I think my favorite Messier memory was when i was at the Hermitage Classic Game in Vancouver and Messier appeared on the Jumbo Tron and the entire crowed Boooed him. It was Fantastic!
Great video, Hockey Guy! I work for the Canucks and I never, EVER, see fans wearing his jersey. The entire fanbase hates him. One of the darkest periods in franchise history. Again, good job, HG!
“Keenan is fired and then Burke is brought in.” Uh... no... Burke was brought in and he eventually fired Keenan. Apparently, the story goes that in their first meeting, Keenan said, "Did you see my contract? It says I have the right to approve every trade." And Burke retorted, "And did you see *my* contract? It says I have the right to fire and hire the head coach."
As a Ranger fan, I did come to dislike him on his return from Vancouver to NY. But the Rangers let him go to Vancouver because they knew he was not worth anywhere near the money in '97 that he was in '92 when they first got him. Then they went and brought him back after 3 years of garbage time on the Canucks for the same money they just said 3 years prior he wasn't worth. The Canucks time proved the Rangers correct, but then they signed him anyway. He was big in '94 for the Rangers, but his influence later sent the Rangers on a 10 year journey of highest Salary in the league, while finishing far out of the playoffs year after year. For all his hockey skills, his contract negotiating might be even better.
Hmm, no it wasn't all Messier's fault the Rangers were mismanaged, spending big and winning little into the 2000s. Unless his presence after 2000 sucked the atmosphere dry at MSG, demoralizing the team from even winning.
If Neil Smith and Dave Checketts didn’t think that it was a great idea to offer-sheet Joe Sakic and instead paid Messier what he was worth in the summer of 1997, so much grief would have been avoided for both the Rangers (would never make the playoffs again until after the lockout) and Canucks.
You forgot about Wayne Maki!! Canucks player in the 70's, wore number 11. Diagnosed with, and passed away from, brain cancer in '74, only 29 years old. The canucks honored (unofficially retired) number 11. Until Mess showed up and DEMANDED he wear HIS number or he wouldn't play for them... pretty sure I've heard also that he demanded the captaincy as well.
Pavel Bure is my favorite player of all time, that 94 series was heartbreaking. On a lighter note, I'm went to a see Pavel (he was with the panthers at the time) play against the Flyers ( I'm a Flyers fan) in Philly where I heard the best heckle ever. Someone a few rows behind me yelled at Pavel this- Hey Pavel who is babysitting Anna for you tonight. Everyone that heard this started clapping and laughing
It's crazy watching this 7 years later. Best part of the hockey guy's success for me are the regular nhl news updates and the street hockey meetups. See you next weekend!
My dad worked at gm place in the 90's and always talks about how mess was a huge dick. To everyone. He would always say he would walk around the building in just a towel and act like he owned the place. I'm too young to remember those days, but as a Canucks fan I hate Messier. I dont care how good of a career he had ill never like him.
I'm trying to recall the game some 30-35 years ago where Edmonton was ahead of the Canucks something like 5-2 with a minute left or similar. Messier was forechecking and slashed the defenseman (Lars Lindgren?) and broke his wrist. It was deliberate and totally unnecessary.
He's referred to as a great leader. I do not know what he did before he came to Vancouver because I was to young to understand what was going on, but when he came he didn't really do anything for them, nor did he do anything for the Rangers when he returned. That's got to bring his stock down a lot.
By the time he went to Vancouver he was in the twilight of his career. Your comment is like saying "Gordie Howe did nothing for the Whalers! That's gotta bring his stock down!" Messier was an old man at that time. It did not bring his "stock down" in any way, shape, or form. 1994 cemented Messier as a Top 5 player all-time and it didn't matter WHAT he did after that.
The 94 loss still hurts. Loved that team. Will always hate Messier for his cheap shot on Linden in game 6. I always got the feeling Messier didn't want to be in Vancouver. He never embraced the team, city or the fans. Grabbed as much cash from us as he could, without doing much on the ice and then fucked off. Hate the guy and always will
As much as it hurts, to be completely fair, Vancouver was a huge underdog in that series - much like say, this year's NBA Finalist Miami Heat vs. the heavily favoured LA Lakers. Few Heat fans really expected to win - they were esctatic enough to even reach the Finals. To fall short one goal in Game 7 is heartbreaking, but all things considered, it was an overachievement for Vancouver - they had no business going this far against New York. By contrast, 2011 was a massive disappointment - this time, Vancouver was heavily favoured in every sense of the word, AND, having just hosted the Olympic games, where the Canucks' star player led team Canada to the gold medal, expectations could not possibly be higher. After losing to Boston, well, let's just say anyone from the 2011 Bruins joining the Canucks risks beating out Messier as the most hated Canuck ever.
@@broadstreet21 the only player that would have beaten out Messier in terms of dislike probably would have been Marchand. Lucic or Chara probably would have been embraced
This is a terrific post! I am a New York fan and hated to see Linden marginalized and the rest of the core disbanded. Never wanted him back in NY for the second stint because he was washed up by that time. He won a cup and that's all you need to do after a 54-year drought he was king of NY.
Really well put together breakdown,thanks.The only thing I have to say is if that 6mil bonus was written in contract then it was owed...bottom line.I am a Leafs fan but still remember watching Trevor Linden play.He was my type of player and just incredible!
Very true. I'm also on the fence about that point, but he was owed the money. I guess it's just Messier's entitlement that rubs people the wrong way. On the subject of former Canucks, Naslund forfeited a $2 million buyout in New York by notifying the Rangers about his retirement early in the 2009 off-season. Ironically, Nazzy cited Messier as a major influence on him in Vancouver. But whereas Nazzy was modest, Mess was just...a mess. Appreciate the love for Linden from Toronto. Cheers!
I was definitely going to mention Maki if you didn't. He died while playing for the Canucks, which is why the jersey was never worn until Messier came to Vancouver and DEMANDED that he gets to wear his number 11. Same with Bourdon's #28, and thankfully no scumbags have come into Vancouver since and demanded to wear it.
This guy is so right. When Bure signed the big contract he became a fat cat. He wasn't the same player. I forgot we had Alexander mogilny when he was older. Living way outside of Vancouver, I didn't know the level of hatred for messier when he was there at the time. But I hated they broke up the 94 team.
