Rangers-Blackhawks – 600 Games of Original Six History

The New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks both entered the NHL in 1926-27, and during the 2024-25 season, these Original Six franchises will play their 600^th all-time regular season contest against each other (the 600^th game will be when the Blueshirts face the Blackhawks on January 5, 2025 in Chicago).

Here is a look at 50 notable contests through the Rangers’ first 600 regular season matchups against Chicago:

• November 30, 1926 – The Rangers played their first all-time game against Chicago. The contest was also the franchise’s first game decided in overtime, and Paul Thompson registered the game-winning goal to give the Blueshirts a 4-3 victory at MSG.
• January 16, 1927 – Murray Murdoch tallied the first hat trick in Rangers history, recording two goals in a span of 10 seconds during the second period and registering the game-winning goal with 1:10 remaining in regulation as the Blueshirts defeated Chicago, 5-4, at MSG.
• March 25, 1927 – Each member of the Rangers’ famed line featured Bun Cook, Frank Boucher, and Bill Cook scored a goal in the first period, and the Blueshirts defeated the Black Hawks, 4-0, at MSG.
• February 25, 1928 – The Rangers posted the second of their franchise-record four consecutive shutouts, as they defeated Chicago, 1-0. Frank Boucher scored the only goal of the game with 2:50 remaining in regulation. The Blueshirts shut out the Black Hawks for the fifth time out of their first 11 all-time meetings.
• March 21, 1928 – Frank Boucher registered a hat trick and each member of the Rangers’ “A Line” scored a goal in the second period, as the Blueshirts defeated Chicago, 6-1.
• November 29, 1931 – Bill Cook recorded a natural hat trick – his eighth career hat trick as a member of the Rangers – and the Blueshirts defeated Chicago, 5-0.
• February 1, 1938 – Alex Shibicky tallied a hat trick and recorded a penalty shot goal as the Rangers defeated Chicago, 6-1, at MSG.
• January 12, 1939 – Brothers Neil Colville and Mac Colville scored goals nine seconds apart, and Bryan Hextall and Phil Watson each tallied three points as the Rangers defeated Chicago, 6-0, at MSG.
• December 23, 1939 – The Rangers earned their second of what would be 10 consecutive wins – establishing a franchise record – by beating Chicago, 7-1, at MSG. Bryan Hextall scored two goals in a span of 11 seconds during a four-goal first period for the Blueshirts.
• March 15, 1942 – The Rangers secured their first NHL regular season championship in franchise history by defeating Chicago, 5-1. Lynn Patrick tallied two goals in the game to finish the season as the NHL’s leader in goals (32), and Bryan Hextall recorded two points to beat out Patrick for the league lead in points (Hextall - 56; Patrick - 55).
• November 10, 1942 – The Rangers defeated the Black Hawks, 5-3, in overtime at MSG, as Bryan Hextall and Lynn Patrick each recorded a goal in the 10-minute overtime period. The contest was the last overtime game the Blueshirts, as well as any NHL team, would play until the league re-implemented a five-minute sudden death overtime period in 1983-84.
• March 14, 1943 – The Rangers rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the third period by scoring five goals – with Bryan Hextall and Phil Watson each tallying two – and defeated Chicago, 7-5, at MSG.
• February 15, 1945 – The Rangers’ game against Chicago at MSG was delayed for over two hours as the team had difficulty returning to New York via train from Detroit after their game the previous night. The Rangers-Blackhawks contest began at 10:50 p.m., and the Blueshirts defeated Chicago, 6-2.
• January 5, 1947 – Chuck Rayner posted his second shutout in as many days and seven different Rangers tallied a goal as the Blueshirts defeated Chicago, 9-0, at MSG.
• November 20, 1949 – Tony Leswick registered a hat trick in a span of 3:05 as the Rangers defeated Chicago, 5-2.
• December 28, 1949 – Edgar Laprade (two goals, two assists) and Tony Leswick (four assists) each tallied four points as the Rangers defeated Chicago, 5-2, at MSG. With less than five minutes remaining in regulation, the Blueshirts tallied four goals in a span of 2:57.
