Mark Messier Talks 30th Anniversary of 1994 & talks Stanley Cup Finals

Mark Messier Talks 30th Anniversary of 1994 & talks Stanley Cup Finals

and we are honored to be joined by the Messiah Mark Messi hey good morning everybody great great to be H with you you know I I just was reminded I woke up to a big text chain of 20 of our former players with New York Rangers saying thank you to everybody that for 1994 so uh as they say you win to win today and you text together forever happy anniversary mess 30 freaking years have you thought I mean think about where you stand in New York Lord you realize I know you listen to New York Sports talk all the time but we reference you quite a bit in everyday sports talk because you were the guy to do it there hasn’t been a guy to end a drought for the Mets there hasn’t been a guy to end the drought for the Knicks there hasn’t been a guy to end the drought for the Jets you ended a 54-year drought you were brought here to do a job you did it you are all time Legend one of the greats in New York City what does that mean to you well it means lot I don’t think that I did it I didn’t do it we did it as you know it it takes a team effort it takes an organizational effort to do something like we did in ’94 I was you know brought into hopefully lend some experience that I had in Edmonton coming to New York uh but I never looked at I was the guy to you know break the curse of 54 years but what an unbelievable time those three years were for me and Edmonton the lead up to at winning the president’s trophy the first year but only losing in the playoffs and not even taking the playoffs the next year and feeling lower than a snake’s belly and riding to that wave all the way back up and winning the Stanley Cup the third year what a what a way to do it though because I felt the the intensity and the pressure and the disappointment um maybe that’s what it made it more even more special but mess did you feel the pressure right away because we talk a lot you did because I was going to say we talk a lot about Rogers and him trying to elevate the Jets obviously your resume was already complete based on what you did with the Oilers I mean the Rangers weren’t as down as the Jets have been recently you felt that pressure from from jump you know I I was so hopeful that when I got traded to New York that hockey would matter like it mattered in Edmonton and when I got to New York that first game I’ll never forget the rest of my life when I came on I was introducing and I shook all the hands of the captains that were there that night from that moment on I recognized that this is uh this is going to be intense the pressure I felt immediately I felt the passion the fan base uh the the 51 year of of pain that the F the fan base had suffered um and I knew that I made the right choice coming to New York because I was getting involved in a journey on something that was going to be incredible I I didn’t know if we’re going to be able to win a Stanley Cup I was confident we could when I looked around and saw the players that the Rangers had a mass with Brian leech and zubov eventually and Mike RoR and goal and kovalev and then we added some veteran guys uh but uh uh yeah I felt that the first day my first game coming back to New York City that night I knew that I was in for to do or in for having a chance to do something that would be incredible well I’m I’m curious mark what was your perception of Ranger fans before you got here uh you know just what you would expect uh you know passionate fan base uh had seen a lot of hockey over the years loyal to the to the team loyal to the organization um suffered incredible setbacks got close a few times to only be suffer more disappointment but if he had to say one word after all these years uh loyal and passionate uh just just unbelievable to this day you know you know I I spend a lot of time in New York City on the Subways going from meeting to meeting whatever and it’s just incredible how many people were and the word that always or the two words that everybody always says is thank you you know and everybody had the story to this day they remember where they were and what it meant to him you think about you know bringing families together and Sons and fathers uniting and bonding over the game of hockey and the New York Rangers and mothers and daughters and aunts and uncles uh it was just a unbelievable powerful experience PT and Sal on the fan we’re talking about Mark Messi on the 30y year anniversary of the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup in 1994 how much did that one mean to you mess I know you want a bunch of Cups what did 94 how special was that when you rank amongst the other cups that you won it it felt a lot like the first one to be honest with you and of course you know you spend your whole life trying to figure out a way to win a Stanley Cup when when you do it’s like all these um feelings of U of gratitude and all the words that you could think about uh and the people that put you in the place and the family sacrifices and all that uh when I got to New York it felt new again it felt like a second career it felt like I was starting over in some ways and and then to understand and and get to know the the the fan base and the and the and the disappointments and and all the things that had happened and the curse That was supposed to be there and and trying to overcome all the teams that had got close but never only to wind up being set back again um when we lifted the Stanley Cup in 1994 it I I didn’t lift that cup you know the the New York Ranger fan base whether you’re in that Arena or not uh that energy from all of us combined uh lifted that cup together and I think that’s what why we’re still talking about it and why it was so special 30 years later now you know Mark we we we were close man for a little more than a month we were having that little flirtation Nicks and the Rangers maybe going to mess around and give us a throwback summer so obviously back in 94 you’re doing your thing but I mean how much were you and the guys able to enjoy the run that the Knicks run yeah well that’s what was great about 94 is that we kind of I was a big Pat Riley fan anyways uh I loved his uh his book you what an incredible leader uh the win within right that book talk about that one within yeah yeah and I just I used to give my teams every Christmas I would give the team a book of something to read like that sacred Hoops by Phil Jackson oh all different kinds of books on leadership and that would be something that I do every year but uh so we kind of got to know each other a little bit uh you know Starks and all those guys and Anthony Mason would come to games Ying was a great guy there was some collaboration there a little bit we were supporting each other and uh I was able even to get to a couple games that year so that was that was really awesome for us to be able to share that same time and unfortunately that the Knicks didn’t quite get there but what an incredible run they had as well mess take me back to game six Eastern Conference Finals it was really the first time you guys had your backs against the wall you the famous guarantee where were you at mentally with that team and what led you to guarantee the victory ahead your win obviously in game six in New Jersey I was all in on the team um I think one of the things that uh helped me coming to New York was the experiences I had in Edmonton winning the five Stanley Cups and what winning feels like what what what it looks like and feels like on the ice what it looks and feels like off the ice uh the the organization that the the the commitment to winning not only from the players themselves but everybody in the organization from the team services to the general manager to the owners ship Stanley jaffy Neil Smith then we get Mike Keenan comes in we were all in I knew that we had a good enough team to be able to win the Stanley Cup that year we had everything that you need in a in a championship team we had toughness we had grit we had Superstar defenseman we had unbelievable goalie we had all the experience the guys that have been through the wars and the mix of Youth and and and experience that year was unbelievable we had to figure out a way to play better in the New Jersey series they had a great team as well they were a little in the experience maybe if you look back at it now but Roder was amazing had a great tough strong defense so uh we had to figure out a way to play better as a team uh we couldn’t expect New Jersey to you know kind of hand it to us and uh we had to ask more of each other and we’re able to do that uh you know Mato scoring a huge goal to send us to the Stanley Cup finals RoR standing on his head in game six uh to keep us even in the game to give us a chance in the third period so uh I was all in on that team I didn’t care what needed to be done at that particular time I would have said or done anything to hopefully make a difference and and make sure that the belief was and the confidence was still in our team going into game six that that’s awesome my partner wants to run through a wall right now bab Goosebumps I got goosebumps M thank you oh my God so Mark let me ask you this so let’s marry the past and and push it forward with the present and the future you know Ying’s name came up the Knicks never really got him that second star in the NBA you got to have one didn’t win Lun Quist alltime great close didn’t win she sturing in his prime got a lot of great years left haven’t haven’t won yet and really we focus on the Florida series I don’t think the Rangers look great against Carolina either now if you disagree of course you know more than I I didn’t think they look that good you check me if you have to what does Chris drory have to do this summer cuz even last year at the Devils that wasn’t B in what are the big moves what do they need to do well I I I agree with you I think uh the Rangers did play well this year they did play well at times in the playoffs but there’s at times in the playoffs they didn’t play well uh in the Carolina series they got through it Carolina in my opinion had inferior goal tending to be able to win at that time of year the one thing that the Rangers did is they had a goalie that wouldn’t quit he just was did everything in his power to keep the team in it but they were just overwhelmed by Florida and and I always say at this time of year it will expose the truths of your team uh it will expose your weaknesses uh it’ll also expose your strengths so it’s a double edged sword but um there’s no hiding at this time your and whatever your team is lacking U and we’re seeing it a little bit in the series right now with Edmonton um you know Edmonton is deficient in some areas there and that Florida is able to expose it and um you know for for for you know me I don’t know what they need to do because unless you are actually in the dressing room and you have your finger on the pulse of every person in there every player what he’s doing on the ice what he’s doing off off the ice what is his passion level what is his commitment level what is this Focus level it’s hard to make a determination of who you have to play but you do have to make the determination of is your core is your core strong enough to lead a team to a Stanley Cup that is the first thing that you have to ask yourself of course The Fringe players the depth players are important we’re seeing that in Florida right now their depth players are incredible uh londelle liserin and Rodriguez you they go up and down the lineup and the contributions are getting so you need that of course but you have to answer the first and most important question is your core good enough big enough strong enough talented enough focused enough disciplined enough and to get the job done and then then you go from there well well understood and there’s so many things that that you don’t know because you’re not there practice on the bus the passion level things you can’t quantify with I I understood totally respect that but what you know about the game and what you talked about with PK every night on on the big screen obviously in between periods you guys are good together by the way do you think that you’re welcome do you think that Chris jury thinks that his core is good enough to win a championship uh by his comments uh he’s Pro by his comments that I read because I only read it from afar and not I’m not involved so from his comments he’s that’s a question question that he’s asking himself um and that’s what’s going to need to be addressed um you know you look at you look at the teams that go on to win you look at us in 94 okay were we talented yeah we had amazing Hall of Fame we had some great players uh you know but we were the epitome of a team in 94 um if you look at a team you you know we had toughness nobody we never got run out of a building nobody was going being intimidated we had skill we had a great power play We and then we had all the experience and focus and depth that you need to win so you know it’s just and it’s not easy nowadays to do all that because of the salary cap and the timing of it the windows shorter for these organizations to get it all to come together for you got your entry level contracts and you’re paying your top guys High money and balancing and marrying that with experience there it’s very difficult uh to do but uh the the an the answer long winded way of answering your question there is that you got to be able to win a lot of different ways uh if you’re one trick pony in in the Stanley Cup Playoffs because the other team’s sole purpose is to try to take away what you do well and then what are you left with BT and on the fan we’re talking about Mark Messi a 30-year anniversary of the 1994 Stanley Cup Championship WI a couple more for you Messi and we really do appreciate your time are you happy with your current role in the game you’re obviously having fun broadcasting there with PK although I could do without PK I must be honest he drives me that’s that Ranger hater put him in his place M no but you’re doing well broadcasting do you miss there you go do you miss or do you do you have a desire to be either a coach or run a front office and and try to run a team to go chase another Stanley Cup in a different role well I I will say that uh when I was asked to do uh the ESPN role on the on the analyst desk I didn’t know if that was a if I was going to enjoy it so I I’ll clear this I’ll say this one thing right now I’m having a time in my life right now doing this role it I never expected to have this much fun it’s taken me three years to kind of get comfortable in the in the position and understand how to do the job and like anything else it’s you got to be a professional and I I have a so much respect for the guys that do what I’m doing that that do it really well I every night that I drive home I kick myself in the ass for not saying something that was so obvious or critiquing my own performance but I’m starting to feel better so that’s a good news um it would be I always felt that I could be additive to a team uh in the right world what whatever role that is right now I’m not really interested in coaching or any more um I’m not really interested in being a manager anymore um but but being a part of a team in some capacity would be would be fun um but it’ have to be in the right situation the the right team around you as you know you got it’s all about people you know I thought I was in the hockey business for for 26 years but the reality is I was in the people business for 26 years you got to inspire people you got to create a culture that’s conducive to winning uh those are the things that allow teams and individ idual become a team and and eventually go on and win a Stanley Cup you know mess you’ve talked about it in the past the impact of Mike keen and speech prior to game seven I know it’s 30 years ago but can you tell us what he said you said it’s great one of the best things you ever heard can you tell us a little bit about specifics to what Keenan said ahead of that game seven well you know it’s it’s been well documented that there was some problems leading up to some of the some of the uh uh times and New Jersey series and Mike had been close um many times in his career with Philadelphia of course and he ran up against the great teams in dmon then he got Chicago there and then he ran up against Mary Lemieux and the great teams they had here and he was bringing teams that were banged up and you know gave and bled for for each other uh so he he he was close uh he did make some mistakes along the way in in uh in Chicago and in Philadelphia and I I recognized a long time ago that I was one of the guys that whether you’re a police officer or a teacher a coach I respected Authority but there was one day I woke up and I said wow coaches aren’t gods they don’t know everything they make mistakes like the rest of us they are human um and I think what was so uh interesting about the 94 cup run is that it was a learning experience for all of us and we have to learn how to win together sure I I was part of a winning team in Edmonton we might we did probably did it differently than we ended up doing in New York but collectively you have to do it