2007–08 New York Rangers season

The 2007–08 New York Rangers season was the National Hockey League franchise's 81st season of play and their 82nd season overall. In 2006–07, an impressive late season run brought the team from 12th to 6th place in the Eastern Conference, but the team ran out of steam in the Conference semi-finals before losing in six games to the Buffalo Sabres.

The off-season began in late June with the 2007 NHL Entry Draft in Columbus, Ohio. The Rangers had the 17th overall pick in the first round, yet came away with a steal as Russian superstar Alexei Cherepanov fell for the taking, despite being considered by many rankings to be a top five prospect, and the top European available in the draft. A variety of reasons have been postulated for Cherepanov's drop, most notably, the lack of a new transfer agreement between the National Hockey League and the International Ice Hockey Federation concerning players from Russia.^[1] In the second round, the Rangers selected goaltender Antoine Lafleur from the P.E.I. Rocket of the QMJHL.^[2] Lafleur was ranked #3 among North American goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting.

The Rangers made a tremendous splash on July 1, the first day of free agency. Within a 30-minute span on that Sunday evening, the Rangers announced the signings of the two most coveted centers available: Scott Gomez from the rival New Jersey Devils and Chris Drury from the Buffalo Sabres.^[3] As both players had worn number 23 with their previous teams, General Manager Glen Sather flipped a puck at their introductory press conference to determine who would wear number 23 on the Rangers; the winner was Drury.^[4]

After these signings, left out of the picture was center Michael Nylander, who had reportedly signed with the Edmonton Oilers,^[5] but then actually signed with the Washington Capitals.^[6] In addition, the Rangers also lost Jed Ortmeyer,^[7] Brad Isbister,^[8] Karel Rachunek^[9] and Kevin Weekes^[10] to the free agency market, the latter two signing with the rival New Jersey Devils.

The Rangers re-signed a number of their own free agents, including Jason Strudwick,^[11] Petr Prucha^[12] and Brendan Shanahan.^[13] Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and forward Marcel Hossa had been designated for salary arbitration, but both signed contracts before reaching their respective hearings.^[14][15] Sean Avery did go through arbitration and was awarded a one-year deal worth $1.9 million.^[16]

The multitude of high profile free agent signings in July left the Rangers dangerously close to the league's $50.3 million salary cap. This effectively forced the Rangers to deal Matt Cullen and his $2.875 million per year cap number back to the Carolina Hurricanes.^[17] At the start of the season, the Rangers total cap number was over the league maximum, but player bonuses can be deferred to the next season if it causes a team to exceed the upper limit of the salary cap, so the Rangers were in compliance.^[18]

On April 3, 2008, the New York Rangers clinched a playoff berth for the third consecutive season in a 3–0 win against the rival Islanders.

Regular season

The Rangers had the most shutouts of all 30 teams in the League, with 12.^[19][20]

Divisional standings

Conference standings

Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast

bold – qualified for playoffs, y – division winner, z – placed first in conference (and division)

Schedule and results

• Green background indicates win (2 points).
• Red background indicates regulation loss (0 points).
• White background indicates overtime/shootout loss (1 point).

Action of a January 2008 game in Calgary against the Flames

Playoffs

The New York Rangers ended the 2007–08 regular season as the Eastern Conference's fifth seed.

• Green background indicates win.
• Red background indicates loss.

The Rangers defeated the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference quarter-finals in five games. This was the fifth playoff meeting between the two clubs, with the Rangers having won four of those series.^[21] They were eventually eliminated in the Eastern Conference semi-finals by the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games.

Player statistics

Skaters

Goaltenders

^†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.

^[22]

Awards and records

Milestones

Transactions

The Rangers have been involved in the following transactions during the 2007–08 season.

Trades May 31, 2007[23] To Montreal Canadiens Ryan Russell To New York Rangers 7th-round pick in 2007 (David Skokan) July 4, 2007[24] To Tampa Bay Lightning Bryce Lampman To New York Rangers Mitch Fritz July 17, 2007[17] To Carolina Hurricanes Matt Cullen To New York Rangers Andrew Hutchinson Joe Barnes 3rd-round pick in 2008 October 11, 2007[25] To Chicago Blackhawks Conditional 7th-round pick in 2008. To New York Rangers P. A. Parenteau February 26, 2008[26] To St. Louis Blues 4th-round pick in 2008 To New York Rangers Christian Backman February 26, 2008[27] To Phoenix Coyotes Al Montoya Marcel Hossa To New York Rangers David LeNeveu Fredrik Sjostrom Josh Gratton 5th-round pick in 2009

Free agents acquired Player Former team Contract terms Scott Gomez[3] New Jersey Devils seven years, $51.5 million Chris Drury[3] Buffalo Sabres five years, $35.25 million

Free agents lost Player New team Contract terms Jed Ortmeyer[7] Nashville Predators two years, $1.5 million Michael Nylander[6] Washington Capitals four years, $19.5 million Brad Isbister[8] Vancouver Canucks one year, $525,000 Karel Rachunek[9] New Jersey Devils one year, $1.4 million Kevin Weekes[10] New Jersey Devils two years, $1.375 million

Player signings Player Contract terms Jason Strudwick[11] one year, $500,000 Petr Prucha[12] two years, $3.2 million Brendan Shanahan[13] one year, $2.5 million Henrik Lundqvist[14] one year, $4.25 million Marcel Hossa[15] one year, $780,000 Sean Avery[16] one year, $1.9 million* Henrik Lundqvist[28] six years, $41.25 million Daniel Girardi[29] two years, $3.1 million Fedor Tyutin[30] four years, $11.4 million

* Sean Avery re-signed through salary arbitration.

