Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messieris a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and former special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He played a quarter of a century in the NHLwith the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks. He also played professionally with the World Hockey Association's Indianapolis Racers and Cincinnati Stingers. He was the last former WHA player to be active in professional hockey, and the last active...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionHockey Player
Date of Birth18 January 1961
CityEdmonton, Canada
CountryCanada
Besides, ... anyone who plays at 50-odd years old deserves that record.
One of the best experiences I've had in hockey.
I wouldn't come back to play for that reason, ... I know that was talked about, but there has to be other reasons. I thought I achieved a lot in my 25 years and it was time to go.
I look up at the banner and I don't see a No. 11 with my name on it. I see all the things and all the people, my family, my parents, so many people who put me in this position to have my number retired. To me it's almost like a highlight reel when I look up there or a flashback of my life in some regards that I can look up there on any given day on any given moment and have something reoccur that was so special.
When I did play the most important thing for me was to win. And maybe winning just wasn't as important as it once was and I think once I really came to terms with that, that was kind of the deciding factor for me.
I was ready for just about anything that anybody could throw at me. I was ready for the challenge of winning the Stanley Cup. I was ready for this city. I wasn't intimidated about coming to New York.
Other than my dad, no one believed in me more and did more for me as a person and player.
I think it's always a little bit of a bittersweet feeling, I guess. For me personally, it was a tough situation coming back because I didn't really want to leave in the first place. So coming back, obviously, a lot of memories came through. I think it'll be probably the same for Brian.
I don't think any one individual can stand alone.
He's as good as we've seen here, probably ever. He's done everything you could ask for from a star player.
I hear about it every day, every day,
I really had the time to take my time and see how I felt,
I never thought about any individual records. Coming back to break any records, especially that record, wasn't all that appealing to me.
If you ask anybody around here for those years, nobody would have a bad word to say about Brian Leetch.