The Vancouver Canucks narrowly lost to the New York Rangers in the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, as Mark Messier captained the Blueshirts to their first championship in 54 years. For that, ‘Mess’ didn’t become the most popular of people on the west coast.
Following a pair of early playoff exits in 1995 and 1996 and a non-postseason appearance in 1997, the Canucks were convinced that a 35-year-old Messier was all they needed to return as a championship contender. 20 years to this date, they signed the six-time Stanley Cup champion:
Twenty years ago today, the Canucks announced that they had signed Mark Messier to a five-year deal worth $20-million pic.