The Rangers want the Stanley Cup.
Even for the time being, the Prince of Wales Trophy isn’t even a good enough substitute.
After an emotional and hotly contested Eastern Conference final series ended Thursday in a 1-0 victory over the Canadiens at the Garden, the Rangers avoided the trophy, given to the East winner, like the plague.
Alternate captains Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Brad Richards went out to receive the trophy, though each skated by it, barely making eye contact. Soon, the rest of the Rangers joined them for a photo with the trophy. Nobody, however, touched it — as instructed by the only two Stanley Cup champions in uniform, Richards and Martin St. Louis. Few Rangers even looked at it.
“Marty and I have been there. [Dan Carcillo, serving a suspension], unfortunately, wasn’t dressed, so we didn’t put his opinion in,” Richards said, drawing laughs. “We won it [with the Lightning in 2004] without touching it, and it was instructed that way when we won.
“If half the team was there, maybe we would have had more debate on the ice. But there wasn’t much of a debate.”
Knicks president Phil Jackson agreed with Richards.
“Don’t touch that sucker,” Jackson tweeted.
The last time the Rangers reached the Stanley Cup final, back in 1994, Mark Messier not only touched the Wales Trophy, he embraced it, lifting it over his head. That worked out pretty well, too.