Mark Messier was asked on Spittin’ Chiclets where the hardness in his game came from, and he didn’t have to think about it.
“My dad was a tough defenseman,” Messier said of Doug Messier. “Pretty good player, played hard for his team and fought for his team.”
Then he told the story that explains the rest of it.
Doug was with the Edmonton Flyers and had stepped in to protect one of his scorers when three Calgary players jumped him and, in Mark’s words, gave it to him pretty good. Nobody from his own bench came to help.
Most players would wait until the next meeting with that opponent. Doug didn’t fancy waiting.
“He was sitting there with his equipment on waiting for the game to end,” Messier said.
He wasn’t waiting for Calgary. He was waiting for his own dressing room.
“The first guy that came through the door he drilled him, the second guy that came through the door he drilled him. Finally a couple more guys came in and they were able to restrain him,” Messier said.
Even pinned, Doug got his point across.
“If you’re not gonna fight together on the ice, you’re fighting me in the dressing room,” he said.
Mark Messier’s NHL career totals:
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Goals | 694 |
| Assists | 1,193 |
| Points | 1,887 |
Did Mark Messier’s father play in the NHL?
Doug spent his career in the professional leagues beneath it, turning out for the Edmonton Flyers, Seattle Totems, Portland Buckaroos and Pittsburgh Hornets. He never reached the top division, retiring in 1969 and moving into coaching.
READ MORE: Charles Barkley shares story about why Mark Messier owes him $5,000
That second career put him behind the bench of the Spruce Grove Mets, where a 15-year-old turned up to try out in 1976. The age limit was 20 and Doug didn’t expect his son to make it. Mark put up 66 points in 57 games and 91 penalty minutes that season.
He went on to win six Stanley Cups, captain two of them, and build a reputation as the most intimidating leader of his era. The Professional Hockey Players’ Association named an award after Doug this year, given annually to the outstanding players in the AHL and ECHL.
Read more:
