Mark Messier on a Winning Mentality, Music and MSG Moments

On a special episode of Club 30, Henrik sits down with The Captain, Mark Messier. They talk about the pressure and experience it took to bring the Cup to New York, why his focus on the mental side of the game helped him succeed, and how a winning culture has to be lived and not just taught. Mark also reflects on his most memorable moments at Madison Square Garden and why he still gets chills walking back into the building today.

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Brought to you by MSG Sports and Audiorama.

CHAPTERS:
0:00 – Interview Introduction
2:48 – Mark Messier Arrival
13:35 – Greatest Hockey Team Experience
15:43 – Significant Training Center Photos
20:08 – Leadership Comfort Level
24:26 – Handling Pressure Situations
26:17 – Athlete’s Mental Preparation
28:26 – Learning from Experience
29:40 – Hockey Lessons for Life After Retirement
31:24 – Ongoing Competitive Spirit
34:06 – Current Passions and Excitements
36:06 – The Essence of Game 7
39:23 – Game 7 Business Analogies
46:14 – NHL Career Highlights
49:45 – Interview Conclusion
51:40 – Host’s Reflections
54:27 – Outro

#Club30 #Rangers #NHL

I went on stage in Hilton Head with hoodie and the Blowfish way back when they were became big and uh so they invited right after we won the cup in ’94 actually uh at the old post office and U so Mark come on up it’s kind of a

College bar back then it was kind of a they get up there and they uh give me a tambourine so there I am banging the tambourine against my and they they gave me a black mark tambourine Mess welcome back to Club 30 everyone and happy New Year happy New Year 24 here we go let’s go you ready for a new year I am ready I very excited new chapters are everywhere anything specific you look forward to in the new year I’d love to just think about the

Process of kind of starting again you know and continuing obviously but there’s so much that’s going to be new there’s a lot of things that you don’t anticipate uh so those challenges like what they’re going to be and how to get ready for them how about you

I look forward to some trips uh hopefully some skiing um I’ll look forward to um do more work around the garden and uh the Madison Square Garden what else in my garden maybe back home in the beach house who knows you are quite a green thumb Hank I have seen the

Beach house you know what I love when I go back to my beach house in Sweden I love watering I I’ve seen it gives me peace yeah uh but I’m I’m going to have to wait a few months before that um all right start of 24 last

Episode of this season yeah and we’re bringing on a big guy a big guy so big they called him moose or the captain or the captain the captain number 11 Mark Messier is joining us today uh growing up uh your opinion on Mark uh I was obviously a huge Oilers fan just because

The Dynasty in the 80s um everybody loved Wayne but you know Mark was actually my kind of childhood hockey hero just the way he played the game um I I don’t think I back then I had the words to describe it but just the way he was able to orchestrate like teams

Around him for so so long was was impressive and obviously he’s a big part of New York Rangers history too yeah I I was lucky enough to to play when they retire number 11 at the Garden and just the impact he’s had on hockey but especially on on New York and and the

New York Rangers like number 11 the captain I’m super excited uh so let’s bring in Mark Messier for for this episode and uh we have a lot to get into so uh let’s Go he’s an alltime NHL Legend a six-time Stanley Cup champion and someone who probably hasn’t paid for a drink in New York since 1994 welcome to Club 39 number 11 the captain Mark Messier great to be here with Club 30 Club 30 thanks got got a

Good ring it thanks yeah um I saw you a couple of months ago out in Vegas we had a great time uh opening of the sphere what was your reaction to that show I was uh actually blown away I expected great things because of everything I’ve heard about it you never

Really know what it’s going to be like until you’re actually there yeah and to experience the music obviously because of you I’m a big YouTube fan but but to experience something like that the immersiveness of the of the sair um it was incredible and I kept thinking I was

Going to take a bunch of pictures but by about the 30 minutes into it I said there never going to do it justice I just got to tell my friends and my family just come here yourself and and and do yourself a favor it’s that different huh it’s well it’s just the

