When the Rangers visit the Red Wings tomorrow night at Little Caesars Arena, it’ll be their fourth game of the new season.

It’s been exactly a week since they defeated the Penguins 6-0 in the season opener. They followed that up by losing the home opener 6-5 in overtime to Utah HC. A game that saw the teams combine for seven goals in a sloppy second period. Will Cuylle’s tying goal in the third  earned them a point.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the only topic of conversation in hockey circles. The Rangers unveiled two new banners at Madison Square Garden. One was the 2023-24 Metropolitan Division Champs. There’s nothing wrong with that. They were the best team in the division.

It’s the other banner that continues to be discussed. The Rangers had the league’s best record to finish with 114 points. They won the Presidents’ Trophy. Although they came up short of winning the Stanley Cup, the organization recognized the achievement. The only problem with the new banner is the wording.

Most teams will have a banner that says Presidents’ Trophy Winner on it. The Rangers decided it was a good idea to have one that reads, “2023-24 Regular Season Champions.”

Whoever decided that should hang their head in shame. It’s an insult to Blueshirt fans. You aren’t crowned champs for winning the regular season. That must be earned. Anything less than a championship is a disappointment.

Past great seasons by the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins were celebrated. Neither won the Cup. The 1995-96 Red Wings lost to the Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. The 2022-23 Bruins lost to the Panthers in the first round. They were bitter endings to special seasons.

In 1991-92, the Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy. They lost to the Penguins in the Patrick Division Final. That banner still hangs from the rafters at MSG. It doesn’t say regular season champions.

It’s been 30 years since the Rangers won the Cup. The 1993-94 team backed up winning the Presidents’ Trophy by becoming Stanley Cup Champions. That is the one banner that is still fondly remembered. It remains their only Cup since 1939-40.

When Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Alex Kovalev, or Stephane Matteau are at The Garden, they get well-deserved loud cheers when they’re shown on the video board. That’s how special 1994 remains. Nobody cares that they had the league’s best record. The only thing that matters is that they won a championship.

Someone should tell Garden CEO James Dolan. If he wants the franchise to be the butt of jokes, he’s succeeded. Even with good players that are part of a roster that made two recent Conference Final appearances. The goal is to win the Cup.

The Rangers could finish third in the division. But if they go on to win it all, that’s all that matters. As recent history has shown, you don’t have to finish first overall to win the Cup. Few Presidents’ Trophy winners back up their regular season success. It becomes much more challenging in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

If I were the Rangers, I’d take down that banner and fix it. 2023-24 Presidents’ Tropby Winners sounds much better. That shouldn’t be so hard. For the time being, they’ll continue to get mocked. Hopefully, the 2024-25 Rangers can add another championship banner next June.