Also I agree with you about Tom Renney. Terrific man. Very good hockey guy. Ranger fans forget he was the coach who finally made the Rangers relevant again after the 10 year cup hangover. ( Yes Jagr was a huge part of that also ) He was a very good coach but more importantly he is just a special human being. Great man. I have no problem when the Rangers decided to move on from him, but people forget he was at the helm when the Rangers finally became respectable again. And yes Shannon I did have a seizure when u mentioned Bryan Trottier. :) sigh.....
It may not be JUST the Linden hit. He prematurely ended Thomas Gradin's career by trying to chop him in half over his helmet. He drove his stick through Rich Sutter's mouth to the point his dentist was pulling out slivers of wood. RIck Nattress. Denis Savard. You get the idea.
I’ll admit, I knew Messier played for the Canucks in the late 90s. But that’s about it. I just figured he didn’t work out because of his advanced age. I honestly didn’t know it was this bad. Before I watched this video, I had nothing but animosity for the Canucks. Mostly because of players like Burrows, Cooke, Brad May and the Bertuzzi/Moore incident. Not to mention the riots after losing in two Cup finals. I honestly feel for the Canucks fans now after this THG video.
Ya but on the plus side that led them to Burke being able to draft the Sedins . If they had gretzsky who knows what path the Canucks would have taken over the years . Butterfly effect .
I mean they got one high pick after a bad season. Like how Edmonton was a bottom feeder for 8 years now they have so many top 1st Rd picks . Traded away Brian McCabe for the other top pick. Note they got McCabe ruutu and bertuzzi for Trevor linden .
I had to watch this in 2022 because Shannon has alluded to the Messier/Keenan era in Vancouver before and I couldn't recall all the details other than remembering it was a bad time. I've never been a fan of Messier and Keenan especially. I remember thinking that Keenan would get rid of Linden, because that is what he did to star players - played mind games and traded away talent. I would say that it sounds like Quinn should take a lot of the blame as well for the Messier contract and all the issues that came out of it.
Vancouver should retire 11 and make it known it is for Wayne Maki...while Messier is still alive. And what the hell was Pat Quinn thinking, allowing a clause for $6 million if they team increases in value?!
Has anyone asked the question about the effects of coming from the east to west as an older player? New York is one of the easiest travel locations in the NHL while Vancouver is the worst. I remember watching an Oilers V Rangers game in mid Nov and the comment was made that the Rangers had spent every night in their own homes all but 11 night so far that season. The Oilers has spent only 11 nights at home in the same time frame.
The reason Pat Quinn gave Gretzky was because the CEO of Orca Bay (im blanking on the name) said we need a confirmation on whether or not Gretzky is coming to Vancouver
Agree with the overall assessment of the Messier era. I still don’t think they would’ve went for Messier given the history if they hadn’t miss Gretzky the year before. I hated Bure being a goal-suck at the time, but he was only looking out for himself because his value in the league was tied to goal-scoring, and for a time that was in doubt after his surgery in 95/96. The Canucks also deprived him and Mogilny a good playmaking Centre. Other than an aging Messier who couldn’t keep up, Ridley was as good as they had, and they even tried Esa Tikkanen in the middle for a while just to prove how desperate they were. In fairness to Mogilny, he stepped up to his potential in his first year with Cliff Ronning in the middle, but after Ronning left there was no playmaker and the team was simply a big mess, pun intended.
7 лет назад+1
I remember the night we lost out on Gretzky, AND the morning we signed Mess, as if it were yesterday. What a 5 decades it has been for Canucks fans.😭
@@scottiepaterson192 Says the pessimist. Gretz put up 97 points, essentially carrying an aging Rangers to the playoffs, reaching the third round. But put him on a then-younger, more talented Canucks squad simply in need of leadership. He could turn them into Oilers 2.0. The 1980s Oilers.
As a Ranger fan Mark Messier gave me the greatest sports moment of my life. His 1st stint as a Ranger was heroic. It was spectacular and gave me memories I will remember the rest of my life. I will forever thank him. He is one of my hockey heroes. However his 2nd stint was a complete disaster and he basically held the organizarion hostage. There was NO reason to resign him from a hockey stand point. He was signed only for a business decision. Dolan thought bringing him back would rekindle the greatness and special feeling in the garden again. It was a disaster. The team was nowhere near competing, but Mess had a huge influence on the type of players to obtain. It was a total disaster. He basically held the team hostage feom ever trying to rebuild. However as a life long Ranger fan and life long hockey fan I will forever worship Mess. He was an amazing hockey player and one of the greatest leaders of all time. I try my best to erase the second Messier chapter as a Ranger. So this story as his time as a Canuck does not surprise me at all. I totally understand.
I don't know why the fans are mad about him suing the team for breach of contract. Owning a major sports franchise will appreciate in value no matter what. It was stupid of the Canucks to agree to that clause.
When I was a kid I had a board on my wall with Trevor Linden on it. After Messier came to the franchise my parents got me a bunch of Messier pictures to put on my wall, but for the life of me i don't remember ever putting them above my bed where Linden was. I guess some how I had a feeling at that age lol that jerk was left on the bedroom door.
Another thing that makes me hate him some more that he and keanan took the "C" off of trevor and traded him... that was the last straw for me even though I was quite young at the time.
Nah, given the history with Esa Tikkanen and Mark Messier, I still think the Linden fanboys would hate on Glenn Anderson just for being an ex-Oilers impact player just because he’s not in the Trevor Linden clique, same with Wayne Gretzky if Gretzky had signed with Vancouver instead of the N.Y. Rangers in 1996. There’s a negative history with ex-Oilers stars in Vancouver it seems.
@@FilipoSooaUlufale No, Tikkanen was welcomed until something else happens. Mark Messier was welcomed initially. You have to screw up for them to hate you and Messier screwed up although I think it's been too negative and not enough focus on Keenan.
The second go-around of Messier happened not so much because the team was trying to recapture the '80s Oiler magic, but because the team didn't really work under Brian Leetch's leadership. The Rangers were really lacking in direction, and Mess was a decisive figure among some of the NYR fanbase at the time.