Whole it’s just the whole experience uh the music obviously but the the way this uh the screen brings it to life um it’s hard to explain actually are you a music guy I’m a huge music guy yeah big big favorite bands well you two was one of

Them I have so many um grew up with Neil Young obviously and uh just just saw him at a tragically hip too of course uh but uh big uh I would say more rock and roll uh you go you go to a lot of shows I I’ve pretty much seen everybody over the

Last uh you know 40 years or more start my first concert ever was uh Fleetwood Mac and when I was think I was 16 years old and then no I was 15 years old in Edmonton and Then followed by Super those were my first two concerts nice it was amazing and they’re

Legendary bands but um yeah know I’ve been a huge music fan and for uh as long as I sound the sound at the sphere is so clear so when you appreciate music for that ex I mean you have the screen like you talked about but the the quality of

The sound is just incredible huh and we’re sitting you know right middle mid screen cuz it’s so massive what is the layout of the seats like what does it look like inside well think of Radio City Hall with a massive screen right oh wow and uh four times the size easily

Easily so it’s it’s uh it’s a lot to take in I mean the full experience I went back Vero or anything no I never someone said you might feel a little dizzy and I never felt anything it was yeah I went back to night two nights in

A row was oh yeah I would I would have gone a week straight cool what was your first concert I mean my first ever concert yeah o put on the spot here I don’t I honestly don’t remember yeah I don’t remember the first concert mine mine was

Easy because everybody had a crush on Stevie niick was I was 50 years old right mine was actually you too at the Exhibition Center in Toronto oh that’s that’s a good one so music uh much like sports it makes you feel different emotions and and uh I think

That’s part of why I love music as well but I wonder what you when you walk into Madison Square Garden today how do you feel oh yeah that’s that’s a flooding back of ton of memories every time I walk in there obviously uh just the feeling that I had every time walking in

There uh the expectations the excitement the possibilities the disappointments I mean everything that encompasses being on the biggest stage in the world um then to this day I those memories are so seared into my Consciousness that it’s like a immediately I I get this vibration going through my body every

Time I walk in there and then this is how many years later now this is We’re Going on 30 years later yeah and I still feel it U but uh you know I had a powerful experience in my whole career obviously coming to New York just

Magnified that because I looked at it as a second career in some ways leaving Edmonton obviously and the Legacy that we left there but coming to New York and trying to do something that hadn’t been done in at that time 51 years was an unbelievable opportunity but

Scary as hell right lot of expectations and of course I think the biggest thing for me is you know riding that wave from winning the president’s trophy losing the playoffs which the Rangers did to miss in the playoffs and being lower than a snake’s belly and then all the

Way up to the standing cup the third year so you know um I think that is one of the things that made it so special was KN what it felt like to be a loser in the city knowing what it the magnitude of of that feeling of the fan

Base and expectations and only to turn around and come up the other way so I I I felt both ends of it as an athlete and I think that’s when I go to the Garden today I can appreciate the athletes that are going in there trying to win and I

Can appreciate the feeling and the expectations and the and the pressures that go along with it yeah you talk about expectations obviously it’s very different to like I look myself I come here as a nobody you come here as a superstar talk about expectations was that nerve-wracking to

Take that on or just exciting or uh it was exciting and nerve-wracking because I felt that I was coming um with a lot of um knowledge of about what it took to win what it looked like what winning looked like uh what it’s supposed to feel like in the dressing room in the

Organization um the culture that has to be created in order to win so I I had a good understanding of that but what I didn’t factor into it I wasn’t going to be able to talk about it um when I came to New York I felt I could come here and

Kind of use those examples with my new teammates but they didn’t give a hell what happened to me in Edmonton the only thing they cared about was what we were going to do together what was going to be the experience that we shared together and so here I’m thinking about

You know all these things that you know happened in Edmonton with Wayne and the leadership and and all the defeats and the disappointments and Then followed by success the only thing that was going to happen here in New York is we’re going to have to kind of go through that whole