Draft picks

New York's picks at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft in Columbus, Ohio, at the Nationwide Arena.^[2]

Round	#	Player	Position	Nationality	College/junior/club team (league)
1	17	Alexei Cherepanov	RW	Russia	Avangard Omsk (RSL)
2	48	Antoine Lafleur	G	Canada	P.E.I. Rocket (QMJHL)
5	138	Max Campbell	C	Canada	Strathroy Rockets (WOHL)
6	168	Carl Hagelin	LW	Sweden	Sodertalje SK (J20 SuperElit)
7	193	David Skokan	C	Slovakia	Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)
7	198	Danny Hobbs	F	Canada	Ohio Junior Blue Jackets (USHL)

Farm teams

Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)

The 2007–08 season was the 11th season of AHL hockey for the franchise. The team's status as the Rangers' highest-level minor-league affiliate became questionable when Northland AEG LLC purchased the Hartford Civic Center from Madison Square Garden, L.P.; however, on May 29, 2007, it was announced that the franchise will remain in Hartford and will remain affiliated with the Rangers.^[31]

Hartford finished the regular season with a record of 50–20–2–8 for a total of 110 points, a franchise high. P. A. Parenteau led the team with 81 points in 75 games, and team captain Andrew Hutchinson won the Eddie Shore Award as the league's top defenseman.

Portland eliminated Hartford from the playoffs in 5 games, marking two consecutive season's that the Wolf Pack failed to advance past the 1st round.

Charlotte Checkers (ECHL)

The 2007–08 season was the 15th season of ECHL hockey for the franchise.

Charlotte finished the regular season with a record of 34–31–1–6 for a total of 75 points. Gwinnett eliminated the Checkers from the playoffs in 3 games.

Roster

2007–08 New York Rangers Roster
Goaltenders 30 – Henrik Lundqvist  40 – Stephen Valiquette		Defensemen 3 – Michal Rozsival  5 – Daniel Girardi  8 – Marek Malik  18 – Marc Staal  27 – Paul Mara  34 – Jason Strudwick  51 – Fedor Tyutin  55 – Christian Backman		Wingers 10 – Nigel Dawes  14 – Brendan Shanahan  – A 16 – Sean Avery  20 – Fredrik Sjostrom  22 – Lauri Korpikoski  24 – Ryan Callahan  25 – Petr Prucha  28 – Colton Orr  44 – Ryan Hollweg  68 – Jaromir Jagr  – C 82 – Martin Straka  – A		Centers 15 – Blair Betts  17 – Brandon Dubinsky  19 – Scott Gomez  23 – Chris Drury  GM: Glen Sather Coach: Tom Renney

See also

• 2007–08 NHL season

References

• Game log: New York Rangers game log on espn.com
• Player stats: New York Rangers statistics on espn.com