I dislike Messier but I wonder why there's more focus on him than Keenan. Messier was there longer and made more money, so there's that, but Keenan really set the bad tone in the dressing room and team. Messier was probably partly responsible as he was Captain and he didn't say anything. However, after Keenan left, Messier refused to be traded because he felt there was a job that needed to be done. Also, Markus really credits Messier for his leadership and looking after him. Keenan, even though he made some trades that helped, they helped *in spite* of him. There would have been no West Coast Express if Keenan was still coach because he would likely have traded Naslund. Keenan had no redeeming qualities when he was here. After Messier's initial deplorable season where he seemed to let the team sink so he can mold the team in his image (what kind of leadership is that) he at least worked with the new group after Keenan was gone. He even won the Cyclone Taylor award. Still, I think if Messier wants his unpopularity in this city to soften somewhat (and he may not care), I would say he would need to do the following as a start: * All the Canucks who praise him (including Burke and Naslund) should say so again and tell stories to give a more complete image. To be more believable, they should concede there is some legitimate criticism of his time there including his first year. * He should return the $6million he got from the Canucks. Part of that should go to Burke because the previous ownership screwed him even though he saved the franchise and the remaining should go to Canuck place or one of Sedins charities. Maybe even Linden if he has one. * Apologize for not playing better. Even Krutov apologized in 2005. * Re-iterate that he would not have taken the captaincy in hindsight. * Apologize for not standing up for his team, including Linden against Keenan. * Admit that it was a mistake to hire Keenan. He can dress it up however he wants (wrong team, wrong time, etc) but he should realize that the Rangers only got Gretzky because Keenan and Jack Quinn figured out how to push him away from St. Louis. He should've realized then, especially if he had chats with Gretzky, that Keenan was no longer good. * Apologize to the fans for all the general chaos during those years, especially his first year with Keenan.
Thank you for the wonderful memories/reminders.Fav all time Canuck for me will always be Trevor Linden. As far as ‘greatest all time leaders’ I’m a fan of both Yzerman and Sakic, they didn’t have the Messier ‘truculence’.?
Yeah this is the guy who dealt a vicious elbow to the head of Thomas Gradin with as cowardly a hit as l ever saw. Iirc Gradin suffered a concussion from that elbow. He had the l'm a hockey god complex and all you guys are WAY beneath me when he got to Vancouver his behavior with he team spoke volumes about his character....
Vintage Hockey Guy! Not sure why this popped up on my feed, but interesting to see what your videos looked like! And oh yeah - as an old Devil's fan - Messier sucks.
Maybe, but Vancouver could have landed better returns on trading Bure and Mogilny. Only the Linden trade played significantly to Vancouver's long-term favour.
@@FilipoSooaUlufale They were more offensively skilled, but they lacked his leadership. But I get it. He should have gotten say Scott Niedermayer for Mogilny.
@@broadstreet21 Scott Niedermayer would’ve blossomed into an offensive-minded blueliner earlier if he was in Vancouver, but I doubt he’d have the Stanley Cups he did with New Jersey and Anaheim.
@@FilipoSooaUlufale Niedermayer would have won the cup in Vancouver, he was an elite player and one of the game's best leaders. I would say come 2005-06, he convinces the team to trade for his brother. They win in 2007 behind Luongo's strong goaltending.
Yup...I get that twitch too Recently with the tide commercial Award for leadership Canucks captains Curttenbac, smyl, Linden.....Naslund... ... Yeah justttt
Funny thing was Messier being fairly invisible in the 97 playoff run while Gretzky was scoring at will is sort of what soured msg on the idea of resigning him and pretty much giving the order from above to not give in and let Mess walk. We kind of both got raw deals out of it because when Mess left Leetch sort of went on low effort autopilot for years till he came back so it was like losing Messier and like 30% of Leetch. Our GM was a moron too... Wouldn't give you Malhotra so we could have Bure for all the Florida years, signed Colorado and NJ cast offs, and then there was the drafting... Smith's front office was somehow even more inept at draft talent eval than a Brian Burke office.. And then we got Slats who did great at Taco Bell menuing the oilers on no money but was utter garbage with a blank checkbook... Messier just wanted one last payday and I get it.. A lot of his prime was before the money got goofy in pro sports, but as a hockey proposition not wanting to be in Vancouver and then the Vancouver travel at his age was a recipe for disaster.
DailyHive just released a piece on why Messier is still the most hated player in Canucks history. Hillarious line, "His name, his face, Lay’s potato chips - if it has to do with Messier, Canucks fans hate it." I might add, after he endorsed Rogers (and after Grapes was fired from Sportsnet), I cancelled my Rogers mobile subscription and avoid Rogers content for the most part.
Who was the idiot that put the 6 million clause in Messier's contract? I agree with everything, except for that. Messier is entitled to that money, whether appreciation was because of him or not.
You got it wrong with Tikkanen. Tikkanen left the Rangers in 1994 to go to St. Louis, then New Jersey in 95-96 for 9 games before an incident where all the Devils players were quiet and Tikkanen was yelling “WHERE’S MUH BEER N PIZZA!” at the back of the team bus where Jacques Lemaire gave up on him and it was simply a 1980s Oilers/Habs culture clash rehash, just on a different team in the 90s. Off he went to Vancouver where they fixed his knees up and bounced back, but started trashing them and went back to the Rangers in 96-97. So no, Tikkanen didn’t join the Canucks before the Blues.
Yep. I'm a NJ fan and remember sitting behind the net for warm-ups watching Tikkanen come out during his brief stint and thinking ......"This effin guy".....
THE GREATEST LEADER EVER IN TEAM SPORTS? HAHAHAHA! His legacy is severely tarnished by his tenure in Vancouver...and that gladdens my heart . And ya...him and Graves were TOTAL PRICKS for assaulting Linden in game 6.
Mark Messier's legacy is truly divided like a two-sided mirror! Arguably no player have made himself so divided among fans. One side reflects his merits and leader qualities that goes beyond many of the best ever in NHL. Captained 2 teams to Stanley Cup championships in both Conferences and became like an iron-man to play year-after-year to age 44! BUT.... The other side reflects an uggly portray of a dirty player who was as individual overrated = was only good when he was with those strong teams he won with. How greedy and money grabbing Messier gradually became, demanding insane salery + bonuses + benefits + salery insurences at advanced age of 38 AND to wear retired number 11# - And somehow, for no sane reason a team (Vancouver Canucks) AGREED and SIGNED ON the demands (?). That he soon also aquired the captain role from a fan-loved icon Trevor Linden) and then that same player gets humiliated and oppressed. How despite the insane amounts of tallents on the team, and Messier manafrs not only to not score impressive numbers on the ice, but also avt silent and uninterested in leading his team. Then is part of a rather seen "mutiny" in the franchise by getting the team gutted from its tallents to bring in players not needed and the team plunhes into 4 years of darkness. And when Messier leaves the team, he years afterwards demand $millions despite never lived up to anything of all he was given - and gets those money in court. So if you are a Oiler or Rangers fan, you love him - If you are a Canuck fan, you despise him! If you are neutral, you have a tough balance of the edge that is constantly wobbles as you look on all perspectives.