together and that’s and that’s that’s including the coach when you get to the Stanley Cup finals all the head games all the psychology all that is just thrown out the window there you got to get in the canoe together you all got to grab an or as Eddie old used to say and start rowing together and the coach has got to be at that time he is not separated from the team he is in the canoe with the team trying to figure out a way to win and when Mike came in there at with this in the talk that he gave to the to the team he said you guys are the best team in the world right now you guys have the ability to go out there and win this game you don’t have to pray and hope that you’re going to win the game you can win the game you know and I think when the coach comes in there and he kind of gives you that kind of you know heartfelt message that this has been an incredible journey that we’ve been on together and it gets at that level there it gets way emotional uh for everybody uh the coaches come clean after all the things that you’ve gone through together uh and and for us that was an important message to hear from the coach at that particular time and of course we still had to go out on the ice and and and execute a game plan and win but uh but those are the kinds of things that happen along the way for a team that eventually goes on to be winners oh God I could just imagine what Ranger fans are thinking as I got goosebumps man I’m almost getting emotional I wasn’t there I mean oh my God we’d run through a wolf for something like that last thing for me it’s a quick one to of course the great Mark Messi B sound on the fans so mess you mentioned you woke up today after you were about an hour late so for us I’m just kidding that you had like 20 text I no I I partied last night like we won this tanle cup in 19 as you should you Mark Messier you should party every night um and never pay for a drink by the way when you hear which you don’t or you don’t have to so I know you got a bunch of text from the boys about the 30 hey today it’s 30 years that’s the Rangers text thread is there an Oilers text thread maybe talking about the world’s most famous female Edmonton Oilers fans uh you guys have you guys texted about that lately oh uh the uh yeah yeah yes the yes yes sir I just saw the interview on spit and chicklets now do you believe that that’s her because not everybody was buying I mean I think it’s her you know you think it’s her yes yes yes yes yes of course yeah no nothing gets by in Edmonton without everybody knowing what’s going on there but that was great oh I said they should have given her season tickets next year that’s right that I mean she is she’s all in but it seems like she wants to kind of lay low like she even though she went on a podcast a show she doesn’t she’s like it’s almost I don’t want to say that she that she regrets doing it but she seems a little all right I’ll do one and then I’m going to kind of disappear and uh you know that that was a moment but you know now nowadays it’s not a big deal right everything I gotta tell you for a a kid who was 14 at the time I currently am wearing uh an unworn hat prior to today bought this Stanley Cup Championship had 30 years ago I’ve kept it in my you know in my souvenir category there at home I broke it out today a jersey originally that I had prior even to your arrival with the New York Rangers that I’m wearing today in honor of it 30 years I was 14 years old and like you said on behalf of every New York Ranger fan that has already said it to you I want to say it to you thank you you were the one who came here you embraced this town you embraced The Challenge and you delivered you will always be the Messiah thank you Mark Messier and happy anniversary I love the hat guys thanks M starter hat right yeah exactly original starter hat this is it this is this is the one you guys were wearing when Gary bman said Mark Messi come get the Stanley Cup I mean my God Goosebumps M great stuff that’s vintage that’s vintage right there that’s awesome it is vintage we appreciate your time mess good luck enjoy the rest of the season here we’ll talk to you soon great being on with you guys take care thanks buddy oh man happy I love watching this what a great spot that was I love watching you with him because I know what he means to he’s great what are you kidding he’s great you don’t want to I I get goosebumps from some of those stories you know what the best part about mess is for a guy who has who has achieved Supernatural stuff yeah he’s so relatable and he just seems like a regular guy I’ve never talked to him before obviously I’ve watched him as a broadcast I was going to ask you this is the first time you ever interview I love him yeah first time I’ve ever had the chance you never called into like Mike and Chris and you like put patch him through I’ve never talked to Messi period never aw now I’ve had I’ve interviewed Neil Smith I’ve interviewed Mike Keenan we had roron I believe I had Graves at one point along way never never the one who brought it home for you and to do it on the 30-year anniversary and to hear him still tell those stories dude that one about Keenan the speech because you could relate right back then coaches were hard on players so he’s riding their ass harder than anybody else the entire year here they are all the pressure in the world you’re at home you’re on the brink of delivering the first Stanley Cup in 54 years or potentially blowing your opportunity and maybe the players are thinking oh man he’s going to ride is he going to be hard on us and instead Keenan says you guys are good enough you’re going to go out there and it gets me emotional actually thinking about it [Music]

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