One of the greatest players in NHL history was treated like a rock star during a whirlwind weekend in the community where he rose to prominence.
“It’s been incredible,” said a delighted Mark Messier, during a break in Sunday’s busy schedule with the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour stop in St. Albert that including signing autographs for lineups longer than St. Albert Trail. “It’s very humbling.”
The most famous St. Albert Saint in team history embarked on a Hall of Fame career highlighted by six Stanley Cups, including five in seven years with the Edmonton Oilers, was the Conn Smythe trophy winner as the 1984 playoff MVP with the Oilers and led the 1994 New York Rangers to their first Stanley Cup since 1940.
Messier’s status as a revered St. Albert sports figure was entrenched when he brought the Stanley Cup to the old Bruin Inn in 1984.
“It was a legendary place with a nice beer hall. I got an opportunity with the Cup a couple of days after we had won it and I always tell the story of when I went in there to get a couple of boxes of beer to take the Cup up to my parents’ home because we had some friends and family coming over. It was kind of innocent really because we just brought the Cup in, sat it down and had a couple of beers. Back then we didn’t have cellphones so there was no way to talk to people, so there was three people in the bar when we first got there and a half an hour later it seemed like the whole town was in that bar. It was legendary. The Cup was in the middle and I think everybody in St. Albert got a chance to drink out of the Stanley Cup that night,” Messier told Sportsnet co-hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone from inside the mobile broadcast studio parked on St. Anne Street during the first-period intermission in Sunday’s game between the Oilers and Winnipeg Jets.
Messier, now 55, thrilled fans young and old during a special appearance at, of course, Mark Messier Arena in Servus Credit Union Place on Saturday afternoon to participate in The First Shift, a learn-to-play hockey program for youths aged six to 10 through Bauer Hockey and Hockey Canada. The emphasis is on fun during the six-week, on-ice curriculum. Registration is $199 and each player can keep the head-to-toe Bauer equipment. St. Albert was one of several communities involved in the program this year that welcomes families to the sport.
“It was amazing to see the number of kids on the ice and the passion for the game around here is a real testimony to the people here who are volunteering their time and making these programs work for kids,” said Messier, who also re-visited Akinsdale Arena while in St. Albert.
“It was a great place when it was first built. We were all very proud of it here in St. Albert and to go and see the kids on the ice and seeing it being kept up and in great shape was awesome,” recalled the top scorer in the Saints’ inaugural 1977/78 season in St. Albert, with 74 points in 54 games and 196 penalty minutes.
In 25 seasons with the Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and Rangers, Messier registered an astonishing 694 goals and 1,887 points in 1,756 games, plus 1,910 penalty minutes, and in 236 playoff games recorded 109 goals and 295 points.
Messier’s media availability was tight during his brief stay in St. Albert but the Gazette managed to book some time with the Hart Memorial Trophy winner as the NHL’s MVP in 1990 and 1992.
What’s it like when St. Albert rolls out the red carpet for you?
Messier: “It’s very humbling to say the least.
“I remember moving here I think in Grade 3 or 4, very early on. It was a small town then, I think there was only about 10,000 people in St. Albert so it’s amazing to see the growth.
“I remember playing junior hockey at Akinsdale Arena for the St. Albert Saints and then leaving to go play pro when I was 17 so I have great memories here in St. Albert and it will always be home for me.”
How important were the Saints in your development as a hockey player?
Messier: The Saints were a great program and that old tier two league was a great program so kids could play junior hockey and prepare themselves to go to college and that’s what I was doing; I was playing in tier two and I had a commitment from Denver University.
“It was an incredible developmental stage for me. I started playing when I was 15 and there I was 17 going on 18 when I went and actually played in the WHA (with the Cincinnati Stingers after a five game tryout with the Indianapolis Racers) so it was quite the stepping stone.”
How overwhelming is it to be the centre of attention at events like this in Oilers country?
Messier: It was a special time for us and the people here in Edmonton through the ’80s. We had the best player to ever play on the planet on the team and he was a leader for all of us. We ended up developing an incredible team and not only did we play well on the ice but we immersed ourselves in the community and I think the people connected with that to this day. There is an amazing bond with that team and the people and I guess the testimonial to that is when you do a reunion and you can sell out Northlands Coliseum. It goes to show the passion the people have here for the game of hockey.”
Connor McDavid, is he the real deal?
Messier: He’s proven again that he’s been able to excel at every level he’s played at and I don’t think anybody thought he wouldn’t at the NHL but more importantly he really is a respectful young fellow and very respectful of the game and respectful of his peers. He seems to be a great teammate and a leader already at 19 years old so it’s incredible to see.”
Who did you admire as a youth?
Messier: “One of my idols was Muhammad Ali. I liked what he stood for.
“In hockey, I liked Bobby Orr and I liked Guy Lafleur. I liked the way they played and the passion that they played with so those are the two guys that I kind of watched growing up.”
What do you think of the NHL right now?
Messier: “In general, the NHL has probably never been in better shape. There is more talent on all the teams than perhaps there ever has been in any time in history. There is an enormous amount of talent on every team and a lot of parity. The financial structure seems to have got itself sorted out so everyone seems to be in good stead there. The rules they’ve made coming out of the lockout have really opened up the game. The speed is back and the skill is back in the game. You’ve also got great goaltending.
“It’s a great time to be a hockey fan.”