Just because Canucks fans hate Messier doesn't mean he deserved it. He only asked for what his contract said he was due. A deal is a deal.....even in Vancouver.
He's a bum!! The dude got carried by the best player ever in the game! And the oilers had Jari Kuri also!! Like FFS, put any of us on that team and we'll do insanely good. He also left Edmonton and brought over 5-6 of his Oiler Bum buddies in 94 to the Rangers and the #1 team in the league then barely beat a better overall Vancouver Canucks team.... So much for rebuilding right? Well not in those days as you can just bring dudes over and it's no problem?? WTF!! Thankfully the league had a strike in 95" and then the NHLPA formed after that. And Thank GOD those days are long over, rebuilding a team takes a lot of work, effort and trades and so on. And the worst part is, when he came to Vancouver he literally ripped off Linden's "C" and made the team GARBAGE... The guy is a clown, the guy has no class and to me he got carried in his career. He would absolutely get torn apart by most of the players/teams nowadays... He's ONLY popular because Wayner and Jari made him popular by carrying that guy around. I honestly wanted to fight him just got taking Trevor's C, like fuck that shit....
Because he came to Vancouver and cost them $500,000 a goal. did not lead them to playoff success, and his time is never mentioned in any of his memoir video clips.
Taking a retired number out from the rafters was a mistake. Guaranteeing a playoff spot is a mistake too. Saying you think you'll get a playoff spot and guaranteeing it is a big difference. Other then those 2 things I don't see the big deal. Messier was older and near the end of his career the Canucks knew that when they signed him. His contract was large but lots of hockey players have big contracts and most NHL clubs have a bad contract on it that someone is getting paid well more then they are worth, if the Canucks didn't want to pay it they could have signed someone else instead of Messier. As far as the coach and Linden going that wasn't on Messier. Hanging around the rest of the team is not a requirement. Also Messier suing he was in his rights to do that. The Canucks should have never put that in Messiers contract that is on the Canucks organization not Messier.
need to hate Canucks mgmt for that one! Messier was at the end of the line by then (his 18th season for god sakes!) I can see them hating Keenan though.
Just off the topic you seem like you know alot about hockey Maybe you or some can give me some insight on this Remember in the early nineties for a brief period all the hockey sticks had to have black paint covering the brand and logos Anyone know what that was about I always wandered
Why Do Vancouver Canuck Fans Hate Mark Messier? Because he more, or less stripped the 'C' away from Linden...Regardless what anyone says - that was a bad signing, and a complete douchebag move made by the 'Moose'.
Messier has gotten a free pass for all the crap he did in Vancouver. As @kevinsmith7475 mentioned, Messier demanding Wayne Maki's retired number 11 was the most egregious thing he did while with Vancouver, that is on top of all the horrible stuff you mention in the video. BTW, it was the stupid owner of the Canucks Arthur Griffiths who made Pat Quinn call Gretzky up and demand that he sign the contact immediately because even though Wayne wanted to just sleep on it overnight. Griffiths thought that was unacceptable and wanted him to sign on the spot. Is it any wonder that it was all downhill after that. I wish someone would call Messier out on this during his analyst duties on ESPN’s NHL coverage. Like the Gretzky - Rick Tocchet gambling scandal this will all be swept under the carpet.
because he only came here. for the money and to dictate along with Kennan traded Linden and every player i cared about. that lead to become a Sens fan.
I think my favorite Messier memory was when i was at the Hermitage Classic Game in Vancouver and Messier appeared on the Jumbo Tron and the entire crowed Boooed him. It was Fantastic!
Lol yea i remember that it was an ATV commercial
Great video, Hockey Guy!
I work for the Canucks and I never, EVER, see fans wearing his jersey. The entire fanbase hates him. One of the darkest periods in franchise history. Again, good job, HG!
Hope your job with the teams going well man! Thats cool af, dream job
He tortured the Canucks when he was an oiler and then directly prevented them from winning the cup in '94.
That is more than enough to hate the man.
He can thank Lafayette for dinging the post that shaved chimpanzee.
ziggy morris
or a reason for non-Canuck fans to love him.
Yeah no, you don’t just let the opposing team win the Cup, genius.
@@billyblaze2303 I still remember that guy hitting the post..would have changed history
@@GR-bn3xj True. But had he took a fraction of a second to get a better shot, he'd get checked off the puck.
“Keenan is fired and then Burke is brought in.”
Uh... no... Burke was brought in and he eventually fired Keenan.
Apparently, the story goes that in their first meeting, Keenan said, "Did you see my contract? It says I have the right to approve every trade."
And Burke retorted, "And did you see *my* contract? It says I have the right to fire and hire the head coach."
The set sure has improved since these days, also, most importantly it seems like we've got a happier Shannon now!
As a Ranger fan, I did come to dislike him on his return from Vancouver to NY. But the Rangers let him go to Vancouver because they knew he was not worth anywhere near the money in '97 that he was in '92 when they first got him. Then they went and brought him back after 3 years of garbage time on the Canucks for the same money they just said 3 years prior he wasn't worth. The Canucks time proved the Rangers correct, but then they signed him anyway. He was big in '94 for the Rangers, but his influence later sent the Rangers on a 10 year journey of highest Salary in the league, while finishing far out of the playoffs year after year. For all his hockey skills, his contract negotiating might be even better.
Hmm, no it wasn't all Messier's fault the Rangers were mismanaged, spending big and winning little into the 2000s. Unless his presence after 2000 sucked the atmosphere dry at MSG, demoralizing the team from even winning.
If Neil Smith and Dave Checketts didn’t think that it was a great idea to offer-sheet Joe Sakic and instead paid Messier what he was worth in the summer of 1997, so much grief would have been avoided for both the Rangers (would never make the playoffs again until after the lockout) and Canucks.
You nailed it man
You forgot about Wayne Maki!! Canucks player in the 70's, wore number 11. Diagnosed with, and passed away from, brain cancer in '74, only 29 years old. The canucks honored (unofficially retired) number 11. Until Mess showed up and DEMANDED he wear HIS number or he wouldn't play for them... pretty sure I've heard also that he demanded the captaincy as well.
Shannon mentions it in the last 40 seconds
Thanks for speaking of this so I could understand the whole situation.
