Mark Messier

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Lore & Background

Messier is considered one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time. He is second on the all-time list for playoff points (295) and third for regular season games played (1756) and regular season points (1887). He is a six-time Stanley Cup champion—five with the Oilers and one with the Rangers—and is the only player to captain two teams to Stanley Cup championships. His playoff leadership during his first stint with the Rangers, which ended a 54-year Stanley Cup drought in 1994, earned him the nickname 'The Messiah', a play on his name. He was also known, throughout his career, as 'The Moose' for his aggression and strength. He twice won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player, in 1990 and 1992 and in 1984 won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs. He was selected for the NHL All-Star Game sixteen times. In 2007, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, in his first year of eligibility. In 2017, Messier was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history. On June 30, 2017, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada by Governor General David Johnston for 'contributions to hockey as an outstanding player and captain and for his leadership in encouraging children to take up the sport.'

In Their Own Story

The 1984 Stanley Cup Final remains etched in memory for its dramatic turning point. Trailing the four-time defending champion New York Islanders 2–1 in Game 3, the Oilers struggled offensively until Messier exploded onto the scene. Beating the defensive pair of Denis Potvin and Gord Dineen, he scored on a brilliant end-to-end rush that tied the game and sparked a massive 7–2 victory. This goal shifted the series entirely; the Oilers went on to win Games 4 and 5 by scores of 7–2 and 5–2 respectively, securing their first Stanley Cup. Messier was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.

Reader's Guide

Messier was born in St. Albert, Alberta. He played junior hockey for the Spruce Grove Mets (later St. Albert Saints) of the AJHL, then briefly for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. He began his professional career with the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA on a 5-game amateur tryout, then signed with the Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA for $35,000. He scored his first professional goal on March 20, 1979, against Pat Riggin of the Birmingham Bulls. After the WHA folded, he was drafted 48th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1979 NHL entry draft. He played on a line with Glenn Anderson. He registered his only 50-goal season in 1981–82. Initially a left-winger (named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1982–83 on the left wing), Messier switched to centre in the 1984 playoffs. In the 1984 Stanley Cup Finals against the New York Islanders, in game three, with the Oilers trailing 2–1, Messier beat the defensive pair of Denis Potvin and Gord Dineen to score on a brilliant end-to-end rush that tied the game and sparked a 7–2 victory. The Oilers won the series in five games, and Messier won the Conn Smythe Trophy. In 1984, he was suspended for ten games for cracking Jamie Macoun's cheekbone with a sucker punch from behind.

Did You Know?

• Messier was the last active player in any major North American professional sports league to have played in the 1970s.
• He is the only player to captain two different teams to Stanley Cup championships.
• His first professional goal was accidental—he flipped the puck from near center ice and it took a bad bounce into the net.
• Messier's father Doug was his coach and mentor during his early junior hockey years.