November 8, 2003
HOW GREAT THE GREAT ONE?:
Now Howe will look up to Messier: Rangers center passes his former hero on scoring list (ASSOCIATED PRESS, Nov. 5, 2003)
Even before Mark Messier became a professional hockey player, Gordie Howe made quite an impression on him. Howe made a more tangible one once they shared the ice.“I WAS THE recipient of one of Gordie’s elbows,” Messier said. “I think he did it more so that I can talk about it for the rest of my career than of bad intentions. A way of welcoming me to the league.”
Now it’s Howe’s turn to look up to the 42-year-old Messier.
The New York Rangers captain scored two goals Tuesday night, giving him 1,851 career points — one more than Howe had in 26 NHL seasons — and second place on the career list.
“I think it’s just due to longevity, good fortune and tremendous people around me,” said Messier, in his 25th season. “It wasn’t something I set out to do.”This is as high as Messier will climb, though. He sits 1,006 points behind former teammate Wayne Gretzky, with whom he won four Stanley Cups on the Edmonton Oilers. Gretzky has more assists (1,963) than Messier has total points.
Forget the economic numbers, that last is the most amazing statistic of the week. Even Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and Jim Brown aren't twice as good as the second best players ever in their respective sports. Posted by Orrin Judd at November 8, 2003 6:23 AM
Of course, Howe spent some good years in the WHA, or his NHL totals would be even higher.
Posted by: pj at November 8, 2003 8:30 AMMessier's legacy will be as the team leader who pulled the New York Rangers through semifinal and Stanley Cup final attempts to pull their usual post-season folds against New Jersey and Vancouver and ended the Rangers' 54-year title drought in 1994.
Whoever eventually does the same thing for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs will earn an equal place in the hearts of their fans and in the history of their sport.
Posted by: John at November 8, 2003 8:36 AMThree classy titans.
Posted by: Peter B at November 8, 2003 8:45 AM
No, they don't.
As you can see here, Gordie's career statistics were 975 goals, 1383 assists, 2358 total points; of which NHL subtotal was 801 goals, 1049 assists, 1850 total points, and WHA subtotal was 174 goals, 334 assists, and 508 total points.
Posted by: pj at November 8, 2003 10:25 AMGeez, the WHL got shafted--I think the NBA counts ABA numbers.
Posted by: oj at November 8, 2003 11:54 AMI think you could make a reasonable argument that Brown was twice as good as the next best back in the NFL.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at November 8, 2003 1:58 PM