Pavel Bure is my favorite player of all time, that 94 series was heartbreaking. On a lighter note, I'm went to a see Pavel (he was with the panthers at the time) play against the Flyers ( I'm a Flyers fan) in Philly where I heard the best heckle ever. Someone a few rows behind me yelled at Pavel this- Hey Pavel who is babysitting Anna for you tonight. Everyone that heard this started clapping and laughing
Why the Canucks would sign the same guy who stole a cup from you is beyond me
That's what Nashville did with Bonino this off season. LOL
Stole?
So if you were a Vegas fan this year and Ovi was a free agent you wouldn't want to sign him?
If by Stole you mean beat your asses, then yes, I agree.
Because John McCaw, owner at the time, was hell-bent on doing something big after missing out on Gretzky the previous summer.
It's crazy watching this 7 years later. Best part of the hockey guy's success for me are the regular nhl news updates and the street hockey meetups. See you next weekend!
4 years later and still one of my favorite videos...
Once Gelinas and McLean were moved in that Geoff Sanderson, Sean Burke package you knew the '94 firesale was on
I'll never forget this. I was about 11 and this was one of the first, dramatic off ice storylines that I followed.
When Messier signed with the Canucks, a lot of the 94 team were traded. Linden and so on. After Mess retired, he sued the Canucks, and won.
My dad worked at gm place in the 90's and always talks about how mess was a huge dick. To everyone. He would always say he would walk around the building in just a towel and act like he owned the place. I'm too young to remember those days, but as a Canucks fan I hate Messier. I dont care how good of a career he had ill never like him.
I'm trying to recall the game some 30-35 years ago where Edmonton was ahead of the Canucks something like 5-2 with a minute left or similar. Messier was forechecking and slashed the defenseman (Lars Lindgren?) and broke his wrist. It was deliberate and totally unnecessary.
He's referred to as a great leader. I do not know what he did before he came to Vancouver because I was to young to understand what was going on, but when he came he didn't really do anything for them, nor did he do anything for the Rangers when he returned. That's got to bring his stock down a lot.
Canucks fans your just a bunch of crying bitches
ooooooooo soooooo scary I am shaking how am I ever going to sleep tonight ??
*Well, he basically fucked the Canucks over in 94 playoffs... then he became a Canuck to finish us from the inside.*
By the time he went to Vancouver he was in the twilight of his career. Your comment is like saying "Gordie Howe did nothing for the Whalers! That's gotta bring his stock down!" Messier was an old man at that time. It did not bring his "stock down" in any way, shape, or form. 1994 cemented Messier as a Top 5 player all-time and it didn't matter WHAT he did after that.
Messier 11 Being ostracizing yourself away from your own team is not a product of getting older
The 94 loss still hurts. Loved that team. Will always hate Messier for his cheap shot on Linden in game 6. I always got the feeling Messier didn't want to be in Vancouver. He never embraced the team, city or the fans. Grabbed as much cash from us as he could, without doing much on the ice and then fucked off. Hate the guy and always will
As much as it hurts, to be completely fair, Vancouver was a huge underdog in that series - much like say, this year's NBA Finalist Miami Heat vs. the heavily favoured LA Lakers. Few Heat fans really expected to win - they were esctatic enough to even reach the Finals. To fall short one goal in Game 7 is heartbreaking, but all things considered, it was an overachievement for Vancouver - they had no business going this far against New York.
By contrast, 2011 was a massive disappointment - this time, Vancouver was heavily favoured in every sense of the word, AND, having just hosted the Olympic games, where the Canucks' star player led team Canada to the gold medal, expectations could not possibly be higher. After losing to Boston, well, let's just say anyone from the 2011 Bruins joining the Canucks risks beating out Messier as the most hated Canuck ever.
@@broadstreet21 the only player that would have beaten out Messier in terms of dislike probably would have been Marchand. Lucic or Chara probably would have been embraced
@@supwititproductionz3738 Only if Marchand actually joined the team and made the same mess of it as Mess did.
This is a terrific post! I am a New York fan and hated to see Linden marginalized and the rest of the core disbanded. Never wanted him back in NY for the second stint because he was washed up by that time. He won a cup and that's all you need to do after a 54-year drought he was king of NY.
Really well put together breakdown,thanks.The only thing I have to say is if that 6mil bonus was written in contract then it was owed...bottom line.I am a Leafs fan but still remember watching Trevor Linden play.He was my type of player and just incredible!
Very true. I'm also on the fence about that point, but he was owed the money. I guess it's just Messier's entitlement that rubs people the wrong way. On the subject of former Canucks, Naslund forfeited a $2 million buyout in New York by notifying the Rangers about his retirement early in the 2009 off-season. Ironically, Nazzy cited Messier as a major influence on him in Vancouver. But whereas Nazzy was modest, Mess was just...a mess. Appreciate the love for Linden from Toronto. Cheers!
I was definitely going to mention Maki if you didn't. He died while playing for the Canucks, which is why the jersey was never worn until Messier came to Vancouver and DEMANDED that he gets to wear his number 11. Same with Bourdon's #28, and thankfully no scumbags have come into Vancouver since and demanded to wear it.
This guy is so right. When Bure signed the big contract he became a fat cat. He wasn't the same player. I forgot we had Alexander mogilny when he was older. Living way outside of Vancouver, I didn't know the level of hatred for messier when he was there at the time. But I hated they broke up the 94 team.
Also I agree with you about Tom Renney. Terrific man. Very good hockey guy. Ranger fans forget he was the coach who finally made the Rangers relevant again after the 10 year cup hangover. ( Yes Jagr was a huge part of that also ) He was a very good coach but more importantly he is just a special human being. Great man. I have no problem when the Rangers decided to move on from him, but people forget he was at the helm when the Rangers finally became respectable again. And yes Shannon I did have a seizure when u mentioned Bryan Trottier. :) sigh.....
It may not be JUST the Linden hit. He prematurely ended Thomas Gradin's career by trying to chop him in half over his helmet. He drove his stick through Rich Sutter's mouth to the point his dentist was pulling out slivers of wood. RIck Nattress. Denis Savard. You get the idea.
Congrats Marleau on 500 goals!
because messier only cared about messier, perry reminds me of him.
Perry? Why Perry?
I’ll admit, I knew Messier played for the Canucks in the late 90s. But that’s about it. I just figured he didn’t work out because of his advanced age. I honestly didn’t know it was this bad. Before I watched this video, I had nothing but animosity for the Canucks. Mostly because of players like Burrows, Cooke, Brad May and the Bertuzzi/Moore incident. Not to mention the riots after losing in two Cup finals. I honestly feel for the Canucks fans now after this THG video.
