Chris Kreider is far from the first popular longtime player traded away by the New York Rangers. Nor was Kreider’s trade last week to the Anaheim Ducks a surprise, considering heavy speculation the past seven months since his name surfaced in general manager Chris Drury’s trade memo in November.
But Kreider’s departure still stings for the Rangers Faithful, considering all he’d done for the organization, on and off the ice, the past 13 seasons.
However, Kreider is not a future Hockey Hall of Famer, and the Rangers traded away quite a few longtime Blueshirts who went on to be elected into the Hall.
Let’s check out the biggest names traded away by the Rangers in their history.
Rangers icons that were traded
Brian Leetch
If there was ever a Rangers player appeared destined to finish his career on Broadway, it was Brian Leetch, their 1986 first-round draft pick and 1994 Stanley Cup champion. A Calder Trophy winner, two-time Norris Trophy recipient, and the Conn Smythe winner as MVP of the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Leetch was the definition of a franchise player. He spent 17 seasons with the Rangers, served as captain, and is second all-time with 981 points and 1,129 games played in franchise history. In March 2004, just days before his 36th birthday, Leetch was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a shocking pre-deadline move. Rangers fans were devastated, most believed Leetch earned the right to retire in New York. Leetch also played with the Boston Bruins and is one of eight defensemen to surpass 1,000 points in his NHL career.
Ed Giacomin
Few departures in Rangers history stung as deeply as Ed Giacomin’s, because he wasn’t even traded. He, and the fans, were furious that the Rangers placed him on waivers in October of 1975, where he was claimed by the Detroit Red Wings. It was a humiliating way to treat Giacomin, who won 267 games in goal for them, then a franchise record, now third most all-time. Just days later, he returned to the Garden in his Red Wings debut and helped defeat his former team, with the fans bringing him to tears, with their cheers and resounding chant of “Ed-die! Ed-die!” The Hall-of-Famer was the Rangers backbone for more than a decade, and many fans never forgave the organization for how they treated Giacomin on the way out the door.
Jean Ratelle
Jean Ratelle spent 16 seasons with the Rangers and was one of the most productive offensive players in franchise history. He was part of the GAG (goal-a-game) line with Rod Gilbert and Vic Hadfield for some great Rangers teams in the 1970s, and is second in Rangers history with 336 goals and third with 817 points. But in 1975, Hiss tenure in New York ended abruptly when he was traded to the Boston Bruins in a deal that also sent Brad Park packing in exchange for Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais. The backlash was quick and lasting, though decades later, the Rangers did retire his No. 19, as they also have done with Leetch (No. 2) and Giacomin (No. 1).
Brad Park
A five-time All-Star and Norris Trophy finalist, Brad Park was the cornerstone of the Rangers blue line throughout the late 1960s and early ’70s. But like Ratelle, Park was shipped off to the rival Bruins in a trade that sent shockwaves through the NHL. Park played nine seasons in New York and was seen as a team leader, not to mention the second-best defenseman in the League behind Bobby Orr all those years. Instead of hanging up his skated at MSG, he finished his Hall-of-Fame career by playing 10 more seasons, eight with the Bruins and two with the Red Wings.
Harry Howell
Before Brad Park and Brian Leetch and Adam Fox, there was Harry Howell. The stalwart defenseman played his first 17 years in the NHL with the Rangers, winning the Norris Trophy in 1966-67. He played 1,160 games with the Rangers, most in their history, and was their lone star during an extended downturn in fortunes for much of his tenure on Broadway. Similar to Giacomin, Howell wasn’t trade, though he was not waived either. The Rangers sold him to the California Golden Seals instead in 1969, and he played four more seasons in the NHL. His No. 3 is also retired at MSG.
Andy Bathgate
Andy Bathgate scored 20 or more goals eight times with the Rangers in the 1950s and 1960s, including 40 in 1958-59, when he won the Hart Trophy as NHL most valuable player. Five years later, the Rangers moved him to the Maple Leafs in a blockbuster seven-team trade. He promptly helped the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup in 1964, played seven more NHL seasons with three teams and was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.
Chris Kreider
Now, the cycle continues. After 13 seasons, 883 games, and 326 goals in a Rangers sweater, Kreider was traded to the Ducks — a move that feels as emotional as any in recent memory. Drafted in the first round in 2009, Kreider made an impactful debut during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and was a massive part of a pair of successful eras in franchise history, helping the Blueshirts reach the Eastern Conference Final five times, as well as the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. From deep playoff runs to rebuilding alongside a new core, Kreider has been there for all of it. For the younger generation of fans, Kreider was the face of the Rangers — the one who wore the “A,” the one you thought might actually finish where he started. But just like the rest, Kreider’s final shift in New York came not with a celebration, but with a transaction.
Not all Rangers greats were traded away
While many Rangers greats have been shown the exit door before their careers were over, there have been several legends to defy that trend. Rod Gilbert, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, spent all 16 seasons in New York, playing 1,065 games. His 1,021 points and 406 goals remain tops in franchise history, and his time on the GAG line helped define a generation of Rangers hockey. Known as “Mr. Ranger,” Gilbert was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame and became the first Rangers player to have his number (7) retired.
Ron Greschner also played his entire 16-season career with the Blueshirts, logging 981 games — fourth most in franchise history — while being a fan-favorite defensemen for his offensive talents in the 1970s and 1980s. Though No. 4 is not retired by the organization, Greschner’s legacy will forever be stamped into Rangers history.
Henrik Lundqvist and Mike Richter — two of the most iconic goalies in franchise history — also never suited up for another NHL team. They are 1-2 in most wins in franchise history, Lundqvist is sixth in NHL history with 459 and Richter finished with 301. Fittingly, each finished his NHL career having only played for the Rangers.
Lundqvist, “The King,” signed with the Washington Capitals in 2020, but a heart condition ended his career before he played a single game for them. He won 30 or more games 11 times with the Rangers and captured the Vezina Trophy in 2011-12. He had a 2.30 goals-against average in 130 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and is tied for the NHL record with six Game 7 wins in the postseasom. His No. 30 was retired on Jan. 28, 2022 and Lundqvist entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023.
Richter backstopped the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years in the spring of 1994 and his No. 35 hangs in the Garden rafters as a tribute to his legacy.
