Mark Messier is a six-time Stanley Cup winner and Hockey Hall of Fame member. He played for the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks over 26 years. He is the only player to captain two different professional franchises to championships and is considered one of the consummate leaders of his time.
For those reasons (and for helping to win my New York Rangers the Stanley Cup in 1994), Mark is one of my favorite athletes of all-time. It's not just about his accomplishments on the ice, though. Mark has always been a firm believer in the importance of camaraderie when it comes to building a team. As the old saying goes, "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." A big focus for Mark in leading his teams to Stanley Cup championships was harnessing the energy of every player, whether they were the stars or the guys that occasionally came off the bench. That closeness ultimately led to his teams achieving greatness.
At a recent event at Yankee Stadium, Mark told me about his experience coming to the New York Rangers and changing the culture.
