Former captain of the New York Rangers, Mark Messier is widely considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time.

Like many star hockey players, Messier is a Canuck. After a few years with the World Hockey Association, he got his big break in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers in 1979. Although he initially was not known for his scoring abilities, by the mid-80s he was one of the most dominant players on the ice, leading the team to five Stanley Cup Championships over seven years. However, after the 1991 season, the Oilers let fellow champion Adam Graves leave the team, and Messier issued a public statement, claiming that he didn't want to be an Oiler if the team did not do what was needed to keep top tier players. He was swiftly traded to the New York Rangers, where he spent six years with the team and led them to break the team's 54-year Stanley Cup drought (he was the first player to be a captain of two Stanley Cup champion teams). In a high-profile move, Messier returned back to Canada to the Vancouver Canucks, but he did not endear himself to fans and after three years, he came back to New York, promising a playoff "guarantee." Despite his climbing age, Messier played relatively well in the early aughts, but after an arm injury and a disappointing 2004 season, Messier retired. He was promptly placed in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and he's still involved with the Rangers a a special assistant to the president and general manager of the team. [Image via Getty]