New York Islanders Rivalry with Rangers Explained

t’s rivalry night tonight in the Big Apple as the New York Islanders take on the New York Rangers. In the spirit of rivalry night we put forward our reasons for hating the Rangers.

We asked the Eyes on Isles staff to tell us why as New York Islanders fans, they hated the New York Rangers. You know, that other New York team. Sorry Buffalo, we know you’re in New York State, but we weren’t talking about you.

What is it about the Rangers that just make you get hot under the collar?

We gave our writer no lead-up or days to prepare a response. They could be as brief or as rambling as they wanted. These were honest and immediate answers to a very personal question.

And after all the answers came in, our hatred for the New York Rangers could be boiled down to three main reasons:
Their monopoly of the local hockey market,
Their fans,
How the Isles don’t get no respect.

These aren’t the only reasons to dislike the New York Rangers, but there the ones we could think of. Got something different? Make sure to add it in the comments section.

Go! Isles! Go!

Mar 31, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) high fives fans in the stands prior to the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The Hurricanes won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Monopoly of the Market

According to Forbes, the New York Rangers are the most valuable franchise in the National Hockey League. That’s what happens when you’re an original six team playing in one of the largest markets in North America.

You have the luxury of time. Time to cultivate a massive fan base. Time to get your financial house in order because of said fan base. And time to extend your reach outside of your franchise.

And that’s why we hate them.

Eric Vogel
The fact that they always spend in free agency, make relevant moves at the deadline, play in an amazing arena, and own the TV network that we play on.

Farrell Hirsch
The reason to hate them is that you can’t beat them. Even if the Islanders score more goals tonight, the Rangers control the media, they control a larger fan base, they have the more recent cup, the historic arena. Winning feels great but temporary. And on the other hand, the unfortunate truth of sport is that it needs evil like the Rangers to maintain its hold on your psyche.

Jennifer Lapka
They’ve got the label that sells. 99 percent of the time big name or free-agents, in general, are going to choose the Rangers to play for (see Jimmy Vesey, Dan Boyle – not that we care about Boyle but it’s the principle of it). Oh and you know, the whole edge when it comes to refs. Kidding. Mostly.

Oct 13, 2016; New York, NY, USA; The New York Rangers salute their fans before an opening night game against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

That Fan Base Though

It’s undeniable that the Rangers have a larger fan base. That doesn’t make them any better, in fact, it kinda makes them worse. There’s something to be said about the safety of numbers.

It impunity one might feel when shooting out absolute nonsense is understandable when you consider that there’s a throng of like-minded individuals at your side. But again. That doesn’t make them right, or even likable. Like at all.

Billy Lewis
I hate how the Rangers will always have the media coverage. The Islanders have the best player in New York, but he doesn’t get his due because he wears a blue and orange sweater.

Colby:
The arrogance that the Rangers fans have is a major reason why I hate this team. They say the most wildly inaccurate things while they talk trash. And it annoys me to no end. Things that a five-year-old can disprove. The fact that Rangers fans always thinks they’re top dogs annoy me to the point where I’d put my isles colored gloves on and do as Brian Trottier once did.

Feb 28, 2016; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; New York Islanders forward John Tavares (91) get a request from a fan during warmup against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Hatred or Jealousy?

Sometimes it’s difficult to decipher if what you’re feeling towards the Rangers is actual hatred or is it just jealousy?

For some of us, the reason we hate them is just how they view the New York Islanders as a franchise and how little respect we get.

At this point, we’re seemingly forever in their shadow. Heck, the Islanders are one of the only true dynasties to have ever graced the NHL with four Stanley Cups in a row. The Rangers have won just one cup in 75 years, and still, we get no respect.

So are jealous? Probably. Do we hate them because of it. Definitely.

Matt O’Leary
It’s like a sibling rivalry. The Rangers are the old brother and the Isles are looked at as the younger brother. And the Rangers are the favorite. They have the media and a much bigger fan base on their side. So it’s always nice to beat them and take them and their fans down a notch.

Timothy Palladino
I think hating the Rangers is just our thing. We won four cups and they won two since 1940. Besides that, we are always looked at as the team know one cares about. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that their ownership runs the organization well and ours is all over the place?

Michel Anderson
The New York Islanders just don’t get any respect. Look, the Islanders swept the Rangers in the head-to-head last season. Swept! Unfortunately, in order to usurp the Rangers in the popularity ratings, the Islanders are going to have to string a number of winning season and deep playoff runs together. Not seemingly likely with the current iteration of the team.

Which is where my, hatred for the Rangers comes from. It’s just how easy they have it, and how hard we have to work to get a crumb of respectability. Call it hatred or call it jealousy. It boils down to the same thing in the end. The Rangers weren’t supposed to be this good this year. It was our time to be on top. And yet, for no good reason both have reverted to type.

Maybe one reason we hate the Rangers is something that Timothy touched on: because we’re Islanders fans. It’s just something that defines us and our relationship with the other team in the New York Market. Again, not you Buffalo.