A decade of futility for the New York Rangers that started in the late 1990';s
began with one event in July of 1997. It wasn';t a game the Rangers lost, a
trade they made, or a free agent they signed (although there would be many to
follow).

No, the day that led to seven straight non-playoff seasons for the Broadway
Blueshirts was the day their captain walked away.Mark Messier to the Canucks

When Mark Messier signed with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent in the
summer of 1997, it closed the book on one of the most successful eras in
Rangers'; history. Although Messier';s first tour of duty in New York only
lasted six seasons (he would return for four more seasons from 2000-04), he
became a legendary figure in New York.

From 1991-97, the Rangers made the playoffs five times, won two Atlantic
Division Championships, two Presidents'; Trophies, one Eastern Conference
Championship, and the Stanley Cup in 1994. When the final buzzer sounded after
Game 7 of the Final in 1994, Rangers'; play-by-play announcer Sam Rosen said
"This one will last a lifetime!" The same could be said for all of the memories
 Messier gave to the fans in New York.Canadian professional hockey player Mark
Messier of the New York Rangers hoists the Stanley Cup (Photo by Bruce Bennett
Studios/Getty Images)

That is why it was so hard for many fans to fathom that 'The Captain';, their
captain, would be allowed to walk away as a free agent. For a city and an
organization that was (and still is) synonymous with giving out large contracts
 to lure free agents, why wouldn';t the Rangers be willing to overpay to keep
Mark Messier in New York?Why Did Mark Messier Leave?

Depending on who you ask, the reasons for the messy divorce between Messier and
 the Rangers are very different. If you ask Messier, or at least if you asked
him fifteen years ago, one of the reasons that he decided to leave was that he
felt he was "disrespected" by Garden management.

In an article in the New York Times, Messier said, "When July 1 came around,
other teams were allowed to come in my living room, and things changed...I
guess they (the Rangers) felt they didn';t need to, that my loyalty (to New
York) was so strong."Messier waves to the crowd after his final NHL game.
(Image Credits: JR_in_NYC)

Rangers'; President and General Manager Neil Smith';s offer to Messier of a
one-year $4 million contract was not well received by the Rangers'; captain. In
 Jeff Z. Klein';s biography of Messier, the author writes "he (Messier) was
telling reporters how slighted he felt by what he thought was the Rangers';
deliberate insult."

According to Rangers'; management, Messier';s decision to leave New York was
all about the money that Vancouver threw his way. While it was reported that
teams such as the Islanders, Capitals, and Red Wings all offered deals similar
to the Rangers'; offer, the Canucks offered Messier a minimum of three years at
 $6 million per year, with an option for two more years at $5 million per
year.Mark Messier as a Cup-less Canuck

After Messier signed with the Canucks, Madison Square Garden CEO Dave Checketts
 rhetorically asked "How long should we pay for that Cup?" The Rangers felt
that he wasn';t worth the money, and fifteen years later, it is likely that
every Canucks fan will agree.

However, even with Wayne Gretzky for two more seasons, the Rangers missed
Messier';s presence in the lineup and in the locker room. Maybe things would
have turned out differently if Joe Sakic made it to Broadway.Messier & Gretzky
likely discussing happier times Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

After losing Messier to the Canucks, the Rangers signed the Avalanche center to
 a three-year $21 million contract. But the Avalanche decided to match the
Rangers'; offer for Sakic, who was a restricted free agent.Without Mark
Messier, the Long Drought

The Rangers and their fans would like to forget the years that followed. Seven
years came and went without a playoff appearance. The carousel of mercenaries
that made their way to the Garden, including Theo Fleury, Eric Lindros, Pavel
Bure, and Messier himself in 2000 as a 39-year old, just highlighted how
dysfunctional that time period in Ranger land was.

But it all goes back to the day that Messier left, and a situation that, in
hindsight, both sides would do differently.

This article was originally published in July, 2012.

The post The Day the Mark Messier Era Ended in New York appeared first on The
Hockey Writers.

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