The Rangers lost the game and were eliminated from the playoffs but Richter was chosen to be a regular member of the team. The next two seasons, he shared goaltending duties with John Vanbiesbrouck. When the Rangers traded Vanbiesbrouck to the Vancouver Canucks before the 1993–94 season, Richter became the Rangers starting goaltender. During his first year as the Rangers starter, he was able to record 42 wins and a 2.57 goals against average, as the Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy. Richter was also named the Most Valuable Player of the NHL All-Star Game that year.