Thank you, Mark Messier.

In 1979, Glen Sather had no idea his 18-year-old fourth-line winger would grow up to be Mark Messier -- the second-leading scorer in NHL history.

"He didn't have superstar written all over him, but he had the desire to play," Sather said Monday, shortly after Messier announced his retirement following a 25-year career.

Messier was a captain in every sense of the word, leading with a stern word, a cold stare, and a chiseled jaw that revealed his intensity. Then, he backed it all up on the ice.

He won six Stanley Cup championships -- including the one in 1994 that ended the New York Rangers' 54-year drought.

"I came into the league as a fourth-line grinder that played a limited role," Messier said. "I worked myself up the ladder to a left winger, to a centerman, to a first-line centerman, to a leader, to having an opportunity to win championships.

"That process in itself was an education for me."

But he was a teacher all the same. Messier is the only player to captain two franchises to Stanley Cup titles, winning five with the Edmonton Oilers -- four with Wayne Gretzky, the lone man ahead of him on the NHL's career points list.

His legend grew once he was traded to New York in the summer of '91.

Three years after Gretzky's stunning trade from Edmonton to Los Angeles and a year following the Oilers' fifth title in seven years, the dynasty was over and Messier was the latest big star about to be shipped out.

Sather, who built the team and ran it from the bench during the glory years, asked Messier where he wanted to go. The answer was the Rangers, who hadn't won a Stanley Cup since 1940.

It took only three seasons for Messier to deliver in New York and cement himself as one of the greatest leaders in sports.

"I knew all the past history of the teams in New York ... but I don't think anything can really prepare you for going to play in New York until you get there," Messier said. "I felt that I was fairly confident in what it took to win a Stanley Cup.

"Messier embraced the challenge, and when it appeared another chance was going to slip away, he pulled a page out of the Joe Namath handbook and guaranteed a victory.

With the Rangers trailing New Jersey 3-2 in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals, Messier promised New York would force a seventh game. He made good on his word by posting his fourth and final playoff hat trick in a 4-2 victory.

New York won Game 7 in double overtime to advance to the finals, which ended with a seventh-game victory over Vancouver.

"He had the biggest influence on my career by far of any player that I played with," said Boston defenseman Brian Leetch, who came up with the Rangers in 1988 and stayed until he was traded last year. "I wish everyone could have had an opportunity to be in the locker room with him and see his dedication to his teammates and to winning.

"The end of Messier's career didn't come close to matching the early part. His final seven seasons all finished without a postseason appearance -- three in Vancouver after his first departure from New York and four more in his second stint with the Rangers.

"That is something that is always going to be a disappointment for me, but I think there are so many good things that happened in the playoffs previous to that that it will diminish those feelings," Messier said.

Sather, now the Rangers' GM, left room for Messier to come back but talks never got that far.

On Jan. 12, exactly 37 years after Namath fulfilled his promise and lifted the Jets in the Super Bowl over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts, the Rangers will retire Messier's No. 11 before a game against the Oilers. It will join Rod Gilbert's No. 7, Ed Giacomin's No. 1 and teammate Mike Richter's No. 35.

Messier all but said goodbye on March 31, 2004, following the Rangers' final home game before the lockout that wiped out all of last season. He isn't sure he would've played anyway.

In fact, he said the desire to return was stronger now than this time last year. But he leaves in good health and is looking forward to spending time with his young family.

"There was nothing left for me to really achieve," the 44-year-old Messier said. "It was time for me to move aside and go into something else.

"The two-time MVP and 16-time All-Star said he is willing to listen to any offers that will keep him closely tied to the game he loves.

Messier trails only Gretzky in playoff goals and assists, but topped the Great One by adding the postseason guarantee that took him to heightened status in Manhattan.

"He was an exceptional leader who was unselfish, hardworking and dedicated. He truly loved the game," Gretzky said. "He was the best player I ever played with.

"Messier leaves with 1,887 NHL regular-season points, 970 fewer than Gretzky and 37 more than third-place Gordie Howe.

Messier always did things on his terms, and his retirement is no different. After a year off, he wasn't spurred to play again even though he is only six goals shy of 700 -- a mark reached by only six players -- and 11 games short of tying Howe's record of 1,767.

He also scored one goal and had 10 assists in 52 games in the WHA with Indianapolis and Cincinnati when he was 17.

Messier scored 109 playoff goals, 13 fewer than Gretzky, and set up 186 others -- 74 fewer than Gretzky, now the Phoenix Coyotes' coach.

Their second partnership lasted just one year as Messier left the Rangers for Vancouver as a free agent following a surprising run with Gretzky to the 1997 Eastern Conference finals.

When Sather took over as Rangers GM in 2000, he brought Messier back, not for the fourth line but to wear the captain's 'C' again. (Thanks to ESPN.com for the heads up.)