The Last Original Ranger of New York

by Bryan Reilly

This historical novel celebrates the 1926 birth of the New York Rangers hockey team through the eyes of rookie player, Murray Murdoch.In 1994, the ninety-year-old Murray and his distant relative, Mark Messier, perhaps the greatest leader in professional sports and captain of the same legendary hockey franchise meet at a frozen pond in the northern suburbs of Manhattan. Together, they reminisce and share secrets about the team’s remarkable first season and a prodigy that would have changed the sport forever. Mark is introduced to his unheralded predecessors; true-life characters named Bunny, Ching, Taffy, Raffles, and the team’s first captain, Bill Cook. Their inspiring tale of courage, comradery, and perseverance built a foundation that would last 100 years and well beyond. But time is the enemy of both Mark and Murray. Mark, at thirty-three, is battling a long, grinding season in the hopes of winning a championship that has long alluded the city. He knows this might well be his last chance. Murray is keenly aware it might also be his last chance to seek the recognition his former teammates have long deserved, as Murray Murdoch is the last original Ranger of New York.

398 pages, Paperback

Published November 19, 2023

Reviews

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3.5 (higher for a true Ranger fan no doubt)

Game-by-game coverage drags at time.

Fictional aspects clearly the strength here.

[Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and I loved Mr. Murdoch. I loved the renditions of the early games, especially as the emotion during the play by play seemed real. This read like a memoir and I'm not sure where fact ended and fiction began. I was especially saddened by Sam. I'd like to know how much of his story was true.

[Donald Lumley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a fun read and amazingly authentic got a fictional book. I'm sure one would have to understand appreciate hockey to follow the descriptions of the action but it was great.

[John Hoppe · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a long time Ranger fan I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fun reading about the beginning of the franchise.

[E. La · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the casual reader might be unfamiliar to this world of swift line changes and cross checks, the story of this book is about the characters and their development as individuals and a team. There’s plenty of emotional content to hold every reader’s interest. The novel follows the season through the eyes of a young hockey player, Murray Murdoch, whom a reader can easily bond with.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly (even though I’m admittedly not a die-hard hockey fan) and I missed the characters after finishing it. A pleasant surprise was how the book provoked my curiosity to investigate more about these particular players, such interesting and under-appreciated individuals. The author does a very good job of building a fictional plot which runs parallel to the historical action. This novel is a beautiful homage to the tightly-knit “family” these players built, adjusting to a new home and a new arena.

The story captures not only this early growth stage of the sport, but also the atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties as seen from someone new to the Big Apple and Broadway. I couldn’t help but think of The Great Gatsby; a young, innocent man from the west moves to New York for a career opportunity and discovers more than he could have imagined.

In addition to the story of the characters and their first season as a new hockey team, this novel takes you on to the ice for the up-close, inner workings and thoughts of a hockey player. The split second decisions made during a game as well as enduring the grinding length of the season are well portrayed. Although the games are described in the first-person perspective by the narrator, at times I could imagine listening to an old radio broadcast, vividly picturing the action.

It’s a challenging setting the author has chosen for his first novel if trying to appeal to a mainstream audience, given the obscurity of 1920s professional hockey. The story, however, leaves both true puck heads as well as non-hockey fans quenched.

In conclusion, it’s a wonderfully pleasant book about sportsmanship, true friendship and the legacy we each leave behind, not to mention a marvelous history lesson.

Definitely, a must-read for every hockey fan.

[Gabriella Aden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure! Admittedly, the first two chapters were hard to read - the world of hockey was completely new to me, so I needed to familiarize myself with the terms, the action, the players (I googled a lot to get an idea of what the historic figures looked like etc.).

With every chapter I read, I became more connected to the players and their families, their stories. The novel became very captivating, bringing up a lot of emotions. Some passages even brought me to tears - like a good read should do. I shared the feeling of emptiness after their first season being over.

I love how the author switches back in time throughout the book and how the reader feels the connection between Murray and Mark.

