Before the puck drops between the two NHL clubs where Messier made his mark, the Rangers will retire The Moose's No. 11 jersey, honouring his 10 seasons in New York.
After helping the Oilers win five Stanley Cups, Messier was traded to the Rangers and proceeded to make New York sports history.
"The guy came in and he was more than you could have wished for, right off the bat," recalled Neil Smith, the general manager who brought Messier to New York in a trade with the Oilers on Oct. 4, 1991.
Recently retired NHL great Mark Messier will have his No. 11 jersey hoisted to the rafters of Madison Square Garden in New York on Thursday night. (AP File Photo)
"He literally grabbed the team by the collar and just dragged it up in the standings."
"I was ready for just about anything that anybody could throw at me," Messier said. "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."
New York's Stanley Cup triumph in 1994 ended 54 years of futility for the Rangers and transformed Messier from local hero to living legend.
Messier had the size, skill and speed to become of the greatest players in hockey, but it was his glaring intensity and unparalleled leadership that cemented his place in NHL history.
"He truly loved the game," said Wayne Gretzky, Messier's former Oilers and Rangers teammate. "He was the best player I ever played with and it was a pleasure to play with him."
Messier was as productive as he was tenacious, finishing second overall behind Gretzky in regular-season points (1,887) and playoff points (295). A 16-time all-star, he scored 694 goals in 1,856 games over 25 NHL seasons with the Oilers, Rangers and Vancouver Canucks.
Most importantly, Messier won six Stanley Cups and is the only player to captain two franchises to Stanley Cups – Edmonton in 1990 and New York in 1994.
"With Mark, it was all about winning," said current Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe, who played alongside Messier on all six championship teams.
"His whole game was channelled and focused that way. I don't think anybody ever did it better in the history of the game."
Messier, who turns 45 on Jan. 18, officially retired last fall, but the last time he stepped foot on the ice at Madison Square Garden was March 31, 2004 – New York's final home game prior to the year-long lockout of NHL players.
On Thursday, Messier will be back at centre ice at MSG to watch his No. 11 raised to the rafters, becoming just the fourth player to have his number retired by the Rangers. Rod Gilbert (7), Ed Giacomin (1) and Mike Richter (35) are the others.
Once the festivities are over, the current edition of the Rangers and Oilers will battle it out in a matchup of Messier's former squads.
Edmonton has won two of its last three contests. On Tuesday, Shawn Horcoff picked up his first career hat trick to carry the Oilers to a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Ryan Smyth dished out a pair of assists in the win and Jussi Markkanen turned away 17 of the 18 shots he faced for Edmonton. The Oilers will host Ottawa on Saturday (CBC, 10 p.m. ET).
The Oilers have won two of the last three meetings with the Rangers, but New York is on a mini roll as of late, winning two straight games over Calgary and Florida.
On Tuesday, Jason Ward's goal in the third period marked the third of four unanswered tallies, as the Rangers defeated the Flames, 4-2, at the Garden.
Newcomer Petr Sykora, playing in his first game with the club, registered a goal and an assist while Martin Straka also scored for the Rangers, who have won two straight and earned at least a point in their sixth consecutive contest (3-0-3).
Henrik Lundqvist made 19 saves in the victory.
with files from Sports Network and Associated Press