Ya but on the plus side that led them to Burke being able to draft the Sedins . If they had gretzsky who knows what path the Canucks would have taken over the years . Butterfly effect .
mike Jones
Brian Burke may have still scouted them out. But I didn't watch hockey back then and I was too young.
I mean they got one high pick after a bad season. Like how Edmonton was a bottom feeder for 8 years now they have so many top 1st Rd picks . Traded away Brian McCabe for the other top pick. Note they got McCabe ruutu and bertuzzi for Trevor linden .
If they landed Gretzky instead, there is hope, they could have won the Cup.
I had to watch this in 2022 because Shannon has alluded to the Messier/Keenan era in Vancouver before and I couldn't recall all the details other than remembering it was a bad time. I've never been a fan of Messier and Keenan especially. I remember thinking that Keenan would get rid of Linden, because that is what he did to star players - played mind games and traded away talent. I would say that it sounds like Quinn should take a lot of the blame as well for the Messier contract and all the issues that came out of it.
Vancouver should retire 11 and make it known it is for Wayne Maki...while Messier is still alive. And what the hell was Pat Quinn thinking, allowing a clause for $6 million if they team increases in value?!
i was looking at mark messiers wikipedia and this autoplays as soon as i opened it
Has anyone asked the question about the effects of coming from the east to west as an older player? New York is one of the easiest travel locations in the NHL while Vancouver is the worst. I remember watching an Oilers V Rangers game in mid Nov and the comment was made that the Rangers had spent every night in their own homes all but 11 night so far that season. The Oilers has spent only 11 nights at home in the same time frame.
The reason Pat Quinn gave Gretzky was because the CEO of Orca Bay (im blanking on the name) said we need a confirmation on whether or not Gretzky is coming to Vancouver
Agree with the overall assessment of the Messier era. I still don’t think they would’ve went for Messier given the history if they hadn’t miss Gretzky the year before.
I hated Bure being a goal-suck at the time, but he was only looking out for himself because his value in the league was tied to goal-scoring, and for a time that was in doubt after his surgery in 95/96.
The Canucks also deprived him and Mogilny a good playmaking Centre. Other than an aging Messier who couldn’t keep up, Ridley was as good as they had, and they even tried Esa Tikkanen in the middle for a while just to prove how desperate they were.
In fairness to Mogilny, he stepped up to his potential in his first year with Cliff Ronning in the middle, but after Ronning left there was no playmaker and the team was simply a big mess, pun intended.
I remember the night we lost out on Gretzky, AND the morning we signed Mess, as if it were yesterday. What a 5 decades it has been for Canucks fans.😭
That leaves another question, what if Gretzky landed in Vancouver?
@@broadstreet21 he would have immediately became a 50 point scorer and flopped
@@scottiepaterson192 Says the pessimist. Gretz put up 97 points, essentially carrying an aging Rangers to the playoffs, reaching the third round.
But put him on a then-younger, more talented Canucks squad simply in need of leadership. He could turn them into Oilers 2.0. The 1980s Oilers.
sounds strangely familiar to the Hall trade and Lucic signing, especially the part about Messier coming in to be a leader and was also really slow
The Winged Wheel Podcast was talking about how much Canuck fans hate Messier. Now I know why. Thanks, Shannon.
As a Ranger fan Mark Messier gave me the greatest sports moment of my life. His 1st stint as a Ranger was heroic. It was spectacular and gave me memories I will remember the rest of my life. I will forever thank him. He is one of my hockey heroes. However his 2nd stint was a complete disaster and he basically held the organizarion hostage. There was NO reason to resign him from a hockey stand point. He was signed only for a business decision. Dolan thought bringing him back would rekindle the greatness and special feeling in the garden again. It was a disaster. The team was nowhere near competing, but Mess had a huge influence on the type of players to obtain. It was a total disaster. He basically held the team hostage feom ever trying to rebuild. However as a life long Ranger fan and life long hockey fan I will forever worship Mess. He was an amazing hockey player and one of the greatest leaders of all time. I try my best to erase the second Messier chapter as a Ranger. So this story as his time as a Canuck does not surprise me at all. I totally understand.
Messier forever a chump for wearing Wayne Maki's #11
Wayne Maki forever a chump for hurting his supposed good friend Ted Green on the ice and then getting charged for it.
This is like watching old family movies.
I often wondered why the Canucks faithful hated Messier so much - Shannon lays it out well.
I don't know why the fans are mad about him suing the team for breach of contract. Owning a major sports franchise will appreciate in value no matter what. It was stupid of the Canucks to agree to that clause.
Great vid.
Learning the history of hockey with your channel and others.
So Messier was basically a prick to Vancouver...
He also stole Wayne make's number 11 without even discussing it with the maki Family.Classless!
Wayne Maki
When I was a kid I had a board on my wall with Trevor Linden on it. After Messier came to the franchise my parents got me a bunch of Messier pictures to put on my wall, but for the life of me i don't remember ever putting them above my bed where Linden was. I guess some how I had a feeling at that age lol that jerk was left on the bedroom door.
Another thing that makes me hate him some more that he and keanan took the "C" off of trevor and traded him... that was the last straw for me even though I was quite young at the time.
neokasu i read Linden offered the C up to him out of respect, possibly not expecting him to take it. guess her should have kept it.
Glenn Anderson almost played for us and I think we would’ve loved him getting his 500th goal here.
Nah, given the history with Esa Tikkanen and Mark Messier, I still think the Linden fanboys would hate on Glenn Anderson just for being an ex-Oilers impact player just because he’s not in the Trevor Linden clique, same with Wayne Gretzky if Gretzky had signed with Vancouver instead of the N.Y. Rangers in 1996. There’s a negative history with ex-Oilers stars in Vancouver it seems.
@@FilipoSooaUlufale No, Tikkanen was welcomed until something else happens. Mark Messier was welcomed initially. You have to screw up for them to hate you and Messier screwed up although I think it's been too negative and not enough focus on Keenan.
The second go-around of Messier happened not so much because the team was trying to recapture the '80s Oiler magic, but because the team didn't really work under Brian Leetch's leadership. The Rangers were really lacking in direction, and Mess was a decisive figure among some of the NYR fanbase at the time.
Gretzky on the Canucks is one of the greatest what ifs in sports history.
Why? He was a great player still but he only had a couple years left in him and they probably don't get the Sedins/Bertuzzi/McCabe/Ruutu/Jovocop
I dislike Messier but I wonder why there's more focus on him than Keenan. Messier was there longer and made more money, so there's that, but Keenan really set the bad tone in the dressing room and team. Messier was probably partly responsible as he was Captain and he didn't say anything.
