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NHL legend Mark Messier reflects on the strategy that led the Rangers to their 1994 Stanley Cup victory
Mark Messier is a Canadian hockey legend who led the New York Rangers to win the 1994 Stanley Cup. Known for his leadership, Messier famously guaranteed a Game 6 win against the New Jersey Devils. Standing in the Rangers' practice rink in Rye, New York, he confidently declared to reporters his assurance of bringing the series back for Game 7.
In an interview with Spittin' Chiclets released on X/Twitter today, Messier reflected on his strategy for success:
"The whole inspiration behind that, and I've said this many times over the years, is that if you don't believe you can win, it's not going to happen. We had to figure out a way to play better."
He knew playoff hockey well and inspired his teammates to maintain their season-long confidence:
"We had a team that was capable, because of the experience I had leading up to coming to New York and understanding the progression through the playoffs, watching the other conference as we advanced, and observing their games."
Messier's confidence in the team's ability to win was well-founded. It was based on their proven performance and his playoff experience. Having won five Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, he knew how to succeed. Messier knew championship chances didn't come along very often and was determined to use this one.
"At least I felt we had a strong enough team to win that year," he said. "We had proven ourselves with the President's Trophy and all that. At that point in my career, I was 33, 34. How many more chances would I have."
Mark Messier's approach worked, as the Rangers won Game 6 and eventually ended a 54-year Cup drought in Game 7 in double overtime. His legacy includes six Stanley Cup wins and leading two different teams to victory. This makes him an NHL great, as fans called him "The Messiah" for his 1994 leadership.
Mark Messier used newspapers to boost team confidence
When asked whether he used media to boost his team's morale, Mark Messier described how players en route to practice sessions would read about his confident statements in print when news cycles were based on morning papers.
"I didn't care about the repercussions at that point. ... I knew when we played New Jersey, we would all get on the bus, and back then, it wasn't phones, it was newspapers," Messier said.
"Everybody would read the papers on the way from the practice rink to over there. I knew everyone would open up the paper and read that I believed we could go in there and win the game."
Mark Messier knew his guarantee would be a headline his teammates would see. This move was meant to boost the team's confidence, which proved to pave the way for their win.
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