1
| 41 || 2 || @ Chicago Blackhawks || 4 – 3 || 26–14–1
| 42 || 4 || @ New Jersey Devils || 6 – 4 || 26–15–1
| 43 || 6 || Winnipeg Jets || 4 – 2 || 27–15–1
| 44 || 8 || St. Louis Blues || 5 – 3 || 27–16–1
| 45 || 11 || @ Quebec Nordiques || 7 – 2 || 28–16–1
| 46 || 12 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 6 – 3 || 28–17–1
| 47 || 14 || Buffalo Sabres || 6 – 2 || 29–17–1
| 48 || 16 || Calgary Flames || 6 – 4 || 30–17–1
| 49 || 22 || @ Calgary Flames || 4 – 4 OT || 30–17–2
| 50 || 23 || @ Edmonton Oilers || 3 – 1 || 31–17–2
| 51 || 28 || @ San Jose Sharks || 4 – 2 || 32–17–2
| 52 || 30 || @ Los Angeles Kings || 4 – 1 || 33–17–2
| 53 || 1 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 2 – 1 || 34–17–2
| 54 || 5 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 4 – 3 || 35–17–2
| 55 || 7 || @ Washington Capitals || 6 – 2 || 35–18–2
| 56 || 9 || Detroit Red Wings || 5 – 5 OT || 35–18–3
| 57 || 12 || Vancouver Canucks || 5 – 2 || 36–18–3
| 58 || 14 || New York Islanders || 9 – 2 || 37–18–3
| 59 || 16 || @ New Jersey Devils || 4 – 2 || 37–19–3
| 60 || 17 || Vancouver Canucks || 3 – 3 OT || 37–19–4
| 61 || 20 || @ New York Islanders || 6 – 2 || 37–20–4
| 62 || 21 || Minnesota North Stars || 5 – 4 || 38–20–4
| 63 || 23 || Philadelphia Flyers || 2 – 1 OT || 39–20–4
| 64 || 25 || Chicago Blackhawks || 4 – 1 || 40–20–4
| 65 || 1 || Hartford Whalers || 9 – 4 || 41–20–4
| 66 || 2 || @ New Jersey Devils || 7 – 1 || 42–20–4
| 67 || 4 || New Jersey Devils || 5 – 4 || 42–21–4
| 68 || 7 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 5 – 4 || 42–22–4
| 69 || 9 || Washington Capitals || 5 – 2 || 42–23–4
| 70 || 11 || Chicago Blackhawks || 7 – 1 || 43–23–4
| 71 || 14 || @ St. Louis Blues || 6 – 0 || 44–23–4
| 72 || 16 || Montreal Canadiens || 4 – 1 || 45–23–4
| 73 || 18 || New York Islanders || 1 – 1 OT || 45–23–5
| 74 || 20 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 4 – 2 || 46–23–5
| 75 || 22 || New Jersey Devils || 6 – 3 || 47–23–5
| 76 || 24 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 4 – 3 || 48–23–5
| 77 || 25 || Philadelphia Flyers || 4 – 1 || 49–23–5
| 78 || 28 || @ New York Islanders || 4 – 1 || 49–24–5
| 79 || 15 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs || 4 – 2 || 49–25–5
| 80 || 16 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 7 – 1 || 50–25–5
Legend:
Playoffs
| 1 || April 19 || New Jersey Devils || 1 – 2 || New York Rangers || || 18,200 || New York Rangers lead series 1–0
| 2 || April 21 || New Jersey Devils || 7 – 3 || New York Rangers || || 18,200 || Series tied 1–1
| 3 || April 23 || New York Rangers || 1 – 3 || New Jersey Devils|| || 19,040 || New Jersey leads series 2–1
| 4 || April 25 || New York Rangers || 3 – 0 || New Jersey Devils || || 19,040 || Series tied 2–2
| 5 || April 27 || New Jersey Devils || 5 – 8 || New York Rangers || || 18,200 || New York Rangers lead series 3–2
| 6 || April 29 || New York Rangers || 3 – 5 || New Jersey Devils || || 19,040 || Series tied 3–3
| 7 || May 1 || New Jersey Devils || 4 – 8 || New York Rangers || || 18,200 || New York Rangers win series 4–3
| 1 || May 3 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 4 – 2 || New York Rangers || || 17,744 || Pittsburgh leads series 1–0
