Mark Messier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Messier OC
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2007
Messier in 2016
Born	(1961-01-18) January 18, 1961 (age 64) St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position	Centre / Left Wing
Played for	Indianapolis Racers Cincinnati Stingers Edmonton Oilers New York Rangers Vancouver Canucks
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	48th overall, 1979 Edmonton Oilers
Playing career	1978–2004
Medal record Representing  Canada Ice hockey World Cup Silver 1996 Canada Canada Cup Gold 1991 Canada Gold 1987 Canada Gold 1984 Canada World Championships Silver 1989 Canada

Mark John Douglas Messier is a famous Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a centre for 25 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). His career lasted from 1979 to 2004. He played for the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks. Before the NHL, he also played for the Indianapolis Racers and Cincinnati Stingers in the World Hockey Association (WHA). Messier was the last player from the WHA to still be playing professional hockey.

Many people consider Mark Messier to be one of the greatest hockey players ever. He holds many records. He is second in all-time playoff points (295). He is also third in regular-season games played (1,756) and regular-season points (1,887). Messier won the Stanley Cup six times. Five of these wins were with the Oilers, and one was with the Rangers. He is the only player to be the captain of two different teams that won the Stanley Cup. His strong leadership in New York helped the Rangers win the Cup in 1994. This ended a 54-year wait for the team! Fans nicknamed him "The Messiah" because of his amazing leadership. He was also known as "The Moose" because he was so strong and aggressive on the ice.

Messier won the Hart Memorial Trophy twice (in 1990 and 1992). This award goes to the league's most valuable player. In 1984, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy. This award is for the most valuable player during the playoffs. He was chosen for the NHL All-Star Game 16 times. In 2007, he was added to the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history. He was also honored as an Officer of the Order of Canada. This was for his great contributions to hockey and for helping children get involved in the sport.

Early Life and Junior Hockey

Mark Messier was born on January 18, 1961, in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. His father, Doug Messier, was also a hockey player. Mark was the third of four children. When Mark was young, his family moved to Portland, Oregon. His dad played for the Portland Buckaroos there. In 1969, the family moved back to St. Albert. Mark went to St. Francis Xavier High School in Edmonton. His father coached him in his early years of junior hockey.

Mark's older brother, Paul, also played hockey. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 1978. Paul played a few games in the NHL before playing for a long time in Germany. Mark's cousins, Mitch and Joby Messier, also played in the NHL.

Starting in Junior and Pro Leagues

In 1976, when Mark was only 15, he tried out for the Spruce Grove Mets. This was a junior team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). His father was the coach. Mark made the team even though he was so young. He scored 66 points in 57 games that season. The next year, the team moved to St. Albert and became the St. Albert Saints. Mark was named captain and scored 74 points. After that season, he played 7 playoff games for the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League (WHL).

In 1978, Mark felt he was too good for the AJHL. He wanted to play at a higher level. His father helped him get a contract with the Indianapolis Racers in the World Hockey Association (WHA). This was a professional league. Mark played only four games with the Racers before the team ran into financial trouble. He then signed with another WHA team, the Cincinnati Stingers. He played 47 games for the Stingers and scored his first professional goal.

NHL Career with the Oilers

The WHA league closed down after the 1978–79 season. Some of its teams, including the Edmonton Oilers, joined the NHL. Mark Messier was eligible for the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. The Oilers picked him in the third round, 48th overall. He joined the team for the 1979–80 season.

At first, Messier was known for being a tough player. He was a strong leader in the locker room and on the ice. He wasn't known for scoring many goals at first. But his scoring numbers got much better over his first few years with the Oilers. In the 1981–82 season, he scored 50 goals, which was his best goal-scoring season. He often played on a line with Glenn Anderson.

Messier's name engraved on the Stanley Cup, as a part of the 1983–84 Edmonton Oilers

Messier started his career as a left-winger. He was even named to the NHL First All-Star Team as a left-winger in 1982–83. But in the 1984 playoffs, he switched to playing centre. This change was a huge success. In Game 3 of the 1984 Finals, Messier scored a brilliant goal that helped the Oilers come back and win. The Oilers went on to win their first Stanley Cup. Messier won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.

Messier won four more Stanley Cups with the Oilers: in 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1990. For the 1990 win, he was the captain of the Oilers. This victory was surprising because Wayne Gretzky had been traded away two years earlier. Messier also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP that season.

After the 1990–91 season, Messier was unhappy with some team decisions. He publicly asked to be traded. On October 4, 1991, the Oilers traded Messier to the New York Rangers.

New York Rangers (First Time)

In his first season with the Rangers, Messier won his second Hart Trophy. He led the Rangers to the best record in the NHL. However, they lost in the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the 1992–93 season, the Rangers did not make the playoffs. This was the first time in Messier's career that he missed the postseason.

The 1994 Stanley Cup Win

In the 1993–94 season, the Rangers were back on top. They finished first overall and were expected to win the Stanley Cup. After winning their first two playoff rounds easily, they faced a tough challenge.

In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers were playing against their rivals, the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers were losing the series 3–2 and were down 2–0 in the game. Messier famously told the New York media that the Rangers would win Game 6. He then went out and scored three goals in the third period, including an empty-net goal. This helped the Rangers win the game 4–2. It was an incredible moment, like Babe Ruth's called shot in baseball. The Rangers then won the series in a thrilling Game 7 in double overtime.

In the Stanley Cup Finals, Messier scored the winning goal in Game 7. This gave the Rangers their first Stanley Cup in 54 years! He became the first (and only) player to be captain of two different teams that won the Stanley Cup. When the final buzzer sounded, Messier was jumping with joy. He famously lifted the Stanley Cup, an image that became iconic for Rangers fans. New York City celebrated with a huge parade. The mayor called Messier "Mr. June" for his amazing performance.

