Founded in 1926 by Tex Rickard, the Rangers are one of the Original Six teams that competed in the NHL before its 1967 expansion, along with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The team attained success early on under the guidance of Lester Patrick, who coached a team containing Frank Boucher, Murray Murdoch, and Bun and Bill Cook to Stanley Cup glory in 1928, defeating the Montreal Maroons 3-2 in the Finals. It was the first time an NHL franchise in the United States had won the trophy.

During World War II, the NHL's New York Americans suspended operations due to many of their players entering the armed forces. After the war, the league, with the encouragement of Madison Square Garden management, reneged on a longstanding promise to allow the Americans to return. Red Dutton, the coach and general manager of the Americans, bitterly declared that the Rangers would never win the Cup for as long as he lived. Dutton's Curse apparently worked. When he died in 1987 at the age 88, the Rangers were in their 47th season without having won the Cup.

Since 2011, the Broadway Hat has been given to the Rangers' best player after each victory by the previous winner. It's worn for postgame interviews and nowhere else. It even has its own Facebook and Twitter pages.

In 1993-94, Mike Richter had his first campaign as the team's number-one goaltender, posting a career-best 42 wins and 2.57 goals-against average as the Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy for the second time in three years. In the playoffs, he ramped up his play, becoming the eighth goaltender to post four shutouts in one playoff season. The Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Finals against the Vancouver Canucks, where Richter earned a career highlight in Game 4, famously stopping Vancouver sniper Pavel Bure on a penalty shot, helping the Rangers defeat the Canucks in seven games to win their first Stanley Cup since 1940.

Rod Gilbert played right wing on the GAG line (i.e. Goal-a-Game Line) with Vic Hadfield and Jean Ratelle. His #7 jersey was retired by the Rangers on October 14, 1979.

After leading the NHL in points and goals for most of the 2005-06 season, Jaromír Jágr was surpassed by the San Jose Sharks' duo of Joe Thornton (125 points) and Jonathan Cheechoo (56 goals), losing both the Art Ross and Maurice Richard trophies in the final week of the season. He finished with 123 points and 54 goals, both good for franchise records.

Known as "The Original Ranger", Bill Cook was the first captain of the New York Rangers, scored the first goal in franchise history, and led the team to two Stanley Cup championships.

In 1939-40, Kilby MacDonald not only won the Calder Memorial Trophy for NHL Rookie of the Year, but helped the Rangers win their third Stanley Cup, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 in the Finals.

Left winger Steve Vickers made history in 1972 when he became the first rookie, as well as the first New York Ranger, to score hat tricks in two consecutive games (12 November versus the Los Angeles Kings and 15 November versus the Philadelphia Flyers). Vickers finished the season with 30 goals and 23 assists for a total of 53 points and was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.