It’s unlikely that he’ll catch Gordie Howe’s record of 23 All-Star Games, but the way Mark Messier defies time, few would bet against it.
As it was, Sunday marked the certain Hall of Fame center’s 15th appearance in hockey’s midseason classic, tying Frank Mahovlich for fourth on the all-time list.
Not content even at 43 to go through the motions and take the ovations, Messier continues to move up numerous all-time lists.
His two points Sunday in the East’s 6-4 victory over the West in the 54th NHL All-Star Game moved Messier past Howe and into third place with 20 All-Star points, behind only Wayne Gretzky’s 25 and Mario Lemieux’s 23.
Colorado’s Joe Sakic had a hat trick Sunday to claim MVP honors before a standing-room crowd of 19,434 at the Xcel Energy Center.
If Sunday was Messier’s last All-Star appearance, he went out with a bang.
“It’s always nice to go out with a win,” Messier said. “It was a surprise for me to be here this year. You don’t know what tomorrow brings.” Messier isn’t exactly easing into retirement. He has 14 goals and 26 points in 54 games for the New York Rangers, numbers that would put him among the Blackhawks’ leaders.
“I didn’t really think I would be in a position to be here at the start of the season,” he said. “You have to try to play with pride in as many games as you can. Anybody who is here has had a good year so far, and this is a testimony to that.”
Messier’s assist on New York Islanders defenseman Adrian Aucoin’s goal to open the scoring 5 minutes 44 seconds into the game was his 14th career All-Star assist, moving him past Ray Bourque and into first place all time.
He added his sixth All-Star goal midway through the second period, and appeared to savor the moment.
“I have my nieces and nephews and some family members here, and they were pretty excited,” Messier said.
Not only was Messier’s family excited, so were his teammates.
“He was one of my heroes growing up,” Boston center Joe Thornton said. “It was great. Everybody enjoys it when he scores. It’s a special event for him.”
Like most All-Star Games, Sunday’s affair didn’t feature much intensity or a physical edge. And, as usual, former Hawk Jeremy Roenick tried to charge up the event when he and good friend Keith Tkachuk laid a couple of hits on each other–with big smiles on their faces each time.
Tkachuk “should have gotten a couple of slashing penalties,” Roenick said.
