The New York Rangers have had some great goaltenders over the last 91 years which is why it’s necessary to appropriately rank the greatest.

When it was suggested that I rank New York Rangers goaltenders over the course of the last 91 years of organizational history, I have to say, I was a bit apprehensive to do it.

Ranking players are so subjective. How is the ranking done? What matters most? Wins, goals against average, minutes played, the era they played in, amount of Stanley Cups won (definitely not that category)? The ways to work it out is endless.

There is no right or wrong here and I am sure to get as much positive feedback as negative feedback no matter how I rank these great players. So let the craziness commence. Here are my rankings of the top 10 goalies in the history of the New York Rangers.

Honorable Mentions

• Ed Mio
• Doug Soetaert
• Glenn Healy

All the players listed were great goalies who proudly wore the Rangers sweater. At one point or another, they were the face of the New York Rangers and I am sure everyone has had their favorite. Mine has always been John Davidson, and many may not agree with what I have ranked.

One thing everyone can agree on is that Rangers fans have been very lucky over the years to have had these gentlemen play the toughest position the NHL. From Lorne Chabot to Eddie Giacomin to Mike Richter lifting the Stanley Cup at MSG on that June 1994 night, we should all be proud of the men who have stood tall in front of the net for the Blueshirts.

10. Lorne Chabot (1927-1928)

• 80 Games played, 41-25-14 with 21 shutouts, 1.61 Goals Against Average

A veteran of World War I and a former police officer, Chabot led the Port Arthur Bearcats to back-to-back Allan Cup championships in 1925 and 1926. In 1926, he caught the eye of a young Conn Smythe who signed him for the New York Rangers.

Lorne Chabot’s first game as Ranger was Nov. 20, 1926. His record that season was 22-9-5. The following year he won 44 games as the Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup. During that final, he suffered a minor eye injury. The Rangers management was concerned that he wouldn’t recover from the eye injury so in the following offseason he was traded to Toronto.

Chabot has also been credited with the modern day goalie blocker. Unfortunately, Chabot was never inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and passed away in 1946 of kidney disease.

9. Glen Hanlon (1983-1986)

• 138 Games played, 56-56-13 with 1 shutout, 3.69 Goals Against Average   

Glen Hanlon was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft in the third round, 40th overall. The Rangers acquired him from the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 4, 1983, along with Vaclav Nedomansky for Andre Dore.

He was best known for an epic playoff battle against the New York Islanders in 1984.

The Rangers led the Patrick Division semifinal series 2-1 but lost in Game 4. Game 5 came down to the final seconds in regulation and Rangers fans celebrated when Don Maloney batted in the tying goal (the goal should have been disallowed, but it was called a good goal).

Unfortunately, the Islanders would win the series in overtime on Ken Morrow’s shot from the right circle that went right through Glen Hanlon’s legs.

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8. Dave Kerr (1935-1941) 

• 324 Games played, 157-110-57, 40 shutouts, 2.07 Goals Against Average

Dave Kerr played seven seasons for the Rangers.On Mar. 18, 1938, Kerr became the first hockey player to be on the cover of Time Magazine.

His best season was the 1939-40 season. He won his only Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie with a 1.54 GAA and a league-leading eight shutouts. He and the Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup. Head coach Frank Boucher was very impressed with Kerr.

“Kerr was gifted with an excellent right hand that picked off shots like Bill Terry playing first for the (Baseball’s NY) Giants. He was deliberate and methodical in everything he did. Davey retired long before his time, when he was at his peak and only 30 years old,” said Boucher via  New York Rangers Legends.

Though many fans may not recognize his name, many know his team. Until 1994, Dave Kerr was the last Rangers goaltender to win Lord’s Stanley Cup.

7. Gilles Villemure (1964-1975)

• 184 Games played, 98-53-23, 13 Shutouts, 2.62 Goals Against Average

Gilles Villemure was promoted to the New York Rangers from Baltimore (AHL) to replace injured Jacques Plante in 1963. Villemure played in the minor league of the Rangers organization until 1970 when he became the full-time backup to Eddie Giacomin.

Villemure played in 34 games and together with Giacomin, they won the Vezina trophy as the league’s best goalies. Villemure remained the backup until the 1974-75 season where he was then the number one goalie for the Rangers appearing in 45 games of the 80 played that season.

Villemure started the last two playoff games that season and though he started with the Rangers the following season, he was later traded to the Chicago Blackhawks where he finished out his career.

6. John Davidson (J.D) (1976-1983)

• 222 games played, 93-90-25, 7 Shutouts, 3.58 Goals Against Average

John Davidson was drafted in the first round, fifth overall in the 1973 NHL Entry Draft by the St.Louis Blues. In June 1975, Davidson was traded to the New York Rangers and a great partnership, first on the ice then later in the broadcast booth, began with the Rangers.

When Davidson arrived, he was convinced by Phil Esposito to wear the number 00. He, later on, switched to his familiar number 30. But what made J.D. known to the hockey world was his mask. The red, white and Blue mask with the Ranger logo’s on each side put J.D. on the map.

He took the Rangers to the Stanley Cup finals in 1979 against Ken Dryden and the Montreal Canadiens where they lost four games to one. Over the next three seasons, he would only appear in 12 games dues to injuries and he would retire at the beginning of the 1982-83 season. In 1983, he joined MSG’s hockey coverage staff and was the color commentator for Rangers games alongside Sam Rosen from 1986–87 to 2005–06.

