The New York/Brooklyn Americans story.

 The Americans started in the 1925-26 season and their last season was the 1941-42 season. No Stanley Cup finals and got to the semis twice. Thomas Duggan and Bill Dwyer founded the team. When the league expanded to 10 teams, the league went to two divisions. The Americans were put into the Canadian division (which made absolutely no sense). That started their troubles. Them and Boston were the catalysts to the rule prohibiting icing Americans iced the puck 61 times.  Next meeting, Boston iced it 87 times). Over the seasons, lackluster performances, financial difficulties and eventually the second world war severely hindered them.  Dwyer tried selling the team.  When no buyers came, he abandoned them. When the NHL took over operations, Dwyer tried suing. Dwyer and the NHL settled when Dwyer agree if he could pay off all the debts, the team was his again. Dwyer never did so the NHL took over.  NHL asked coach and GM Red Dutton to take over operations.  The first three seasons after he took over, the Americans made the post season. September 1939 WW2 began and many players went to serve. Teams were affected, but the Americans were affected the most by having their worst season ever. Dutton was selling off his players to make ends meet. That was a sign that the end was close.  Their final season they were renamed the Brooklyn Americans with the hopes of moving to Brooklyn.  The managed to get to the end of the season. After the 1941-42 season, they suspended operations. Dutton was promised they would be up and running after the war ended. In 1945 a group emerged willing to build an arena in Brooklyn. But in 1946, the NHL reneged on their promise to resume the Americans and cancelled them. Dutton was furious at Madison Square Garden and the Rangers for pressuring the NHL to not reinstate his team. He swore the Rangers would never win the Stanley Cup while he was alive.  Dutton died in 1987 and the Rangers won their 4th Cup in 1994, 54 years after their third.  Last New York Americans player was Pat Egan.  He retired in 1951.  Last Brooklyn Americans player was Ken Mosdell, who retired in 1959. So there's the story of the New York/Brooklyn Americans.