Mark Messier Retires

[Takara_Soong 4]

Messier's next stop: Hall of Fame

By Phil Coffey | NHL.com

 

Six Stanley Cups are the highlights of Mark Messier's incredible career. He played in Edmoton, New York and Vancouver.

 

When all was said and done, Mark Messier realized there were other mountains to climb, because he certainly had reached the pinnacle of professional hockey as a six-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the greatest players in the history of the NHL.

 

Messier made it official on a conference call Monday afternoon. As players around the NHL were reporting to training camps, Messier announced he would be passing on the festivities, announcing his retirement.

 

"I really had the time to take my time and see how I felt," Messier said. "Not come to a decision before I was ready to make it. It's right for me and my family. I feel good about it. I was able to play 26 years or whatever it is now and walk away healthy. It's a tough situation because we all know how much fun it is to play."

 

The New York Rangers, with whom Messier won the 1994 Stanley Cup, immediately announced that Messier's No. 11 will be retired prior to the Jan. 12, 2006 game against the Edmonton Oilers, the team Messier won five Cups with.

 

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Why now? Messier at age 44 certainly could have played another season or two, and in the process, he would have passed Gordie Howe and become the NHL's all-time leader in games played.

 

But Messier noted that as much as good health was a reason to play, it also provided a strong sentiment to walk away as well.

 

"I'm healthy and I feel good," he said, obviously at peace with his decision. "I feel I can play and feel I could play. But I am retiring under the same circumstances. Health is a big part of it.

 

"I've had a long career, I achieved a lot, there was nothing left for me to achieve and it's time to move aside and go on to something else."

 

Gordie Howe's record for most games played is safe for the time being now that Messier has retired. 

 

As for surpassing Howe, who played in 1,767 career regular-season games, Messier was well within striking distance with 1,756, but that record alone didn't offer enough incentive.

 

"It was talked about even a couple years ago," Messier said of surpassing Howe. "But I wouldn't come back and play just for that reason. I never really thought of individual records. They weren't a concern to me.

 

"Besides," Messier said in homage to Howe, "anyone who plays at 50-odd years old deserves that record."

 

And Messier knew the time had arrived when talks with Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe, his longtime teammate, about finishing his career in Edmonton, didn't move him from his decision.

 

"I gave it some serious consideration. Kevin and I talked a number of times about what he had planned. I definitely listened to him. His thoughts were very appealing. But in the end, I felt it was best for me that if I decided to play that I stay in New York. I wanted to be frank with him on that. ... I knew in my heart I wanted to play in New York. Edmonton was an interesting endeavor, but I had so much invested in New York that it was the right thing to finish in New York."

 

The New York Rangers will retire Mark Messier's number 11 on Jan. 12, 2006. The Edmonton Oilers will be their opponent at Madison Square Garden that night.

 

Messier won only a single Cup with the Rangers, compared with the five he earned in Edmonton. But the circumstances in New York were so Herculean that the challenge remains special. The Rangers hadn't won a Stanley Cup since 1940 when Messier arrived prior to the 1991-92 season. But the end of the 1993-94 campaign, the drought was history and New York celebrated like there was no tomorrow.

 

"I went to New York with one thing in mind, to win a Stanley Cup," Messier said Monday. "When the time came, Glen Sather asked me where I wanted to go and I said I'd like to go to New York and win a Stanley Cup. He was able to make it happen."

 

Messier's stellar tenure in Edmonton coincided with that of Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers became a dynasty. After falling to the New York Islanders in the 1983, the Oilers rebounded to defeat the Islanders in 1984, won again in 1985, were ousted in 1986, won again in 1987 and 1988 and then again in 1990.

 

As the Oilers were dismantled, starting with the trade of Gretzky in August, 1988, Messier was the foundation of the team as it bid farewell to the likes of Paul Coffey, Grant Fuhr and other team stalwarts.

 

Prior to the 1991-92 season, Messier's time came and he was traded to the Rangers for Bernie Nicholls, Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk. In New York, Messier was immediately named team captain and charged with the mission of making the Stanley Cup a reality.

 

"I knew the past history of the team in New York, but I don't think anything prepares you to play in New York," he said. "But I had won five Cups in seven years, so I was confident I knew what it took. I was part of a team that was willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the team."

 

In 1993-94, Messier and the Rangers were poised for greatness. With Mike Keenan behind the bench, New York ran roughshod over the competition, finishing with a 54-22-8 record. Messier had 26 goals and 58 in 76 games and an additional 12 goals and 18 assists in 23 playoff games.

 

But the road to the Rangers' first Cup wasn't without its challenges. After easily dispatching the Islanders and Capitals in the first two rounds, the Rangers ran into the New Jersey Devils and one of the great series in Stanley Cup history was under way, and it cemented Messier's reputation as one of the League's greatest stars.

 

After a loss in Game 5 that put the Devils in position to clinch the series on home ice in Game 6, Messier told the media the Rangers would win the pivotal game. It was akin to Joe Namath's famous Super Bowl III guarantee back in 1969. And like Namath, Messier delivered, scoring a hat trick to force a seventh game that the Rangers won in double overtime.

