In a century of Rangers hockey, 11 players have received the highest honor the organization can bestow upon a player – retiring their jersey number and raising their sweater to the fabled rafters of Madison Square Garden. One of the most memorable and emotional jersey retirement ceremonies in franchise history occurred two decades ago, when the Blueshirts retired jersey No. 11 for Mark Messier.
When Messier officially announced his retirement on September 12, 2005, the Rangers immediately announced that they would be retiring his jersey. The ceremony took place on January 12, 2006, prior to the Rangers’ game against the Edmonton Oilers, the team from which the Blueshirts acquired Messier in 1991.
There were times throughout Messier’s playing career where he was visibly emotional on the ice, including his final NHL game on March 31, 2004, at MSG. The night of his jersey retirement was another one of those times, as he was in tears before even stepping onto the ice. Messier walked past the Rangers locker room – where all the members of the current Rangers team were tapping their sticks as he walked by – before getting to the ice and hearing the cheers from the capacity crowd at MSG.
Many of the members of the 1993-94 Rangers team was in attendance for the ceremony, and they joined Messier on the ice. Following their arrival, the three Rangers legends who previously had their jersey numbers retired – Eddie Giacomin, Rod Gilbert, and Mike Richter – were also introduced, as well as Messier’s immediate and extended family. Messier received several gifts that were related to his greatest passions outside of hockey – family, philanthropy, and fishing.
Graves and Richter each addressed The Garden Faithful, while Brian Leetch – who was still playing in the NHL and unable to attend – delivered a video message that was shown on GardenVision. In his speech, Graves said that “he made us believe that the Stanley Cup was our destiny,” and that if he could build the ultimate hockey player, the player would “skate like Mess … pass like Mess … shoot like Mess … and have the durability of Mess.” Richter called Messier “perhaps the most complete athlete to ever put on a pair of skates” and detailed how his unique leadership abilities brought out the best in all his teammates.
Leetch – who commuted to and from practice with Messier and was roommates with him on team road trips for nearly a decade – talked about the impact that Messier had on him throughout his career. “The respect I had for you as a person made each bad game or loss hurt just a little bit more because I didn’t want to let you down,” Leetch said. “Yet each good game or win was magnified because your excitement and acknowledgement in a job well done.”
Messier then stepped up to the microphone and – through tears – delivered his speech to the fans. “Tonight’s celebration was called ‘A Celebration of The Captain’,” Messier said, referring to the tag line for the night. “And I said, ‘I’m not sure if it shouldn’t be called A Celebration of The Garden Faithful.’”
Messier added, “Coming to New York was a dream … that I thought would never happen. I came here wanting to win a Stanley Cup, and what I got was a life experience that I never…” before having to stop and gather his thoughts, all while The Garden Faithful cheered and chanted his name.
After Messier’s address concluded, Dana Reeve came onto the ice and sang Now and Forever. Dana Reeve, along with her husband, Christopher Reeve, was a die-hard Rangers fan, and she had been a source of inspiration for how she helped Christopher after his spinal injury and how she handled her own battle with lung cancer.
Following Dana’s emotional performance, Messier and his family walked towards the Seventh Avenue end of MSG. First, he raised the Stanley Cup one more time inside MSG, much to the delight of Rangers fans. Then, his No. 11 jersey was slowly raised to the rafters, as Beethoven’s Ode to Joy played inside MSG – just as it had when the Rangers’ 1993-94 Stanley Cup Champions banner ascended to The Garden ceiling nearly 11 years prior.
Later in 2006 when Madison Square Garden unveiled the list of the 50 greatest moments that took place at The World’s Most Famous Arena, Messier’s jersey retirement ceremony was ranked – fittingly – as the 11th greatest moment in the history of the venue.
Bruce Beck, a longtime sportscaster in New York City who worked as a broadcaster for MSG Network, said, “I remember (Knicks legend Dave) DeBusschere’s retirement. I remember the night that they raised (Knicks legendary Head Coach Red) Holzman’s number to the rafters. I remember (Knicks legend) Willis Reed’s retirement. But I don’t think anything has ever topped Messier’s jersey going up to the rafters. That was a moment that your heart was in your throat. It was that special.”
