Mark Messier is a Canadian former professional ice hockey center who has made a lasting impact on the National Hockey League and the world of ice hockey. As a player, he spent a remarkable quarter of a century in the NHL, from 1979 to 2004, representing the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers Hockey Team, and Vancouver Canucks. Prior to his NHL career, he played professionally with the World Hockey Association's Indianapolis Racers and Cincinnati Stingers. Notably, he was the last former WHA player to be active in professional hockey and the last active player who had played in the NHL in the 1970s.
Messier is widely regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time. His impressive career statistics include being second on the all-time career lists for playoff points (295) and regular season games played (1756),and third for regular season points (1887). He is a six-time Stanley Cup champion, having won five titles with the Edmonton Oilers and one with the New York Rangers. Moreover, he is the only player to have captained two professional teams to championships. His exceptional playoff leadership during his time with the New York Rangers, which ended a 54-year Stanley Cup drought in 1994, earned him the nickname "The Messiah", a play on his name.
Messier's accolades include being a two-time winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player, in 1990 and 1992, and in 1984, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs. He has been selected to the NHL All-Star Game an impressive 15 times. In recognition of his outstanding achievements, Messier was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007, in his first year of eligibility. Furthermore, in 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history, cementing his status as a hockey legend.