1. ↑ Rangers Official Site. "Rangers Get Cherepanov with First-Round Pick," June 22, 2007 – accessed July 2, 2007. Archived June 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
2. 1 2 Rangers Official Site. "Rangers 2007 Draft Picks," June 23, 2007 – accessed July 4, 2007. Archived July 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
3. 1 2 3 Roarke, Shawn P. "Rangers Double Up with Gomez, Drury," NHL.com, July 1, 2007 – accessed July 2, 2007.
4. ↑ Rangers Official Site. "New Rangers Drury, Gomez Get Heroes' Welcome," July 2, 2007 – accessed July 2, 2007. Archived July 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
5. ↑ "Report: Oilers Sign Michael Nylander," TSN.ca, July 2, 2007 – accessed July 2, 2007.
6. 1 2 "Capitals Sign Michael Nylander," TSN.ca, July 2, 2007 – accessed July 2, 2007.
7. 1 2 "Ortmeyer Signs Two-Year Deal with Preds," TSN.ca, July 2, 2007 – accessed July 2, 2007.
8. 1 2 "Canucks Ink Isbister, Ritchie, Schneider," TSN.ca, July 3, 2007 – accessed July 3, 2007.
9. 1 2 "Devils Sign Zubrus, Rachunek," TSN.ca, July 3, 2007 – accessed July 4, 2007.
10. 1 2 "Devils Sign Weekes to Back Up Brodeur," TSN.ca, July 5, 2007 – accessed July 5, 2007.
11. 1 2 Rangers Official Site. "Strudwick Returning to Rangers for 2007–08," July 2, 2007 – accessed July 9, 2007. Archived July 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
12. 1 2 "Rangers Re-Sign Forward Prucha," TSN.ca, July 5, 2007 – accessed July 5, 2007.
13. 1 2 "Rangers Agree to Terms with Shanahan," TSN.ca, July 10, 2007 – accessed July 10, 2007.
14. 1 2 "Rangers, Lundqvist Agree to Terms," TSN.ca, July 11, 2007 – accessed July 11, 2007.
15. 1 2 Rangers Avoid Arbitration with Hossa," TSN.ca, July 31, 2007 – accessed July 31, 2007.
16. 1 2 "Arbitrator Awards Avery $1.9–Million," TSN.ca, August 1, 2007 – accessed August 1, 2007.
17. 1 2 "Hurricanes Acquire Cullen from Rangers," TSN.ca, July 17, 2007 – accessed July 17, 2007.
18. ↑ "NHL Team Salaries: New York Rangers," nhlnumbers.com – accessed November 13, 2007. Archived November 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
19. ↑ http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/NYR/2008.html
20. ↑ http://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2008_games.html
21. ↑ The lone Devils series win was in 2006. "Lundqvist stops penalty shot, Rangers hold on to eliminate Devils". Archived from the original on April 21, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-19. 
22. ↑ "2007–08 New York Rangers". hockeydb.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-02. 
23. ↑ Rangers Official Site. "Rangers Obtain Seventh Round Pick from Habs," May 31, 2007 – accessed July 2, 2007. Archived June 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
24. ↑ "Lightning Acquire D Lampman from Rangers," TSN.ca, July 4, 2007 – accessed July 4, 2007.
25. ↑ "Rangers Acquire Parenteau From Chicago," October 11, 2007 – accessed July 23, 2013.
26. ↑ "Blues trade Backman to Rangers," BND.com, February 26, 2008 – accessed February 26, 2008.
27. ↑ "Rangers obtain three players from Coyotes Archived March 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.," February 26, 2008 – accessed February 26, 2008.
28. ↑ "Lundqvist inks 6-year deal with Rangers". The Sports Network. 2008-02-16. Archived from the original on 2008-02-17. Retrieved 2008-02-18. 
29. ↑ "Rangers, Girardi agree on extension". The Sports Network. 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2008-02-18. 
30. ↑ "Rangers re-sign defenceman Tyutin". The Sports Network. 2008-02-17. Retrieved 2008-02-18. 
31. ↑ "AEG Press Release: Wolf Pack to Remain in Hartford," AEGworldwide.com, May 29, 2007 – accessed August 5, 2007. Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.

New York Rangers
Founded in 1926 Based in New York City, New York
Franchise	Team General managers Head coaches Players Captains Draft picks Seasons Current season
History	History Original Six Records Award winners
Personnel	Owners The Madison Square Garden Company (James Dolan, chairman) President Glen Sather General manager Jeff Gorton Head coach Alain Vigneault Team captain Ryan McDonagh Current roster
Arenas	Madison Square Garden III Madison Square Garden IV
Rivalries	New York Islanders Philadelphia Flyers New Jersey Devils Washington Capitals
Affiliates	AHL Hartford Wolf Pack ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits
General managers	Smythe L. Patrick Boucher M. Patrick Francis Ferguson Shero C. Patrick Esposito Smith Sather Gorton
Head coaches	Patrick Boucher L. Patrick Colville Cook M. Patrick Watson Pike Harvey M. Patrick Sullivan Francis Geoffrion Francis Popein Francis Stewart Ferguson Talbot Shero C. Patrick Brooks C. Patrick Sator Webster Esposito Bergeron Esposito Neilson Smith Keenan Campbell Muckler Tortorella Low Trottier Sather Renney Tortorella Vigneault
Media	Networks TV MSG Network Radio WEPN-FM Broadcasters TV Sam Rosen Joe Micheletti Radio Kenny Albert Dave Maloney
Culture and lore	Curse of 1940 "It's a power play goal!" GAG line Messier's Guarantee "Matteau, Matteau, Matteau" George Kalinsky Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award Hockey Night Live! "The Face Painter" (Seinfeld episode) 1991 Las Vegas outdoor game 2011 NHL Premiere 2012 NHL Winter Classic 2014 NHL Stadium Series

New York Rangers seasons
1920s	1920–21 . 1921–22 . 1922–23 . 1923–24 . 1924–25 . 1925–26 . 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30
1930s	1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40
1940s	1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50
1950s	1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60
1960s	1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70
1970s	1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
1980s	1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90
1990s	1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00
2000s	2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10
2010s	2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17
Highlighted seasons indicate Stanley Cup championship

2007–08 NHL season
Atlantic New Jersey NY Islanders NY Rangers Philadelphia Pittsburgh Northeast Boston Buffalo Montreal Ottawa Toronto Southeast Atlanta Carolina Florida Tampa Bay Washington
Central Chicago Columbus Detroit Nashville St. Louis Northwest Calgary Colorado Edmonton Minnesota Vancouver Pacific Anaheim Dallas Los Angeles Phoenix San Jose
See also 2007 NHL Entry Draft Winter Classic All-Star Game Playoffs Transactions