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
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.
He's as good as we've seen here, probably ever. He's done everything you could ask for from a star player.
I don't think any one individual can stand alone.
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.
I'm looking at it, I guess, as a celebration. Can't you tell I'm celebrating?
I came into the league as a fourth-line grinder that played a limited role,
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.
Coaching really is an individual philosophy.
When Wayne was traded, I became captain. For me it really wasn't anything - I didn't do anything or I didn't feel I had to do anything different than what I had been doing all along.
I think the idea of the obstruction through the neutral zone and away from the puck was an excellent rule.
I played with a lot of great players before. They're all the same. They take a lot of responsibility for their own play, put a lot of pressure on themselves to perform and to play well.
But I just think as a captain, everybody's different.