"Well, my transition into being a captain was easy," says Messier, now captain of the New York Rangers for the second time. "I was assistant in Edmonton with Wayne as captain, and Kevin Lowe was the other assistant. We had built up a team in Edmonton that really knew who each other was from a personal standpoint and from a professional standpoint. Our nucleus had stayed together for a long time.

"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. Going from assistant captain in Edmonton to captain was an easy transition for me."

That is one of Messier's greatest gifts -- he makes almost everything look easy.

But the way Messier plays hockey is not easy. His hard charging, take-no-prisoners style is both mentally and physically debilitating. Yet, he never wavers from it. He may not be physically as mean as he was during his heyday, making a reputation for himself in the "Battle of Alberta" against the Calgary Flames, but Messier will never be a perimeter player.

Luc Robitaille, now with Detroit, has played against Messier on numerous occasions. But, until, he shared the same locker room with Messier during his time in New York, Robitaille never fully understood Messier's complete dedication to the sport.

"You know, obviously I played with him (and) learned a lot from him," said Robitaille. "He really took the game seriously. He lived for this game."

It is that love of the game that has served Messier so well as captain. He loves everything about the game, and not just the actual three hours spent on the ice during game action. Messier still loves to practice and is a master at the team-building process. He has never been shy about imparting his wisdom to younger teammates looking to establish themselves in the League.

Alexei Kovalev, now a superstar with the Pittsburgh Penguins, broke into the NHL with the New York Rangers during Messier's first stint as captain of the New York club. An immensely talented, but undisciplined, talent at the time, Kovalev was constantly tutored by Messier at every turn.

That relationship paid off in spades as Kovalev played a huge role in the Rangers' march to the 1994 Stanley Cup, a triumph that ended 54 years of frustration on Broadway.

Today, Kovalev still remembers that time fondly. During the postseason, he played at times with Messier and was able to see first-hand what makes Messier such a great player when the pressure is at its zenith.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers were trailing the New Jersey Devils three games to two heading into Game 6 at the Continental Airlines Arena. Attempting to take the pressure of his team, Messier guaranteed a win in Game 6. That night, Messier delivered a hat trick to force a Game 7, which the Rangers won in double overtime. Two weeks later, they finished off the Vancouver Canucks in a taut seven-game Stanley Cup Finals.

"(There were) great moments playing on the line with him, particularly when it was close to the point where you could lose the playoffs against New Jersey," recalls Kovalev. "But, Mike (Keenan) put us on the same line together, and we start winning. We won a game against New Jersey, and we come back home, we won again. It was great. I mean, it gives you so much confidence.

Messier: Twenty-five years later, you know, I haven't really put too much emphasis on any kind of individual goal, other than trying to win any particular night, trying to find a way to do that.

"You kind of watch Mark, you know, you kind of know in the future like what you have to do in a particular situation.

"Overall he's a great person. As soon as I came to the NHL, he tried to help me out, really was trying to talk to me, explain me what to do, like what's the best thing to do in a particular situation. I mean, it was a great help from him."

Such tales about Messier's influence are common all around the NHL. So many players have benefited from being around Messier and that process still continues today.

Thought by many to be on the downside of his career, Messier has put this year's New York Rangers on his back. The team, decimated by injuries to key personnel, has hung around thanks mainly to Messier who has been among the team leaders in scoring and often the club's best player on a night-in, night-out basis.

While that effort has surprised many observers, it is nothing less than what Messier expected. He lives by the credo that you do your best every night, no matter the circumstances. And, that is how he plans to rule the Rangers' room until his skills tell him he can no longer make a contribution.

"I was brought into the League with the focus on the team thing," says Messier. "Everything was focused around winning. Twenty-five years later, you know, I haven't really put too much emphasis on any kind of individual goal, other than trying to win any particular night, trying to find a way to do that."