• December 24, 1950 – Nick Mickoski registered five points (four goals, one assist) and recorded a natural hat trick in the second period as the Rangers defeated Chicago, 6-1, at MSG.
• February 14, 1951 – The Rangers honored Frank Boucher for his 25 years of service as a player, coach, and general manager with the team in a pre-game ceremony before defeating Chicago, 5-1, at MSG.
• February 15, 1951 – Don Raleigh tied the Rangers’ single-game franchise record (at the time) with six points (two goals, four assists), becoming the third Ranger in franchise history to tally six points in one game (along with Bill Cook and Frank Boucher). The Blueshirts defeated the Black Hawks, 7-3, in Chicago, completing a sweep of a back-to-back, home-and-home set.
• March 12, 1952 – The Rangers tallied seven goals in the third period – including four in a span of 2:10 and two in 14 seconds – and defeated Chicago, 10-2, at MSG. Wally Hergesheimer scored three of the Blueshirts’ seven goals in the third period.
• November 12, 1952 – Wally Hergesheimer registered four goals as the Rangers defeated Chicago, 5-2, at MSG.
• November 18, 1953 – Bathgate registered his first career NHL goal as the Rangers defeated Chicago, 3-1, at MSG.
• January 14, 1954 – Hockey Hall of Famer Johnny Bower earned his first career NHL shutout as the Rangers defeated Chicago, 2-0.
• February 19, 1954 – Johnny Bower earned a shutout and Nick Mickoski recorded two goals as the Rangers defeated the Black Hawks, 3-0, in a game played in Indianapolis.
• October 7, 1955 – Harry Howell was named Rangers captain, and Phil Watson made his head coaching debut with the Blueshirts. The Rangers defeated Chicago, 7-4, as Ron Murphy registered a hat trick, Andy Bathgate recorded five points (one goal, four assists), and Gump Worsley made 43 saves. In addition, Andy Hebenton made his NHL/Rangers debut, playing the first of a franchise-record, 560 consecutive regular season games with the Blueshirts.
• October 23, 1955 – Bill Gadsby registered three assists and Wally Hergesheimer tallied two goals, including the game-winning goal, as the Rangers rallied to defeat Chicago, 5-4, at MSG.
• January 5, 1957 – The NHL was televised on a national broadcast in the United States for the first time when CBS aired a game between the Rangers and Chicago at MSG. The Blueshirts won the contest, 4-1.
• March 7, 1959 – Andy Bathgate recorded his 34th goal of the 1958-59 season, breaking Bill Cook’s franchise record for goals in one season. Bathgate registered three points (one goal, two assists) as the Rangers defeated Chicago, 6-1.
• February 17, 1960 – After Gump Worsley suffered two severed tendons during a game against Chicago, Joe Schaefer, who was a statistician for the Rangers and the team’s emergency goaltender, played the remainder of the game in goal. Schaefer, a native of Long Island, became the first person from the New York City Metropolitan area to appear in a game for the Rangers.
• October 19, 1960 – Jack McCartan, the gold medal-winning goaltender for the 1960 U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team, earned his first career NHL shutout by stopping all 19 shots he faced as the Rangers defeated Chicago, 2-0, at MSG.
• November 27, 1960 – Rod Gilbert made his NHL debut and tallied his first career NHL assist/point as the Rangers and Black Hawks played to a 3-3 tie at MSG.
• November 12, 1961 – Andy Bathgate recorded his 200th career NHL goal and tallied two assists, while Earl Ingarfield (two goals, two assists) and Dean Prentice (four assists) recorded a point on all four Rangers goals as the Blueshirts defeated Chicago, 4-1, at MSG. Bathgate became the second player (at the time) to record 200 career goals with the Rangers (along with Bill Cook).
• December 23, 1961 – The Rangers played their 2,000th regular season game in franchise history and defeated Chicago, 7-3, at MSG. Camille Henry recorded five points (three goals, two assists) and Andy Bathgate tallied four assists in the contest.
