1997–98 New York Rangers season
| 1997–98 New York Rangers | |
|---|---|
| Division | 5th Atlantic |
| Conference | 11th Eastern |
| 1997–98 record | 25–39–18 |
| Home record | 14–18–9 |
| Road record | 11–21–9 |
| Goals for | 197 |
| Goals against | 231 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Neil Smith |
| Coach | Colin Campbell (Oct.–Feb.) John Muckler (Feb.–Apr.) |
| Captain | Brian Leetch |
| Arena | Madison Square Garden |
| Average attendance | 18,189 |
| Minor league affiliate(s) | Hartford Wolf Pack Charlotte Checkers |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Adam Graves/Wayne Gretzky/ Alexei Kovalev/Pat LaFontaine (23) |
| Assists | Wayne Gretzky (67) |
| Points | Wayne Gretzky (90) |
| Penalty minutes | Darren Langdon (197) |
| Plus/minus | Tim Sweeney (+7) |
| Wins | Mike Richter (21) |
| Goals against average | Dan Cloutier (2.50) |
The 1997–98 New York Rangers season was the franchise's 72nd season. The Rangers posted a 25–39–18 record in the regular season and finished in fifth place in the Atlantic Division. New York missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 1992–93 season.
The Rangers fired head coach Colin Campbell during the season and replaced him with former Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup-winning coach John Muckler. This was also the first season since the 1990–91 campaign that the Rangers did not have Mark Messier; after a contentious negotiating period, the Rangers elected not to re-sign Messier and he instead joined the Vancouver Canucks.