Rangers Clinch Presidents' Trophy As NHL Regular Season Ends
Rangers Clinch Presidents Trophy As NHL Regular Season Ends...
The New York Rangers secured the NHL's Presidents' Trophy on Thursday, finishing the 2025-26 regular season with the league's best record. Their 54-20-8 performance (116 points) edged out the Colorado Avalanche (113 points) and Florida Panthers (112 points) in a tight race for the regular-season crown.
The trophy, awarded since 1985-86 to the team with the most standings points, guarantees the Rangers home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. This marks New York's fourth Presidents' Trophy win, having previously earned the honor in 1992, 1994, and 2015.
Interest spiked today as hockey fans debate whether the trophy is a blessing or curse. Only eight of 37 previous Presidents' Trophy winners have gone on to win the Stanley Cup, including last year's Vegas Golden Knights. The Rangers' 1994 squad remains their only team to complete the double.
Head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters: "It's an accomplishment to be proud of, but we know the real work begins now." The Rangers will face the Eastern Conference's second wild-card team, still to be determined, in the first playoff round starting April 17 at Madison Square Garden.
Social media reactions have been mixed, with some fans celebrating the achievement while others recall recent Presidents' Trophy winners like the 2022-23 Boston Bruins who suffered shocking first-round exits. The Rangers last won the Stanley Cup in 1994, creating heightened expectations for this year's playoff run.
Analysts point to New York's balanced scoring (six players with 20+ goals) and Vezina Trophy contender Igor Shesterkin (.925 save percentage) as reasons for optimism. However, the physical toll of a long regular season and the unpredictable nature of playoff hockey remain concerns.
The trophy presentation will occur before Game 1 of the Rangers' first-round series. With the NHL playoffs beginning next week, all eyes will be on whether New York can buck the trend and turn regular-season dominance into postseason glory.
