“You’re fighting me in the dressing room”- Oilers legend Mark Messier recalls incident that shaped his toughness on the ice

By Evan Bell

Modified Jul 10, 2024 16:50 GMT

This week, Oilers legend Mark Messier joined Barstool Sports' Spittin' Chiclets podcast and his interview produced an all-time great episode. The Oilers legend spoke on a wide range of topics, from his remarkable run with the Oilers, and friendship with Wayne Gretzky, to his run with the New York Rangers.

At one point in the podcast, Messier recalled how his dad's influence impacted him as a player from a young age. As the six-time Stanley Cup champion revealed, his dad played professional hockey as a defenceman.

In one instance, while playing for the Edmonton Flyers his dad was ejected from a game while playing the role of an enforcer for one of his skaters. Furious with his teammates for not standing up for one another, his Dad decided to send a message to the rest of the Flyers, taking matters into his own hands.

"[He] ended up sitting there in his gear, waiting for the game to end. When the first guy came through the door, he drilled him. Then the second guy came through, and he drilled him too.

"Finally, a couple more guys came in, and they managed to restrain him. He said, 'Motherf**kers, If you're not going to fight together on the ice, you're fighting me in the dressing room.'"

"Do you think Wayne Gretzky is way better than me?" Mark Messier recalls the time he put his dad on the spot long before he and Gretzky played on the Oilers

As a second-generation hockey player, Oilers legend Mark Messier had a chance to learn the game from his dad, Doug Messier. While growing up, Doug Messier coached the Junior Spruce Grove Mets of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

At just 15 years old, Mark Messier tried out for the team despite being undersized compared to other players trying out for the U20 (Under-20) team. Despite that, he made the cut, which led to him crossing paths with Wayne Gretzky at an early age.

While recalling how he and Gretzky quickly became friends in Edmonton while playing on the Oilers later on in their respective careers, he spoke about the run-in as teenagers, and how he put his dad on the spot.

"I made the team, and I was on the practice going with my dad one day and didn't have my driver's license, obviously. So I said, 'Hey, dad do you think Wayne Gretzky is way better than me?' And my dad goes 'How do I tell him? What exit do we turn at?'

"So Wayne and I had a connection at a very early age, and crazy enough, there we find ourselves together at training camp in Edmonton and became fast friends very quickly."

With Mark Messier now a member of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, it sounds as though fans are in for plenty more exciting stories from Messier in the future.