The Knicks have been mercifully eliminated from the N.B.A. playoffs. The Yankees have not yet reached the trading-minor-leaguers-for-Joey-Votto deadline. Football is months away, and Tim Tebow is working out with the Jets’ punting unit.

It is time, in other words, for casual fans to jump on the Rangers’ bandwagon.

There is nothing wrong with a little fair-weather fandom. The 18,200 hard-core Rangers fans on earth, all of whom own season tickets and every one of whom was at the team’s 3-0 victory over the Devils in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Monday night, will grudgingly accept a few hundred thousand temporary recruits into their ranks, providing that they demonstrate some minimal understanding of what is happening on the ice.

This primer, written by someone who spent decades leaping on and off the Philadelphia Flyers’ bandwagon in late April (the knee will be fine in a few days, thanks for asking), will help you blend in among hockey die-hards. Start by washing your brand-new Marian Gaborik sweater a few times so it looks as if you bought it in 2010. Then use the following factoids to guide you through conversations with folks who were glued to their seats when the Rangers were skating around Sweden in October.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT The Devils began their existence as the Kansas City Scouts in 1974. Goaltender Martin Brodeur joined the team as a toddler early in the season.