Hockey Hall of Fame forward Mark Messier went down as one of the greatest professional athletes to play in New York after the captain helped deliver a Stanley Cup back to Madison Square Garden in 1994 for the first time since 1940.
The waiting for a Rangers Stanley Cup had finally ended and in large part to Messier’s heroics and gutsy leadership qualities during the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs and run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Just three short years later on a shocking summer day, Messier would leave the New York Rangers through unrestricted free agency during the 1997 offseason, signing a three-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks.