New York Rangers to feature first-ever jersey patch during centennial season – The New York Times

Culture
The New York Rangers will introduce their first-ever jersey patch this season in partnership with GAME 7, the sports and entertainment brand co-founded by former Rangers star, six-time Stanley Cup winner and Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier.
The patch features the GAME 7 logo in blue with white lettering on the right shoulder of the Rangers’ home and away jerseys. It will be featured on the jerseys beginning Sept. 21, their first preseason game against the New Jersey Devils. The patch will also be on the team’s centennial jerseys, as the Rangers prepare to celebrate their 100th year this season.
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Messier, whose career includes helping the Rangers win the Stanley Cup in 1994, said the significance of partnering with the team isn’t lost on him. During the ’94 playoffs, the Rangers won Game 7s in both the Eastern Conference final and Stanley Cup Final to end the franchise’s 54-year championship drought.
“To be able to say that we’re the first jersey patches in their 100 years (of) history is incredible,” Messier said. “We’re so excited about the centennial year, and it just seemed to come together perfectly. Sometimes you just can’t plan for things. This seemed to be organically the right thing, and we’re just so thrilled to get started.”
The NHL approved sponsor patches for the 2022-23 season as a means to generate revenue. Entering the 2024-25 season, there were nine teams that did not have a jersey sponsor patch. The Utah Mammoth were the only team last season without a helmet sponsor.
The Rangers reached a three-year agreement with GAME 7.
“Our search for a partner that would be so deeply ingrained in both the Rangers and Madison Square Garden led us directly to GAME 7, which we believe is an absolutely perfect fit,” said Jamaal Lesane, chief operating officer of MSG Sports. “Mark and his team at GAME 7 have created something special, and as our organization embarks on our centennial season, we look forward to continued collaboration for years to come.”
The idea was to make the patch look as if it was always a part of the jersey and not randomly affixed. GAME 7 co-founder Mat Vlasic said the process to finalize the patch was “literally one pass and everyone agreed.”
“I fancy myself as somewhat creative, and you want to try multiple things, never want to just have one option. But it literally was that,” Vlasic said. “It was the first pass, and that rarely happens.”
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Messier added, “It was great for GAME 7 to partner with an iconic venue like Madison Square Garden and, of course, an iconic Original Six hockey team that has a tremendous amount of history behind it. We couldn’t be happier with the relationship and the partnership that’s going to ensue for the next three years. We are above and beyond excited for the opportunity.”
(Photo courtesy of GAME 7)
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Jason Jones is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Culture. Previously, he spent 16 years at the Sacramento Bee, covering the Sacramento Kings and Oakland Raiders. He’s a proud Southern California native and a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley Follow Jason on Twitter @mr_jasonjones

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