However, after Keenan left, Messier refused to be traded because he felt there was a job that needed to be done. Also, Markus really credits Messier for his leadership and looking after him.
Keenan, even though he made some trades that helped, they helped *in spite* of him. There would have been no West Coast Express if Keenan was still coach because he would likely have traded Naslund.
Keenan had no redeeming qualities when he was here.
After Messier's initial deplorable season where he seemed to let the team sink so he can mold the team in his image (what kind of leadership is that) he at least worked with the new group after Keenan was gone. He even won the Cyclone Taylor award.
Still, I think if Messier wants his unpopularity in this city to soften somewhat (and he may not care), I would say he would need to do the following as a start:
* All the Canucks who praise him (including Burke and Naslund) should say so again and tell stories to give a more complete image. To be more believable, they should concede there is some legitimate criticism of his time there including his first year.
* He should return the $6million he got from the Canucks. Part of that should go to Burke because the previous ownership screwed him even though he saved the franchise and the remaining should go to Canuck place or one of Sedins charities. Maybe even Linden if he has one.
* Apologize for not playing better. Even Krutov apologized in 2005.
* Re-iterate that he would not have taken the captaincy in hindsight.
* Apologize for not standing up for his team, including Linden against Keenan.
* Admit that it was a mistake to hire Keenan. He can dress it up however he wants (wrong team, wrong time, etc) but he should realize that the Rangers only got Gretzky because Keenan and Jack Quinn figured out how to push him away from St. Louis. He should've realized then, especially if he had chats with Gretzky, that Keenan was no longer good.
* Apologize to the fans for all the general chaos during those years, especially his first year with Keenan.
He also got Linden to give him the C. Not long after that Linden was gone.
Thank you for the wonderful memories/reminders.Fav all time Canuck for me will always be Trevor Linden. As far as ‘greatest all time leaders’ I’m a fan of both Yzerman and Sakic, they didn’t have the Messier ‘truculence’.?
Yeah this is the guy who dealt a vicious elbow to the head of Thomas Gradin with as cowardly a hit as l ever saw. Iirc Gradin suffered a concussion from that elbow. He had the l'm a hockey god complex and all you guys are WAY beneath me when he got to Vancouver his behavior with he team spoke volumes about his character....
Vintage Hockey Guy! Not sure why this popped up on my feed, but interesting to see what your videos looked like! And oh yeah - as an old Devil's fan - Messier sucks.
Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup!!
This is the irony of it all: this era led to Keenan taking charge and his trades would eventually benefit the Canucks for years.
Maybe, but Vancouver could have landed better returns on trading Bure and Mogilny. Only the Linden trade played significantly to Vancouver's long-term favour.
@@broadstreet21 even then, Bure and Mogilny were better players than Linden by 1997-98.
@@FilipoSooaUlufale They were more offensively skilled, but they lacked his leadership. But I get it. He should have gotten say Scott Niedermayer for Mogilny.
@@broadstreet21 Scott Niedermayer would’ve blossomed into an offensive-minded blueliner earlier if he was in Vancouver, but I doubt he’d have the Stanley Cups he did with New Jersey and Anaheim.
@@FilipoSooaUlufale Niedermayer would have won the cup in Vancouver, he was an elite player and one of the game's best leaders. I would say come 2005-06, he convinces the team to trade for his brother. They win in 2007 behind Luongo's strong goaltending.
Yup...I get that twitch too
Recently with the tide commercial
Award for leadership
Canucks captains Curttenbac, smyl, Linden.....Naslund... ...
Yeah justttt
Funny thing was Messier being fairly invisible in the 97 playoff run while Gretzky was scoring at will is sort of what soured msg on the idea of resigning him and pretty much giving the order from above to not give in and let Mess walk. We kind of both got raw deals out of it because when Mess left Leetch sort of went on low effort autopilot for years till he came back so it was like losing Messier and like 30% of Leetch. Our GM was a moron too... Wouldn't give you Malhotra so we could have Bure for all the Florida years, signed Colorado and NJ cast offs, and then there was the drafting... Smith's front office was somehow even more inept at draft talent eval than a Brian Burke office.. And then we got Slats who did great at Taco Bell menuing the oilers on no money but was utter garbage with a blank checkbook... Messier just wanted one last payday and I get it.. A lot of his prime was before the money got goofy in pro sports, but as a hockey proposition not wanting to be in Vancouver and then the Vancouver travel at his age was a recipe for disaster.
DailyHive just released a piece on why Messier is still the most hated player in Canucks history. Hillarious line, "His name, his face, Lay’s potato chips - if it has to do with Messier, Canucks fans hate it." I might add, after he endorsed Rogers (and after Grapes was fired from Sportsnet), I cancelled my Rogers mobile subscription and avoid Rogers content for the most part.
Who was the idiot that put the 6 million clause in Messier's contract? I agree with everything, except for that. Messier is entitled to that money, whether appreciation was because of him or not.
Perfectly summed up here in this video.
I like the powerpuff girls pillow on the left
You got it wrong with Tikkanen. Tikkanen left the Rangers in 1994 to go to St. Louis, then New Jersey in 95-96 for 9 games before an incident where all the Devils players were quiet and Tikkanen was yelling “WHERE’S MUH BEER N PIZZA!” at the back of the team bus where Jacques Lemaire gave up on him and it was simply a 1980s Oilers/Habs culture clash rehash, just on a different team in the 90s. Off he went to Vancouver where they fixed his knees up and bounced back, but started trashing them and went back to the Rangers in 96-97.
So no, Tikkanen didn’t join the Canucks before the Blues.
Yep. I'm a NJ fan and remember sitting behind the net for warm-ups watching Tikkanen come out during his brief stint and thinking ......"This effin guy".....
THE GREATEST LEADER EVER IN TEAM SPORTS? HAHAHAHA! His legacy is severely tarnished by his tenure in Vancouver...and that gladdens my heart . And ya...him and Graves were TOTAL PRICKS for assaulting Linden in game 6.
Mark Messier's legacy is truly divided like a two-sided mirror! Arguably no player have made himself so divided among fans.
One side reflects his merits and leader qualities that goes beyond many of the best ever in NHL. Captained 2 teams to Stanley Cup championships in both Conferences and became like an iron-man to play year-after-year to age 44! BUT....