| 2 || May 5 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 2 – 4 || New York Rangers || || 18,200 || Series tied 1–1
| 3 || May 7 || New York Rangers || 6 – 5 || Pittsburgh Penguins || OT || 16,164 || New York Rangers lead series 2–1
| 4 || May 9 || New York Rangers || 4 – 5 || Pittsburgh Penguins || OT || 16,164 || Series tied 2–2
| 5 || May 11 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 3 – 2 || New York Rangers || || 18,200 || Pittsburgh leads series 3–2
| 6 || May 13 || New York Rangers || 1 – 5 || Pittsburgh Penguins || || 16,164 || Pittsburgh wins series 4–2
Legend:
Player statistics Skaters
Regular season Player 79 35 72 107 31 76 80 22 80 102 25 26 76 40 41 81 11 55 80 14 57 71 34 54 79 35 34 69 12 55 80 26 33 59 19 139 73 30 28 58 19 15 71 30 23 53 11 57 55 17 13 30 6 22 53 8 22 30 -3 23 74 13 15 28 14 102 79 10 9 19 13 224 50 1 18 19 7 40 32 7 11 18 -5 12 46 8 9 17 13 4 67 3 12 15 11 121 † 40 7 7 14 5 14 51 7 4 11 -4 121 † 56 1 10 11 19 122 ‡ 43 2 7 9 -15 78 52 1 8 9 33 65 42 2 4 6 -4 246 ‡ 11 1 4 5 -1 10 9 1 2 3 0 2 26 0 2 2 -10 31 3 0 1 1 0 2 3 0 1 1 1 0 ‡ 10 0 1 1 1 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 ‡ 1 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 0 0 -4 2 ‡ 4 0 0 0 -1 5 † 11 0 0 0 2 24
Playoffs Player 13 8 8 16 4 13 4 11 15 4 11 7 7 14 6 13 3 6 9 2 10 5 3 8 22 13 0 7 7 12 13 2 3 5 47 13 2 3 5 2 13 4 1 5 14 13 1 4 5 8 13 0 4 4 23 7 2 2 4 0 8 4 0 4 6 13 0 3 3 31 13 1 2 3 2 13 1 2 3 10 13 0 2 2 10 6 1 1 2 32 12 1 1 2 38 8 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0
Goaltenders Regular season Player 45 2526 27 13 3 120 2.85 1331 .910 2 41 2298 23 12 2 119 3.11 1205 .901 3
Playoffs Player 7 412 4 2 24 3.50 226 .894 1 7 368 2 5 23 3.75 179 .872 0
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Rangers. Stats reflect time with Rangers only. ‡Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Rangers only.
Awards and records Presidents' Trophy: New York Rangers Hart Memorial Trophy: Mark Messier James Norris Memorial Trophy: Brian Leetch Lester B. Pearson Award: Mark Messier Most assists, season – Brian Leetch (1991–92) – 80 Most points by defenseman, season – Brian Leetch (1991–92) – 102
Transactions
Trades October 4, 1991To Edmonton OilersBernie NichollsSteven RiceLouie DeBruskTo New York RangersMark Messier
Draft picks New York's picks at the 1991 NHL entry draft in Buffalo, New York at the Memorial Auditorium. Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League) 1 15 Alexei Kovalev RW Dynamo Moscow (Russia) 2 37 Darcy Werenka D Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) 5 96 Corey Machanic D University of Vermont (ECAC) 6 125 Fredrik Jax RW Leksands IF (Elitserien) 6 128 Barry Young D Sudbury Wolves (OHL) 7 147 John Rushin C Edina Kennedy High School (USHS-MN) 8 169 Corey Hirsch G Kamloops Blazers (WHL) 9 191 Vyacheslav Uvayev D Spartak Moscow (Russia) 10 213 Jamie Ram G Michigan Technological University (WCHA) 11 235 Vitali Chinakhov C Torpedo Yaroslavl (Russia) 12 257 Brian Wiseman C University of Michigan (CCHA)
Supplemental Draft New York's picks at the 1991 NHL supplemental draft. Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League) Steven King RW Brown University (ECAC)
References
External links Rangers on Hockey Database