A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

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Entry from December 01, 2004
New York Rangers (Tex’s Rangers)
The manager of Madison Square Garden was Tex Rickard. He saw how well the New York Americans hockey team did, so he started his own team. Newspapers (see 1935 citation) called the team "Tex's Rangers," and the "Rangers" became the official name.

Which newspapers? I'm working on it.

18 April 1926, New York Times, pg. S1:
NEW YORK IS ASSURED
OF ANOTHER PRO SIX

Rangers, Sponsored by Colonel
Hammond, Promised Admission
Other Cities Considered.
(...)
The New York Rangers, new professional hockey team sponsored by John S. Hammond, were assured that they would be admitted to the league for next season. Actual admittance rests with the annual meeting next September. The new club will operate in Madison Square Garden.

26 September 1926, New York Times, pg. S4:
The New York Rangers also were officially admitted into the league. The team is owned by the Madison Square Garden Company and was represented by Colonel Hammond and Wilfred Smythe of New York.

20 October 1926, New York Times, pg. 28:
NEW YORK RANGERS
START ICE TRAINING

1 November 1926, New York Times, pg. 27:
New York's two teams are already training: the Americans at Niagara Falls and the Rangers at Toronto.

31 December 1935, Ironwood (MI) Daily Globe, pg. 10:
Americans First
New York Ice
Hockey Team
(...)
Before the first professional game in New York, Rickard told Colonel Hammond that he would be satisfied if it drew $8,000. It grossed $44,000.
(...)
"The entire club cost only $30,000. The newspaper boys called us Tex's Rangers, and the name stuck." (Colonel Hammond quotation - ed.)


15 February 1982, New York Times, pg. C9:
The team, in the beginning, was called Tex's Rangers, because of Tex Rickard, the fight promoter who ran Madison Square Garden in the 1920's.

12 June 1994, New York Times, pg. E5:
Witnessing the success of the Americans, he (Tex Rickard - ed.) decided his Garden should have its own hockey team, not merely one as a tenant.

"Tex's Rangers," he'd say at the office, slapping people on the back. "Get it?" The name stuck.
Posted by {name}
Sports/Games • Wednesday, December 01, 2004 • Permalink


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