I am glad I got educated in a part of American sports history that I didn’t know up until now. And I hope that with the upcoming 100th anniversary, the original Rangers will get the honor they deserve.

This novel would make an excellent movie!
I could not help but envision a motion picture throughout the book.

Reading this thrilling book was time well spent. The novel touched me in many ways and at the same time broadened my knowledge. What more to ask!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying I am not a hockey fan. I’ve never even watched a game. However, I have always suspected that seeing a live game would be fun.

Upon finishing Bryan Reilly's debut novel, The Last Original Ranger of New York, I am now convinced that seeing a game, especially one played between rival teams, would no doubt be action packed and exhilarating.

What is great about this book is that despite the fact that there is a lot of play by play narration, the author manages to keep non hockey fans like myself interested by weaving other story lines throughout. As I began to learn more about the characters and the game, I found myself looking forward to the games and rooting for "our team"!

Learning about the formation of the original NY Rangers team was a treat and I loved reading about life for these newcomers to New York City in the 1920’s. This is an interesting read. I would recommend it to both hockey fans and non-hockey fans. Well done!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1994, the last year the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup, original NYR player Murray Murdoch recounts his first season with the new team during a series of conversations watching pond hockey in Westchester County, NY with the great Mark Messier. Murray recalls being recruited from Winnipeg, the formation of the new league and team, and moving to the greatest city of the world in the 1920s. The team perseveres through challenges with the original coach, the rivalry of the other hometown team, and an exhausting travel schedule by train. The personalities of the other players, and sub-plots involving Murray's wife Marie, and a high school phenom player, Sam, make this more than a sports novel. This is a fun read for every NYR fan and would make a great gift for the Rangers fan in your life, especially with the upcoming 100 year anniversary of the team in 2026.

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bryan Reilly's got GAME.

As someone who watches sports mostly for the stories (and an occasional amazing hot dog)—who knows the basics of hockey but can’t explain offsides without visual aids—I went into The Last Original Ranger of New York curious but cautious. I expected a deep dive into stats and glory days that might make me feel like an outsider. What I got instead was a gritty, poignant, and unexpectedly funny look at one man's loyalty—to his team, his city, and a version of New York that may not be around for much longer.

[Lisa Lopes · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly enjoyable read! Mr. Reilly has managed to create an unforgettable story based on historical facts that captivates the reader and emotionally invests them in the character’s outcomes. I love history, a great love story, and I also happen to be a NY Rangers and Mark Messier fan. Although the last two are not necessary to love this book, the author has managed to capture it all. The characters are amazingly lovable and I found myself almost reluctant to finish the book because I knew I’d miss them.
I believe this book would make a phenomenal motion picture. Bravo! Congratulations on a brilliant first novel! Can’t wait to read the next one!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know much about hockey and have never seen a professional hockey team play but after reading The Last Original Ranger of New York I may just become a fan!! I enjoyed reading about the original 1920 players and found myself rooting for the team during the play-by-play descriptions of the games. I became emotionally attached to the characters and was sad when the story ended, which is always a sign of a great read!

[Jacquelynn Bardes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would’ve liked this book better if I knew it was historical fiction going into it. I thought it was non-fiction which contributed to my disappointment midway through the book. That being said the back half I couldn’t put it down but I’ll never forgive what the author did to Sam. It’s historical fiction and he wasn’t a real person so why kill him off like that! My heart.

[Jessika Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Story - Would Benefit from Editing

As the title suggests, I really enjoyed this historical tale about a game that I love. There are numerous word usage and punctuation errors that I found distracting, but overall it was a good read.

[Vijay DaCosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful must-read for any NYR fan and hockey history buff! Aside from a few typos, this was a work of art.

[Mike Scaccalossi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who brings fruit to a hockey game?!?

What a wonderful tale revolving around the birth of the NY Rangers. With their 100th anniversary right around the corner, this is an incredible look into where it all began. I was amazed at how I knew absolutely nothing about the start of this historic franchise. A fun read for all. A great read for hockey fans. A MUST HAVE for any NY Rangers fan!! You will not be disappointed!