In the 1995–96 season, Messier had 99 points, almost reaching 100 points at 35 years old. In the 1996–97 season, his former Oilers teammate Wayne Gretzky joined the Rangers. Messier remained the captain. They led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals, but lost to the Philadelphia Flyers. This was the last time both Messier and Gretzky played in the playoffs.

Messier wanted to finish his career with the Rangers. However, the team did not agree on a new contract. So, Messier left the club after the season.

Vancouver Canucks

At 36 years old, Messier signed with the Vancouver Canucks in 1997. His return to Canada was a big event. However, things did not go smoothly. Before the season, the Canucks' captain, Trevor Linden, gave up his captaincy to Messier. Many Canucks fans were not happy about this. Messier also asked for his jersey number, No. 11, which the Canucks had unofficially retired for a player who passed away. This also upset fans. Messier became one of the most disliked players in Canucks history.

In his first game back in New York against the Rangers, Messier received a very emotional welcome. He even scored a goal against his old team and got applause from the fans.

Messier's time with the Canucks was not as successful. He scored 60 points in his first season, which was his lowest in a full year since his first NHL season. The next two seasons were cut short by injuries. The Canucks did not make the playoffs during his three years there. The team did not try to sign him again, and he became a free agent in 2000.

Return to New York and Retirement

In 2000, the New York Rangers hired Glen Sather, Messier's former coach, as their new general manager. Sather brought Messier back to the Rangers for the 2000–01 season. At a press conference, the current Rangers captain, Brian Leetch, gave the captaincy back to Messier. Messier promised that the Rangers would return to the playoffs.

At 40 years old, Messier scored 67 points in the 2000–01 season. This showed he could still play well. However, the Rangers still missed the playoffs. He missed half of the 2001–02 season due to an arm injury.

Messier (left foreground) during his number retirement ceremony with the New York Rangers. The ceremony was held in January 2006, several months after he retired.

On November 4, 2003, Messier scored two goals against the Dallas Stars. This moved him past Gordie Howe into second place on the all-time point scoring list. Only Wayne Gretzky had more points. Eleven days later, Messier played in the Legends Game at the NHL Heritage Classic in Edmonton.

Messier's last game at Madison Square Garden was on March 31, 2004. Fans cheered for him every time he touched the puck. After the game, he received a long standing ovation. He skated around the rink and bowed to the fans. At 43 years old, most people thought he would retire. The next NHL season was canceled due to a lockout. On September 12, 2005, Mark Messier officially announced his retirement.

Messier played 1,756 regular-season NHL games. He holds the record for the most NHL regular season and playoff games combined, with 1,992 games. He is one of only a few players to play 25 NHL seasons, playing in four different decades.

International Hockey

Messier played for Team Canada several times. He won a silver medal at the 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships in Sweden. He also won three Canada Cup tournaments in a row. He won a silver medal at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. He said these tournaments were his "real opportunity to play international hockey."

After Playing Hockey

Retirement of Mark Messier, January 12, 2006

On January 12, 2006, the New York Rangers retired Messier's jersey number, 11. This means no other Rangers player will wear that number. It was a very emotional ceremony with many of his 1994 Stanley Cup teammates there. The Edmonton Oilers also retired his number 11 on February 27, 2007.

Messier has shown interest in working as a general manager for the Rangers. He also coached Team Canada in two European tournaments in 2010.

The NHL created the Mark Messier Leadership Award. This award is given to a player who shows great leadership on the ice and helps their community.

Messier alongside other former Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers during the 2012 NHL Winter Classic alumni game.

Messier stays active in New York City. He played in the 2012 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game in Philadelphia. He also ran in the New York City Marathon in 2011. Messier is involved in building the Kingsbridge National Ice Center. This will be a huge indoor ice facility with nine ice rinks in the Bronx.

After retiring, Messier worked as a TV analyst for hockey games. He appeared on Versus, NBC, and later joined Rogers Communications and ESPN/ABC to talk about hockey. He was also in commercials for Lay's potato chips in Canada and the U.S.

Personal Life

Mark Messier has a son named Lyon, born in 1987. Lyon also played professional hockey as a defenseman. Mark's wife, Kim, gave birth to their second son, Douglas Paul, in 2003, and their daughter, Jacqueline Jean, in 2005.

Messier owns a hotel called the Runaway Hill Club in the Bahamas. He supports preventative healthcare and has been a spokesperson for Cold-fX. He is also involved in charity work, especially in his home province of Alberta. He serves on the board of the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund. In Edmonton, a road between St. Albert and the city was renamed Mark Messier Trail in his honor.

Awards and Achievements

Career Highlights

• He is the only player to have been captain of two different Stanley Cup championship teams: the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers.
• In 1998, he was ranked number 12 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
• The National Hockey League created the Mark Messier Leadership Award in his honor in 2006. This award goes to a player who shows great leadership on the ice and helps their community.
• His 1,887 points in the regular season are third all-time, behind Jaromír Jágr and Wayne Gretzky. Even with all these points, Messier never won a scoring title.
• His 1,756 regular-season NHL games played are third most all-time, behind Gordie Howe and Patrick Marleau.
• He was the last active player in the NHL who had played in the 1970s.
• He was also the last active player who had played in the World Hockey Association.
• He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007, in his first year of eligibility.
• In 2010, he was chosen as one of the first people to be inducted into the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame.
• He was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada by Hockey Canada in 2013.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

See also

• List of NHL statistical leaders
• List of NHL players with 1,000 points
• List of NHL career assists leaders
• List of NHL players with 500 goals
• List of NHL players with 1,000 games played