On October 4th, 1991, the New York Rangers acquired center Mark Messier and future considerations (defenseman Jeff Beukeboom) from the Edmonton Oilers for center Bernie Nicholls, forwards Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk, and future considerations (defenseman David Shaw). And the Rangers fans have Glen Sather to thank for his role in the greatest trade ever to hit the Blueshirts.
As the Edmonton Oilers general manager in the 1980s, Sather pulled the trigger on the deal that sent Mark Messier to New York and the 1994 Stanley Cup Championship to Madison Square Garden. Sather was really forced into making the deal as Messier — who was unhappy with his $1.2 million salary — had not reported to training camp, holding out and demanding a trade.
Mark Messier was already a five-time Cup champion with the Oilers when Rangers general manager Neil Smith rolled the dice and gave up high-scoring center Bernie Nicholls as well as two young forwards, Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk, and defenseman David Shaw, for “The Messiah,” who proved to be everything they could have asked for from the moment he made his debut in the home opener. “The Captain” won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 1991-92, helping the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy. Two years later, he scored the Cup-winning goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final when the Rangers ended their 54-year title drought. Among his teammates was Jeff Beukeboom, who turned into much more than a throw-in by becoming Brian Leetch’s partner on the top defense pair.
Meanwhile, the Oilers began a slide that lasted for the better part of 35 years. None of the players who went the other way were major contributors.
Messier was already a Hall of Famer before he arrived in New York. What he did with the Rangers turned him into a hockey immortal. He is “The Captain” forever.
In his first season in New York alone, he scored 107 points and was a first team All-Star. He was also named the best player in the league, winning both the Hart and Pearson Trophies.
Immediately named team captain, Messier transformed the team from an also-ran to a team that was the league’s best, winning the President’s Trophy in 1992 and 1994. His hat trick in game six of the 1994 Stanley Cup Conference Finals against the New Jersey Devils alone qualifies him as a Ranger immortal.