In a century of Rangers hockey, no player has been the captain of the franchise for more games than Mark Messier.
Known as “The Captain” for his iconic leadership ability, Messier wore the “C” on his jersey for 697 of the 698 regular season games he played in his 10 seasons with the Rangers. The only game that Messier wasn’t the Rangers captain was his first contest with the franchise.
When the Rangers acquired Messier in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers on October 4, 1991, Neil Smith, the team’s general manager at the time, said that it was “the biggest day in the 66-year history of the New York Rangers.” Messier had won five Stanley Cup Championships with the Oilers prior to his arrival with the Rangers and had been the Oilers captain for the previous three seasons. The Rangers, meanwhile, did not have a captain entering the 1991-92 season; their prior captain, Kelly Kisio, had been claimed in the 1991 NHL Expansion Draft, and no replacement had been named.
During the 1991-92 season, the NHL was celebrating its 75th Anniversary season, and the Rangers were one of several teams that took part in honoring their own history. The Blueshirts had already planned on bringing back several of their former captains for the team’s home opener at MSG on October 7, and announcing a new captain would only enhance the special evening. As a result, the Rangers held off on making any announcement regarding their captaincy before Messier’s debut with the Blueshirts, which took place on October 5 in Montreal against the Canadiens.
For the home opener against the Boston Bruins, the Rangers wore special “Turn Back the Clock” jerseys that were reminiscent of the team’s uniform during its early years of existence. Both the current Rangers players and alumni on the ice wore these jerseys, and the current players were all introduced in numerical order.
After the 1991-92 Rangers and former team captains were introduced, MSG Network broadcaster John Davidson, who was hosting the pre-game ceremony on the ice, made the following announcement:
“And now, the Rangers’ newest captain, and the captain who will lead the Rangers into the 1991-92 season. He won the 1990 Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP. A five-time Stanley Cup Champion, wearing uniform number 11, Mark Messier!”
As ‘The Garden Faithful’ roared, Messier skated across the ice to shake hands with several of the captains who had preceded him in franchise history – Ron Greschner, Barry Beck, Dave Maloney, Bob Nevin, Camille Henry, Andy Bathgate, Harry Howell, George “Red” Sullivan, and Don Raleigh – as well as one of the original Rangers, Murray Murdoch (who was a distant relative of Messier’s) and franchise legend Rod Gilbert.
Years later, Messier reflected on that moment of being named captain and receiving the ovation he did from the fans by saying, “I felt a sense of tremendous pride. I never expected to be greeted with that kind of ovation. I remember saying to myself as the crowd roared, ‘I will die trying to bring a Stanley Cup to the fans of New York.’ And with that ovation on opening night, a relationship began with (Rangers fans) that I will never forget and will cherish forever.”
The Rangers won the game that night, 2-1, and in his first game as the team’s captain Messier assisted on both Blueshirts goals, including Mike Gartner’s game-winner in overtime. It was the start of a special era of Rangers hockey at MSG, with “The Captain” leading the way.
