The New York Rangers have had a disastrous 2025-26 campaign and will soon be shifting their focus to how they can be competitive again. They are expected to make some massive changes in the offseason, and while nobody knows for sure what their plans are, they will certainly look different next season.
Related: Jonathan Quick’s Rangers Tenure & NHL Career Look to Be Over After This Season
In this edition of Rangers News and Rumors, we take a look at some team-related updates on Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller. As well, we will take a look at the Rangers’ recent loss to the Buffalo Sabres on home ice.
The Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award is presented annually to the Ranger who, as chosen by the fans, “goes above and beyond the call of duty.” The award, which has been given annually since the 1987-88 season, honors devoted fan and New York City Police Detective Steven McDonald, who was shot and injured in the line of duty on July 12, 1986, and passed away on Jan. 10, 2017.
The Rangers announced that Mika Zibanejad was this season’s recipient of the award.
Zibanejad has now won the award for the third time in his career, and is only the fourth Rangers skater to have won the award at least three times.
Rangers forward J.T. Miller was named the recipient of the fifth annual Rod Gilbert “Mr. Ranger” Award, given to the Rangers player “who best honors Rod’s legacy by exemplifying leadership qualities both on and off the ice, and making a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.”
The Rangers said in their announcement: “Miller has proven a genuine commitment to making a positive impact in the community.”
They continued: “In January, Miller and his wife, Natalie, donated $154,000 to the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the largest donation to Garden of Dreams made by a player in franchise history. With this donation, Garden of Dreams purchased 10 suites to invite youth from varying partner organizations, such as NYPD Widows and Children’s Fund, SCAN-Harbor, Ronald McDonald House New York, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and more, to attend New York Rangers games and to meet the Millers following the game.”
The Rangers went on to say: “At the start of the season, Miller represented the Rangers at the BGC Charity Day, honoring those lost in the September 11 attacks by participating in celebrity guest calls on the trading floor, meeting fans, and helping raise funds for the Garden of Dreams Foundation. Throughout the season, he has consistently been present at team community initiatives, including post-game fan meet-and-greets.”
In their most recent game, the Rangers were handed a loss on home ice to the red-hot Buffalo Sabres, losing 5-3.
NHL Game Score Impact Card for New York Rangers on 2026-04-08: pic.twitter.com/DSaFkQKXVR
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) April 9, 2026
Alexis Lafreniere stood out, scoring two goals, which helped the Rangers fight back from what was a 2-0 deficit, but ultimately, the Sabres found a way to pick up a victory.
The Rangers are back in action on Saturday (Apr. 11) when they take on the Dallas Stars, who have already clinched a playoff spot, and while there doesn’t seem to be much left to play for, finishing off the season on a high note could be a strong momentum builder heading into the 2026-27 season.
As the 2025-26 season moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.
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