THE LAST ORIGINAL RANGER OF NEW YORK: A NOVEL

"A languorous, almost wistful tale. Like a raft drifting down a southern waterway on a summer day. What a beautifully written story! Taking the point of view of a man now in his 90s recalling memories of his heydays as a member of the vaunted New York Rangers. You will love this ride even if you're not a sports fan. If you are a sports fan, find an easy chair and settle in: you're about to take an evocative, magical journey across a historical frontier in this novel by a new writer whose confident, comforting voice is deliciously masterful."
- Author M. Rutledge McCall (Archangel House Publishing)

The Last Original Ranger of New York celebrates the birth of the New York Rangers in 1926, vividly recounted through rookie Murray Murdoch’s eyes. Flash forward to 1994, where ninety-year-old Murray meets his distant relative, the iconic Mark Messier—perhaps the greatest leader in professional sports—on a frozen pond outside Manhattan. There, they share secrets of the Rangers’ storied first season and a prodigy whose potential could have reshaped the sport.

As Mark confronts a grueling season and his last chance to bring a championship to the city, Murray feels an urgency of his own: honoring the unsung legends who built the Rangers’ legacy. Together, they rediscover the courageous, colorful pioneers of the team—Bunny, Ching, Taffy, Raffles, and first captain Bill Cook—whose remarkable bond laid the foundation for a franchise destined to endure for generations.