One of the great debates for fans of any team is who is the best player to wear that jersey number. As a diehard New York Rangers fan, I ask that question to myself whenever a new player receives their number. This is part five of a ten-part series of who I believe are the greatest all-time New York Rangers by jersey number. Today I discuss numbers 50-59. If you missed parts one through four check out the links below!
Greatest All-Time New York Rangers by Jersey Number (Part 1: 90-99) – NHL Belly Up Sports
Greatest All-Time New York Rangers by Jersey Number (Part 2: 80-89) – Belly Up Sports
/Greatest All-Time New York Rangers by Jersey Number (Part 3: 70-79) – Belly Up Sports
Greatest All-Time New York Rangers by Jersey Number (Part 4: 60-69) – Belly Up Sports
Number 59: None
No Rangers player has yet to wear number 59 in a regular season or playoff game. Kevin Hayes wore the number during his rookie preseason but switched to number 13 when he made the team. Most recently Ty Ronning had the number assigned to him during preseason and training camps.
Number 58: John Gilmour
The Rangers signed Gilmour as a college free agent in 2016. I always thought the Rangers should have given him more of a look at the NHL level. With Harford, the offensive defenseman was a 2x All-Star and was a First Team All-Star in 2018-19 after scoring 20 goals. Gilmour was called up a couple of times in his three seasons with the organization but could never stick in the lineup.
Final Rangers stat line: 33 GP 2 G 3 A 5 PTS
Number 57: None
No Rangers player has yet to wear number 57 in a regular season or playoff game. Derek Stepan wore the number during his rookie preseason but switched to number 21 when he made the team. Most recently Rangers prospect Leevi Aaltonen has worn the number, so he could be the first.
Number 56: Michael Sauer
The Rangers drafter Sauer in the 2nd round of the 2005 NHL Draft. The selection they acquired from the Maple Leafs in the Brian Leetch trade. After a couple of seasons in the AHL Sauer established himself in the NHL, playing in 76 games during the 2010-11 season. His +20 plus/minus rating led the team that season. thought they had a reliable stay-at-home defenseman until a questionably high hit by Dion Phaneuf resulted in a concussion. Sauer would battle setbacks from the injury and never play again.
Final Rangers stat line: 98 GP 4 G 14 A 18 PTS
Number 55: Ryan Lindgren
The warrior! The Rangers acquired Lindgren from the Bruins as part of the Rick Nash trade. Lindgren has developed into a top pairing defenseman for the Rangers. Teaming up with Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox. Lindgren’s hard-nosed style quickly led him to become a fan favorite in New York. Every night Lindgren puts it all on the line blocking shots and playing shutdown defense.
Current Rangers stat line: 194 GP 6 G 39 A 45 PTS
Number 54: Brandon Dubinsky
I know when you think of Dubinsky you think number 17, but he wore number 54 his rookie season. The Rangers drafted Dubi in the 2nd round of the 2004 draft. A fan favorite in New York Dubinsky could score and drop the gloves. In his 5 full seasons with the Rangers, he would top the 20-goal mark twice and rack up over 100 penalty minutes three times. He was the recipient of the 2007-08 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. Dubinsky was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of the package for Rick Nash.
Final Rangers stat line: 393 GP 81 G 132 A 213 PTS 457 PIM
Number 53: Derek Morris
Morris is most known for his time in Arizona where he played most of his 1,107 career games. The Rangers acquired Morris from the Coyotes at the 2008-09 trade deadline. Morris gave the Rangers another strong defensive-minded defenseman for their playoff run. After the season Morris would move on and sign a free agent deal with the Bruins.
Final Rangers stat line: 18 GP 0 G 8 A 8 PTS
Number 52: None
No Rangers player has yet to wear number 52 in a regular season or playoff game. Most recently the number has been assigned to Eric Ciccolini at prospect camps. The Rangers drafted Ciccolini in the 7th round of the 2019 NHL Draft. Eric is heading into his Senior season at the University of Michigan. I sat down with him on my podcast The Broadway Hat before last season. Check it out and learn more about the Rangers prospect.
Number 51: Fedor Tyutin
The Rangers drafted Tyutin in the 2nd round of the 2001 NHL Draft. Tyutin became a regular in the Rangers lineup during the 2005-06 season. His career-high 6 goals lead all Rangers defensemen that year. Helping the Rangers snap their 7-season playoff drought. After 4 seasons with the Rangers, he would be traded to Columbus before the 2008-09 season.
Final Rangers stat line: 250 GP 15 G 51 A 66 PTS
Number 50: Lias Andersson
The Rangers drafted Andresson with the 7th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Andersson and the Rangers had a tumultuous relationship. Andresson struggled at the NHL level and also underperformed in the AHL with Hartford. Lias eventually demanded a trade and left the team to go play back home in Sweden until they traded him. Ultimately, he was traded to the LA Kings after 3 seasons with the Rangers.
Final Rangers stat line: 66 GP 3 G 6 A 9 PTS
Sound Off
There it is the greatest all-time New York Rangers to wear jersey numbers 50-59. Not too much debate with this set. The debates should heat up as the numbers lower. To hear more about my decisions on who I selected tune into my weekly Rangers podcast The Broadway Hat. Make sure you are following all of the social media pages below so you can follow along with all ten parts!
Be sure to bookmark our hockey page for hockey coverage and follow Belly Up Hockey on Twitter: @BellyUpHockey. Follow me on Twitter for more takes on the New York Rangers and USA Hockey: @KHallNY. You can also listen to my NY Rangers podcast The Broadway Hat Podcast on Apple Podcast and Spotify for Rangers news and interviews with past and current players.