 

The Rangers then held on in the waning seconds of Game 7 against the Canucks to win the Cup and set off a celebration that was nearly unparalleled in New York City history, including an unforgettable victory parade down New York's famed "Canyon of Heroes" in lower Manhattan that had previously feted Presidents, generals like Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur and astronauts like Neil Armstrong and John Glenn.

 

"I hear about it every day, every day," he said. "I've heard about if from fans and people who were there. I knew the magnitude (of the Rangers winning a Cup) from the first year I was in New York. Certainly I came from a place that was smaller, but had similar expectations. We were a team that had unbelievable talent and we played for a common goal."

 

That was the last Cup celebration for Messier, who would compete in the playoffs in only three of his final 10 seasons. In fact, Messier's team's in Vancouver and New York failed to reach the postseason over his last seven seasons.

 

"I think that may be the only disappointment for me," Messier said of the postseason drought that came at the end. "But I've had so many good things happen during the playoffs that I think that feeling will diminish over time. But the last four years in New York was a big disappointment."

 

But what Messier leaves behind is a treasure trove of accomplishment that almost defies description, but here goes.

 

Messier leaves the NHL with 694 career goals, good for seventh place on the all-time list. He is third on the all-time assist list with 1,193, trailing only Wayne Gretzky and Ron Francis. Messier trails only Gretzky in total point with 1,887 compared to Gretzky's 2,857.

 

In Stanley Cup competition, Messier's 236 games is second only to Patrick Roy. His 109 postseason goals trails only Gretzky's 122. He likewise is second on all-time playoff assists with 186, trailing only Gretzky's 260, and his 295 postseason points also places Messier second to Gretzky on the all-time list. Gretzky had 382.

 

New York retains its hold on Messier, even as he begins the next phase of his life.

 

"I love New York and the area," he said. "I love the team and what we have been able to do in New York. I'll see what the opportunities are."

 

Messier is no hurry, but he did say that remaining involved in the sport is his goal.

 

"I've always planned to be involved in the game," Messier said. "But I don't know in what capacity at this time. I'm going to be open to offers and suggestions and see what fits best."

 

Over the course of his 25 seasons with the Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and Rangers, Messier became one of the most recognizable figures in sports, and one of its greatest leaders. Messier is the only NHL player to captain two teams to the Stanley Cup, leading the Oilers in 1990 and the Rangers in 1994.

 

And while he spoke openly of his love for Manhattan, his affection for both Edmonton and Vancouver is sincere and heartfelt.

 

"For me, being born and raised in Edmonton and to have the opportunity to play professional hockey there is a dream come true," he said. "It was a magical time for me and a lot of people.

 

"I was fortunate to play in an era when some of the best players to ever play the game are recognized. It was an exciting time because of Wayne and the performances he was able to put on."

 

And the famed "Battle of Alberta" with the Calgary Flames, one of the most intense rivalries in NHL history, still burns bright in his memories.

 

"That Calgary team had the unbelievable guidance and coaching of Bob Johnson challenged us for the division and the Stanley Cup," he said. "It was a team to be reckoned with and it made for some of hockey's greatest rivalries."

 

After the 1996-97 season, Messier signed with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent. The three-year stint there didn't produce the success of his previous stays in Edmonton and New York, but Messier enjoyed working with the Canucks' young players.

 

"My days as a Canuck are very interesting days for me," he said. "It was one of the best experiences I had in hockey. We had tough years the first two years I was there. There were a lot of changes. In the third year, you could see the team start to form. Guys were able to put it together, Marc Crawford and his staff did a great job and Brian Burke did a great job there. I look back with a lot of fondness."

 

And Messier also closes the books on the old World Hockey Association, as the last active player who competed in the WHA has now retired.

 

Ironically, the young Messier didn't set the WHA on fire. He scored only one goal and 10 assists in 52 games with the Indianapolis Racers and Cincinnati Stingers.

 

Mark Messier - In Depth

 

Mark Messier Career Numbers

 

There isn't much mention of his contributions to Team Canada over the years in most articles I've read. Those contributions were huge though. His leadership abilities and the intensity at which he played the game were there in Canada Cups, Olympics, etc.

 

A truly great player who deserves to be added to the Hockey Hall of Fame as soon as possible. One of those special waivers so he doesn't have to wait the required number of years would be appropriate.

Edited September 14, 2005 by Takara_Soong

[MrPsychic 1]

Mark Messier was a great player, I think he's in the top 5 players of all time. For me personally, it goes Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, Mark Messier, Bobby Orr.

[Itchygomba69 0]

Mark Messier does not get enough credit, you always hear, especially about Sidney Crosby for an Example, He's Gonna be the Next Gretzky, or Lemieux, but you never hear he will be the next Messier, oh well, 1st ballot hall of Famer withoutadoubt

 

 

GO PENs!