The exhibition, announced by Messier, who was captain of the New York Rangers the day of the terrorist attack in lower Manhattan, is titled, "Comeback Season: Sports After 9/11." It explores how sports and athletes helped to unite the country, console a grieving nation, and give us a reason to cheer again following the attacks.
"Comeback Season" opens June 27 and will require a free ticket with museum admission because of limited capacity in the special exhibition gallery. Reserving tickets in advance is highly recommended because walk-up tickets will be limited. Go to
www.911memorial.org/ComebackSeason
for more information.
Messier's jersey from an October 2001 game will be on display accompanied by imagery of him sporting a New York City Fire Department helmet before the cheering crowd at Madison Square Garden. The helmet he wore honored FDNY Deputy Chief Raymond Matthew Downey Sr., a lifelong hockey fan who was then missing at the World Trade Center site and whose remains were later recovered.
"For us as a Rangers team, we really felt the responsibility to represent the city, to represent the first responders, to represent the people who had lost their lives, and to represent the Downey family," Messier said. "It was an honor and we quickly realized we're standing shoulder to shoulder with the first responders who had been so brave."
The exhibition pays closest attention to those sports in season Sept. 11, 2001, but spans many sports and events including baseball, football, hockey, NASCAR, soccer, the New York City Marathon and the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
Serving with Bettman as honorary exhibition chairs are former Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, former NBA commissioner David Stern, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton and former president of the Women's National Basketball Association and current Big East Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman.