“Ohhhh, baby!”

5. Lorne ‘Gump’ Worsley (1953-1963)

• 582 Games played, 204-271-101, 24 Shutouts, 3.05 Goals Against Average

Gump Worsley signed with the New York Rangers in 1952. He played in 50 games that season as he went on to win the Calder Trophy, which is awarded to the Rookie of the Year. The following season, Gump came into camp in what has been described as a little out of shape and lost the starting to job to Johnny Bower.

Worsely was sent down to the WHL Vancouver Canucks where he spent the entire season. The next season, 1954-55, he earned his starting job back and played up with the Rangers for the next decade. The downside to this was that Gump played on some very bad Ranger teams. At one point he was asked by a reporter, what team give you the most trouble? Worsely answered “the New York Rangers!”

Gump was the last NHL goalie to play without a mask and had said many times during his career, “my face is my mask, anyone who wears a mask is scared.” He was elected to the Hockey Hall Of Fame in 1980. Unfortunately, he passed away, peacefully, at his home on Jan. 26, 2007.

4. John Vanbiesbrouck (1982-1993)

• 449 Games played, 200-177-47, 16 Shutouts, 3.45 Goals Against Average

John Vanbiesbrouck was drafted by the New York Rangers in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft in the fourth round, 72nd overall. He made his NHL debut as an emergency call-up on Dec. 5, 1981, against the Colorado Rockies.

“Beezer” won his debut game by a score of 2-1. He began his full-time career in the 1984-85 season appearing in 42 games with a record of 12-24-3. The following season, 1985-86 was his best as a Ranger. He appeared in 61 games, winning 31 while dropping 21 with 5 ties. The 31 wins lead the NHL that season. He was awarded the Vezina trophy at season’s end.

Beezer had a fine career with the Rangers but was never able to match or surpass the 31 victories he tallied during the 1985-86 season. On Jun. 20, 1993, Vanbiesbrouck was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for future considerations (Doug Lidster, who went on to help the ’94 Cup-winning team mightily).

3. Eddie Giacomin (1966-1976)

• 538 Games Played, 266-172-89, 49 Shutouts, 2.73 Goals Against Average

On May 18, 1965, Ed Giacomin was traded to the New York Rangers. This is when the love affair between Giacomin and the Ranger fans began. Eddie is on the Rangers all-time goaltending list, he ranked first overall in career wins (267) and shutouts (49), and second in appearances (539) at the time of his departure in 1975.

On Mar. 19, 1972, he became the first Ranger goalie to record two points in a game (both assists) against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden. Eddie was a workhorse as he played in 66 or more regular season games between 1967-1970. He won the Vezina Trophy along with Gilles Villemure in the 1970-71 season.

In one of the most know transactions in all of sport, Eddie was placed on waivers on Oct. 31, 1975, and was picked up by the Detroit Red Wings. Giacomin’s first game for Detroit was against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The fans gave him a standing ovation as they cheered “Ed-die, Ed-die” throughout the garden.

2. Mike Richter (1989-2003)

• 666 Games played, 301-258-73, 24 Shutouts, 2.89 Goals Against Average

Mike Richter spent his entire NHL career with the Blueshirts. Drafted in the second round, 28th overall of the 1985 NHL Draft, Richter began his Rangers career in the 1989-90 season. His 666 appearances are a team record, while his 301 wins rank second and his 24 shutouts are tied for fourth. A three-time All-Star (1992,1994, 2000), Richter had his best season in 1994, as did all of Rangerstown. Richter won 42 games that season, he was named MVP of the NHL ALL-Star Game (at MSG) and he took the team to the Rangerstown promise land as the Rangers won the Stanley Cup after 54 years of waiting.

Richter was 16-7 in 23 playoff games in 1994. In 1996, Richter participated in the World Cup of Hockey as he represented the Rangers and Team USA. He led the U.S. to the 1996 World Cup of Hockey championship and was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Richter suffered a concussion on Nov. 7, 2002, and missed most of the season. On Sept. 4, 2003, he officially retired from the NHL.

1. Henrik Lundqvist (2005-Present)

• 763 Games played, 417-255-78, 63 Shutouts, 2.33 Goals Against Average

Henrik Lundqvist is in his 13th season with the New York Rangers. He was drafted by the Rangers in the 2000 NHL Draft, seventh round, 208 overall. The King made his Rangers debut on Oct. 5, 2005, against the New Jersey Devils, a 3-2 loss on the road. Lundqvist has won 30 games or more games in every season with the exception of the NHL lockout year in 2012-13 season.

In 2011-12, he won 39 games with 1.97 goals against average in 62 games played as he went on to win the Vezina Trophy. In 2013-14, he took the Rangers all the way to the Stanley Cup Final as they battled the Los Angeles Kings. Unfortunately, the Rangers lost the series four games to one. Henrik is still searching for the one accomplishment in the sport of hockey that has eluded him. At 35-years-old, will he ever win a Stanley Cup?

Alright, we can address the elephant in the rankings now. Why did I rank Lundqvist over Richter?

For me, it’s more about consistency than the Stanley Cup Championship. Personally, I am a great fan of both and I am lucky to say I have watched both of these players for their entire careers. If someone else was ranking these two players and had it reversed, I would be fine with that too. I just feel that Lundqvist and his 30 wins in every season played but the NHL lockout year is an incredible accomplishment in the NHL.

If Hank had won a cup already, I feel this would not even be a conversation about who would be number one overall.