Controversy Erupts Over New York Rangers' Latest Banner at MSG: Team Faces Criticism and Fans are Divided

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Tom Banks
October 16, 2024 (6:13 PM)

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The New York Rangers won the President's Trophy a year ago, and now the banner to celebrate the achievement has drawn immense criticism online from not only fans but very significant names within the hockey community as well.

The New York Rangers haven't been getting many wins off the ice in recent times, as star goaltender Igor Shesterkin reportedly turned down a historic contract offer to stay with the team. Now, they're facing more public humiliation, as the team have hung a banner to commemorate their President's Trophy victory from a year ago.

On the surface, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that move, as most teams will celebrate top notch achievements with banners, but the wording of it has certainly brought with it plenty of backlash. The most high profile critics of all being those on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, with everyone involved poking plenty of fun at GM Chris Drury, owner James Dolan and their intriguing decision.

Last season, the Rangers finished first in the NHL with an impressive 114 points on the back of a 55-23-4 record, and although they fell short of the Stanley Cup Finals, it was a campaign that they'll one day look back on fondly given the success. While this was an achievement that should be celebrated, the wording of Champions after it certainly wasn't the best choice for New York, with most teams simply opting to go with 'President's Trophy Winners' when they are doing so, which seems to be much more palatable for fans.

After an off-season full of interesting moves, including the move to try and trade their captain Jacob Trouba, this was certainly another questionable move made from the Rangers front office as they look to end their 30 year Stanley Cup drought in 2024/25.

While some fans threw plenty of shade at the Rangers, others stood up for them, pointing out that many fans have done this over the years, including their fierce rival the Boston Bruins, which can clearly be seen in this social media post below.

Ultimately though, this was such a simple task that shouldn't have been messed up by the Rangers, as they should have celebrated the President's Trophy rather than call themselves Champions, and now they risk making themselves the butt of many jokes in the coming weeks and months.