THE 20 GREATEST NEW YORK RANGERS CARDS

The Rangers have long been the NHL’s most valuable and, arguably, most important franchise. When they’re going good, the league is as well. As a bold rebuild puts them back on the path to Stanley Cup contention, here’s a look at the 20 cards that best represent the hobby history of this legendary organization. 01 1929-30 ROGERS PEET #22 FRANK BOUCHER

With no sets released in the three years following the franchise debut in 1926, this incredibly scarce regional issue stands as both the first, and the greatest, card of any Ranger. The Rogers Peet set was a 48-card, multi-sport series issued by a men’s clothing manufacturer and given away to children at its stores in Boston and New York. Boucher was one of four hockey players to be included in this blank-backed set, along with New York defender Ching Johnson. As it was intended to be glued into an album, it’s almost impossible to find this card without back damage.

02 1994-95 STADIUM CLUB #1 MARK MESSIER

Stadium Club excelled at capturing the emotion of the game, and few moments carried more weight for this franchise than when Messier hoisted the Cup at Madison Square Garden and officially broke The Curse, once and for all. The jubilation of the player and the crowd behind him are what make this a nearly perfect card, the value of which is measured in the memories that will last a lifetime rather than dollars and cents.

03 2013-14 NATIONAL TREASURES BURIED TREASURE #BT-BL BRIAN LEETCH

Arguably the greatest player in franchise history, Leetch has been commemorated on scores of must-have cards. While many are more valuable than this one, none better capture the season – and the trophy – that made him a legend. Fortunately, the print run of 50 copies means it’s tough, but not so impossibly scarce that you’ll never see one for sale.

04 1961-62 TOPPS #62 ROD GILBERT

All you need to know about Gilbert’s impact on this franchise is that his No. 7 jersey was the first to be raised to the roof of MSG. He set records for career goals (406) and points (1,021) and sparked a turnaround that saw the Rangers morph into one of the the league’s most dangerous teams in the 1970s. The demand for his RC, tied with that of linemate Jean Ratelle for the most valuable in this series, reflects that significance.

05 1953-54 PARKHURST #56 ANDY BATHGATE

One of just four Rangers to claim the Hart Trophy (1959), and the first to ever grace the cover of Sports Illustrated, Bathgate was the team’s MVP for the 1950s. An eight-time All-Star with New York, he led the team in scoring in eight consecutive seasons on his way to becoming the franchise’s all-time leading scorer in 195859. His RC also stands out as a classic of the era, a beautifully designed single that shows him – head up, as always – about to unleash his deadly backhander.

06 2005-06 THE CUP #177 HENRIK LUNDQVIST

Although he never won the Big One, Lundqvist’s legacy is secure. His has been the name in bright lights on the marquee since the moment he arrived on the scene with 30 wins in 2005-06 – the first of 11 seasons with as many victories. He went on to set franchise marks for wins (449), shutouts (63) and has the most saves in the shootout in NHL history. Little wonder this card, his key RC, has remained a hot commodity even as his career winds down.

07 1933-34 V357 ICE KINGS #30 BILL COOK

The Day One Ranger established himself as the best right wing of all-time – until the Rocket came along and took the title – leading the league in goals three times, and points twice. He potted the first goal in franchise history, and captained the Blueshirts for their first 11 seasons, leading them to a pair of Stanley Cups. With that resume, you could argue that this card, one of four RCs, is criminally underrated.

08 1928-29 LA PRESSE PHOTOS #2 FRANK BOUCHER

While not exactly a card, this 10-by-16 inch lithograph issued in Montreal’s La Presse newspaper is notable as the first-ever player collectible of the Rangers. The full-color litho was printed on newspaper stock, so it’s incredibly scarce today and there have been no confirmed sales for years. That it pictured Boucher is fitting. The dashing center became a Rangers legend as the team’s leading scorer in three of their first four seasons.

09 1964-65 TOPPS #92 MARCEL PAILLE

Back in the earliest days of Beckett Hockey, vintage dealers reported a growing demand for a virtually unknown player who was shortprinted in the popular Tall Boys set. It wasn’t long before that card became recognized as the toughest, and most expensive, RC in the series. Paille never amounted to much in the NHL, bouncing back and forth from the AHL to New York from 1957-1965, but collectors continue to pursue this single to this day.

10 1961-62 TOPPS #60 JEAN RATELLE

“Gentleman Jean” powered the Rangers attack for more than a decade, scoring 336 goals and 817 points to rank second and third, respectively, on the team’s all-time list. If not for the franchise-altering trade that sent him to the Bruins in 1975, he might have ranked higher on this list. As it is, his Topps RC is coveted in both New York and Boston, where he capped off his Hall of Fame career. Interesting to note that PSA has graded two 10s, while the best copies of Gilbert’s RC from the same set are capped at 9.

