One of the most recognizable honors in New York hockey is wearing the C for the Rangers. It is a role that has carried real weight over the years, and since the start of the 21st century, seven different players have held it.
Some gave the team production, some brought structure, and some brought only a short burst before things unraveled. Here is a ranking of those seven captains.
- J.T. Miller (2025-)
It feels a little harsh to put J.T. Miller at the bottom after only one season as captain, but the first year did not go well.
His offense dropped off badly, turning into one of his least productive seasons in years. The bigger issue was that he did not solve the culture problems around the team.
A lot of people believed his edge and intensity would stop the “quitting” that happened the year before. Instead, that did not happen, and there is even an argument that he became part of the problem.
That is not what you want from the guy wearing the C.
- Jacob Trouba (2022-25)
Trouba’s run began with some debate, since plenty of people thought Chris Kreider should have gotten the job. Still, Trouba showed he could energize a group.
The Rangers started slowly in 2022-23, then Trouba dropped the gloves against the Blackhawks and slammed his helmet against the boards as he headed off the ice. That moment became a spark, and after it the Rangers went 32-12-8 and reached the playoffs.
Even so, his tenure was dragged down by dirty hits and bad penalties that cost the Rangers in some important games.
- Chris Drury (2008-11)
Long before he was making roster calls for the Rangers, Chris Drury was wearing the C in the locker room. He was named captain before the 2008-09 season, just a year after signing, and the hope was that his leadership and work ethic would spread through the room.
Drury had already captained the Sabres, so the Rangers knew what they were getting in that regard. But the results never really matched the idea.
His numbers slipped a bit in his first season, then fell sharply in 2009-10, and injuries limited him through much of his final year. It ended up being a fairly quiet, underwhelming stretch.
- Mark Messier (2000-04)
If this were a ranking of the greatest Rangers captains ever, Mark Messier would be near the top. His resume is loaded, from leading the team that ended the 54-year Cup drought to his famous guarantee before Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.
But that was all the 1990s. From 2000 on, his second stint as captain was much less memorable.
The Rangers were rebuilding, missed the playoffs in all four seasons he wore the C, and the whole thing faded into the background.
- Ryan McDonagh (2014-18)
Ryan McDonagh became the first defenseman to captain the Rangers since Brian Leetch in 1999-00, and he brought a different kind of leadership with him. He did not need big speeches or loud moments to set the tone.
He let his game do the talking, played huge minutes, and took on whatever the team needed from him. That approach fit a veteran group well.
The Rangers made the playoffs three times with McDonagh as captain, and when he was traded, the team left the captaincy open for four seasons. That tells you how much of a gap he left behind.
- Ryan Callahan (2011-14)
Ryan Callahan made history as the first New York-born player to captain the Rangers. More than that, he helped define the hard-edged identity the team carried in the early 2010s.
He led by example and put up 110 points over two and a half seasons, while also delivering 557 hits and blocking 201 shots. That style helped push the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011-12, their deepest playoff run in 15 years.
His time as captain helped lay the foundation for the success that followed in the mid-2010s.
- Jaromír Jágr (2006-08)
No Rangers captain in the 21st century produced like Jaromír Jágr. Others had deeper playoff runs or better team results, but none controlled the ice the way he did while wearing the C.
In 2006-07, he piled up 30 goals and 66 assists for 96 points, the most any Rangers captain has posted in the 21st century. There is a real case that it was the best season ever by a Rangers captain.
That kind of production was a huge reason the team enjoyed its first real stretch of success since the mid-1990s.
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