The other side reflects an uggly portray of a dirty player who was as individual overrated = was only good when he was with those strong teams he won with. How greedy and money grabbing Messier gradually became, demanding insane salery + bonuses + benefits + salery insurences at advanced age of 38 AND to wear retired number 11# - And somehow, for no sane reason a team (Vancouver Canucks) AGREED and SIGNED ON the demands (?). That he soon also aquired the captain role from a fan-loved icon Trevor Linden) and then that same player gets humiliated and oppressed. How despite the insane amounts of tallents on the team, and Messier manafrs not only to not score impressive numbers on the ice, but also avt silent and uninterested in leading his team.
Then is part of a rather seen "mutiny" in the franchise by getting the team gutted from its tallents to bring in players not needed and the team plunhes into 4 years of darkness. And when Messier leaves the team, he years afterwards demand $millions despite never lived up to anything of all he was given - and gets those money in court.
So if you are a Oiler or Rangers fan, you love him - If you are a Canuck fan, you despise him!
If you are neutral, you have a tough balance of the edge that is constantly wobbles as you look on all perspectives.
Meant Wayne Maki's number.sorry for spelling error.
watching this in 2021 and seeing Shannon cough I'm just like NO DONT GET COVID HOCKEYGUY
Just because Canucks fans hate Messier doesn't mean he deserved it. He only asked for what his contract said he was due. A deal is a deal.....even in Vancouver.
He's a bum!! The dude got carried by the best player ever in the game! And the oilers had Jari Kuri also!! Like FFS, put any of us on that team and we'll do insanely good. He also left Edmonton and brought over 5-6 of his Oiler Bum buddies in 94 to the Rangers and the #1 team in the league then barely beat a better overall Vancouver Canucks team.... So much for rebuilding right? Well not in those days as you can just bring dudes over and it's no problem?? WTF!! Thankfully the league had a strike in 95" and then the NHLPA formed after that. And Thank GOD those days are long over, rebuilding a team takes a lot of work, effort and trades and so on. And the worst part is, when he came to Vancouver he literally ripped off Linden's "C" and made the team GARBAGE... The guy is a clown, the guy has no class and to me he got carried in his career. He would absolutely get torn apart by most of the players/teams nowadays... He's ONLY popular because Wayner and Jari made him popular by carrying that guy around. I honestly wanted to fight him just got taking Trevor's C, like fuck that shit....
I heard Messier hit on Bure in the showers...
Great video, thank you!
when are you going to play franchise mode in nhl 17?
Can you consider making a video of the fall of the Canucks?
Which fall?
I assume he's talking about the 2011 team to where it is now.
They took the C from Linden and gave it Messier. Vancouver loves Linden.
Because he came to Vancouver and cost them $500,000 a goal. did not lead them to playoff success, and his time is never mentioned in any of his memoir video clips.
Thank god all this terrible Canuck history is over....Maybe they can create a stanley cup winner with Horvat Boeser Petterson.
Great synopsis.
Taking a retired number out from the rafters was a mistake. Guaranteeing a playoff spot is a mistake too. Saying you think you'll get a playoff spot and guaranteeing it is a big difference. Other then those 2 things I don't see the big deal. Messier was older and near the end of his career the Canucks knew that when they signed him. His contract was large but lots of hockey players have big contracts and most NHL clubs have a bad contract on it that someone is getting paid well more then they are worth, if the Canucks didn't want to pay it they could have signed someone else instead of Messier. As far as the coach and Linden going that wasn't on Messier. Hanging around the rest of the team is not a requirement. Also Messier suing he was in his rights to do that. The Canucks should have never put that in Messiers contract that is on the Canucks organization not Messier.
Pat Quinn did that??
Maybe it's not Messier, maybe it's Vancouver. And maybe the fans know this and need someone to scapegoat.
As a fan at the time, nope. Messier led to the complete destruction of the team, aided by Mike Keenan.
Thank you for the video. Make your bed though!
need to hate Canucks mgmt for that one! Messier was at the end of the line by then (his 18th season for god sakes!) I can see them hating Keenan though.
Dude, put sheets on your bed.
Edmonton super agent
I thought Quinn was fired *before* Renney. So Quinn went out and *then* Keenan came in and we had some idiot as GM until they just gave it to Keenan.
Vancouver Fans still hate Mark Messier even after the 1994 Stanley Cup Win. And for him to go to the City. Just makes them even more infuriating
Mark Messier will always be better than Trevor Linden and that’s a fact.
@@FilipoSooaUlufale I agree with you. On that comment
Just off the topic you seem like you know alot about hockey
Maybe you or some can give me some insight on this
Remember in the early nineties for a brief period all the hockey sticks had to have black paint covering the brand and logos
Anyone know what that was about I always wandered
Everyone knows the answer to this ,he is a god in Edmonton and New York both teams and BC try to forget this stint.
Why Do Vancouver Canuck Fans Hate Mark Messier?
Because he more, or less stripped the 'C' away from Linden...Regardless what anyone says - that was a bad signing, and a complete douchebag move made by the 'Moose'.
Never cared for Messier and I've got nothing to say about Keenan that could be typed here.
I thought when that Gretzky stuff went down he signed with St. Louis instead?
Justin W No, he came out of the Blues
Because we love Trevor Linden.
Messier has gotten a free pass for all the crap he did in Vancouver. As @kevinsmith7475 mentioned, Messier demanding Wayne Maki's retired number 11 was the most egregious thing he did while with Vancouver, that is on top of all the horrible stuff you mention in the video. BTW, it was the stupid owner of the Canucks Arthur Griffiths who made Pat Quinn call Gretzky up and demand that he sign the contact immediately because even though Wayne wanted to just sleep on it overnight. Griffiths thought that was unacceptable and wanted him to sign on the spot. Is it any wonder that it was all downhill after that. I wish someone would call Messier out on this during his analyst duties on ESPN’s NHL coverage. Like the Gretzky - Rick Tocchet gambling scandal this will all be swept under the carpet.
Mark(it-got-a-whole-lot)Messier
Messier was a great player. Too bad he was SO DIRTY!
In today's NHL a player like Messier wouldn't last long, he'd be getting suspended all the time.
The media made ppl hate him
because they overpaid for him, he sucked for them, and he stole the C from linden.
Is it me or does Messier look like the Chop Top character in Texas Chainsaw 2 or the guy with AIDS in Philadelphia?
because he only came here.
for the money and to dictate
along with Kennan traded
Linden and every player i cared about. that lead to become a Sens fan.
This should be a good video!!!