11 1977-79 SPORTSCASTER #62-17 LESTER PATRICK

Patrick’s standing among the franchise’s greatest figures is unimpeachable. He served as coach and general manager as the Rangers won their first two Stanley Cups in 1928 and 1933, and was the GM for their 1940 title as well. But it was his emergency turn in net at age 44 during the 1928 final for which he’s best remembered today. That event is captured on this rare Italian variation from the Sportscaster series, a multi-sport subscription offering that was sold in many languages around the world.

12 1970-71 O-PEE-CHEE #239 BRAD PARK

Hard to imagine how OPC overlooked Park for its 1969-70 set after an impressive rookie campaign in 1968-69, but they made up for it in 1970-71 with three singles: his RC, a Deckle Edge insert and this stunning First Team All-Star card. The simple design features a black background, unheard of those days, which makes for a striking visual. Keep an eye out for a variation identifiable by a black bottom border. This version is significantly less common.

13 1995-96 BE A PLAYER AUTOGRAPHS #S191 MIKE RICHTER

Richter might be the mostly widely collected member of the 1994 Stanley Cup champs after Leetch, so it was no surprise when BAP built a 10-card subset around the netminder and his thoughts on his goaltending peers. This shortprinted single, though part of the larger BAP Autographs set, was not found in packs. Instead, it was available only via a mail-in offer, making it the toughest card to acquire from this widely collected set. A die-cut version was also available.

14 1999-2000

UPPER DECK MVP LEGENDARY ONE #LO-10 WAYNE GRETZKY

The Great One may not have started his career with the Rangers, but he ended it with them on April 18, 1999. And while there are many more valuable cards that commemorate his three dynamic seasons on Broadway, none capture the banality of their conclusion as touchingly as this often overlooked insert. The image literally captures the cliché of “hanging up the skates,” a fitting tribute to the end of hockey’s most magical career.

15 1933 SPORT KINGS #30 CHING JOHNSON

Future Hall of Famer Johnson had to wait until he was 34 before appearing on his first card, only to get three in the same season. This single doesn’t earn an RC tag, but as the only Ranger (and one of just six hockey players) in this key multi-sport issue, it’s the defender’s most memorable card. The bold colors that define this series are evident in Johnson’s rosy cheeks, making for a visually arresting single.

16 1965-66 TOPPS #21 ED GIACOMIN

Giacomin was so beloved by the team’s supporters that his raucous return to MSG after being lost on waivers to the Red Wings in 1975 is widely celebrated as one of the greatest moments in franchise lore. A decade earlier, his arrival on Broadway kickstarted one of the finest periods in Rangers history, as he earned five All-Star berths and claimed the 1971 Vezina. His RC remains a cornerstone of any serious Rangers collection.

17 1954-55 TOPPS #10 GUMP WORSLEY

Few Original Six players were as universally beloved as Gump. Whether it was his cartoon-inspired nickname, his portly physique or his acrobatic play, he won fans and collectors across the league. Some of the latter might prefer his RC, issued a season earlier by Parkhurst, but there’s no denying the aesthetic magic of this single. The beloved red, white, and blue design of the 1954-55 Topps set goes hand in glove with the Rangers sweater, making for a stunning card.

18 1950-51 ROYAL DESSERTS #2 CHUCK RAYNER

“Bonnie Prince Charlie” became the second Ranger, and second goalie, to win the Hart trophy (1950), the same season he earned one of three All-Star nods. No doubt that made this rare food issue an exciting find the following fall. The controversy over this set – it was recently proven to have been released two years earlier than previously thought – has only brought more attention to five of the six cards which now precede their RCs, including this one of Rayner.

19 1954-55 PARKHURST #65 JOHNNY BOWER

It might not be as widely revered by Rangers fans as others on this list, but there’s no denying the significance of Bower’s RC. The late-blooming netminder made his NHL debut at the age of 29 with the Blueshirts in 1953, starting all 70 games. Worsley reclaimed the job the following season, and Bower played just seven more games for the team before he was claimed by the Leafs in the 1958 Inter-League draft. Four Stanley Cups and two Vezinas later, Bower was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

20 1939-40 O-PEE-CHEE V301-1 #86 BRYAN HEXTALL

The progenitor of the famous Hextall clan scored what may have been the biggest goal in franchise history, the overtime winner in Game 6 against Toronto that clinched the 1940 Stanley Cup. He’s also remembered as the last Ranger to lead the league in points (1942) and in goals (1940 and 1941), paving his path to the Hall of Fame. This oversized issue was not just his RC — it was his only contemporary trading card as a Ranger.