• February 28, 1963 – Gump Worsley earned his 200th career NHL win and became the first goaltender to register 200 career wins with the Rangers in franchise history as the Blueshirts defeated the Black Hawks, 6-1, in Chicago.
• October 9, 1963 – Jacques Plante made his Rangers debut and became the first Rangers goaltender to wear a mask in a game in franchise history. Plante made 40 saves as the Blueshirts faced the Black Hawks.
• March 3, 1968 – Madison Square Garden hosted a hockey doubleheader, as the Rangers faced the Black Hawks and the Philadelphia Flyers played the Oakland Seals as a result of damage to the roof of the Spectrum in Philadelphia. In their game in the evening, the Rangers defeated Chicago, 4-0, as Vic Hadfield recorded two goals and Ed Giacomin stopped all 13 shots he faced to earn a shutout.
• October 29, 1972 – Jean Ratelle registered four points (two goals, two assists) and Rod Gilbert recorded four assists as the Rangers defeated the Black Hawks, 7-1, at MSG.
• January 1, 1975 – Rod Gilbert recorded his 20th goal of the 1974-75 season, marking the 10th time he reached the 20-goal plateau in his NHL career. The Rangers defeated Chicago, 6-2.
• November 15, 1978 – Pat Hickey (three goals, two assists) and Ulf Nilsson (one goal, four assists) each registered five points as the Blueshirts defeated Chicago, 8-1, at MSG.
• April 3, 1981 – Don Maloney became the first Ranger to tally nine game-winning goals in one season, breaking Rod Gilbert’s single-season franchise record, as the Rangers defeated Chicago, 3-1, at MSG.
• December 28, 1983 – In a game that featured 139 penalty minutes, including a bench-clearing brawl in the third period, the Rangers defeated Chicago, 7-4, as Pierre Larouche and Reijo Ruotsalainen each recorded three points.
• January 18, 1989 – Tony Granato tallied a hat trick for the second time in a three-game span as the Rangers defeated the Blackhawks, 6-4.
• October 8, 1989 – In a contest which the Rangers and Blackhawks were each assessed over 100 penalty minutes, the Blueshirts rallied from a 3-1 deficit and scored four power play goals – two in the final minute of the second period and two by Ulf Dahlen in the third period – to defeat Chicago, 5-3.
• March 11, 1992 – Mike Gartner recorded a hat trick, Brian Leetch tallied four assists, Mark Messier registered three assists, John Vanbiesbrouck made 40 saves, and the Rangers scored seven goals against Hall of Fame goaltenders Ed Belfour and Dominik Hasek in a 7-1 win against the Blackhawks at MSG.
• January 16, 1994 – In his first game against the Blackhawks after playing parts of 13 seasons with the franchise, Steve Larmer tallied a goal on a penalty shot and added an assist as the Rangers earned a 5-1 win in Chicago.
• December 6, 1995 – The Rangers tallied five power play goals in a 5-5 tie with the Blackhawks at MSG. Brian Leetch tallied three points (one goal, two assists) – including his 400th career NHL assist – in the contest, becoming the second defenseman to tally 400 assists with the Rangers in franchise history.
• November 16, 2003 – Mark Messier tallied the final shorthanded goal of his NHL career, and his 23rd career shorthanded goal with the Rangers, as the Blueshirts and Blackhawks played to a 2-2 tie. Messier ranks second in shorthanded goals in NHL history (63), and his 23 shorthanded goals with the Rangers are the most any player has recorded in franchise history.
• October 7, 2015 – The Rangers opened the 2015-16 regular season by defeating the defending Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks, 3-2, in Chicago. Artemi Panarin – making his NHL debut in the game with Chicago – scored his first career NHL goal.
• February 19, 2020 – The Rangers posted their sixth consecutive road win in the midst of a franchise-record nine-game road winning streak by defeating Chicago, 6-3. The Blueshirts scored five goals in the third period.
• December 18, 2022 – Adam Fox (three assists) and Artemi Panarin (one goal, two assists) each registered three points as the Rangers extended their winning streak to seven games by defeating the Blackhawks, 7-1, in Chicago.