Process ourselves and and feel the sting of losing feel the sting of of disappointment underachieving all the things that to go along with losing and then how are we going to fix it you know what’s how we’re going to create the culture that it takes in order to win

And so but I did feel it uh even though um at the time I was 31 but in hockey terms one of the articles that was written about me is I was actually 62y old hockey player because I played so many games and so many playoff games I

Was a 62y old person in reality so I was going washed up that was washed up has been coming to New York at 31 I mean you won six times how can you compare it winning five times in Edmonton and then come here and and all the buildup and

How long it you know you talk about 50 years and then being able to win like do you do you rank them or you can’t obviously must who your favor who’s your favorite child but I think more importantly is you know I I was from Edmonton Alberta that’s my hometown so I

Have family friends we are all original fans I was a Boston Brun fan Bobby yor all my aunts and uncles were Toronto map Leafs and Montreal Canadians so we grew up with original six team so to for ebbington to get a NHL Franchise as a kid growing up there this was you could

We couldn’t believe it to be honest with you I know we had the wha when in the 70s when they started the second league and all that but to have an NHL franchise in emont was just you you can’t imagine the excitement that went

There uh and then to be a part of it as a HomeTown boy was was incredible um but like everybody else it’s a dream come true you set your whole life on a journey to try to win a Stanley Cup uh you know we did it a million times in

The driveway the game-winning goal and the game seven right I mean that’s what we that’s what you do and then to be able to have that opportunity and then what you really realize after U you win a Stanley Cup it’s I don’t want to say it’s a hollow feeling or an empty

Feeling but what what you feel is that what you really Miss is the interaction and the journey along the way um and that’s not you don’t think about that when you’re trying to climb the mountain you’re just thinking about you’re trying to get there but in reality when you

Think back about it it was all about the um the journey and then to go on and win two three four and five what became more exciting is that sharing it with guys that hadn’t won yet younger guys coming in veterans coming in that never won a

Stanley Cup and being able to um you know share that same kind of feeling and those same kind of brotherhoods and bonds uh with new teammates it never got stale it never got old it was always every September was this whole you know idea of all the possibilities of what we

Could and you start that same Journey again the one that I just talked about right but then coming to New York completely different and now we have an original six team that hadn’t won in 51 years all the disappoint three generations of fans that have never seen

A Stanley kept let alone you know see some great playoff they got close a few times in the early 70s and of course with the with the great Rangers of 79 but only met with disappointment so being able to be a part of that yeah um

Process for me um at that stage of my career was um was just incredible huh going back to your point on not being able to say anything or or kind of bring the port those lessons over from Edmonton like was that something you felt or was it just that the well it

Terrified me because then so I’m sitting on all this intellectual property if you will because of all this winning that we had done and all the things that it takes to win and all the things that it takes not to win how was I going to kind

Of convey that how was I going to share that and I just realized it just you know came to me that the only way I’m going to be able to do that is through experiences and then explaining and teaching along the way right but there was no fast forwarding that you can’t

Fast forward that kind of um education and building culture and and winning you have to experience it you have to feel the disappointment you have to feel the sting you have to know everybody you got to get you got to get to you got to get to know the players

You got to know get where they came from and what motivates them and what inspires them and so it’s a process and um you know I was lucky enough to come here when I did to have amazing players you know Mike RoR Brian leech kovalev zubov it’s not like the Rangers didn’t

Have a good team but how do he bring it all together yeah you know how do you get the core pieces and then the and then the the complimentary pieces the role players to come in there and and uh and really Embrace their their roles on

The team that’s it’s not easy winning as we as as you’ve seen as well it’s maybe hard to rank the cups then but if you look at the teams I mean you play with so many incredible players Hall of Famers is there one year that stickes out to you like that team throughout

Your career was kind of the best team well 85 is considered the best team of of the century because our record we had a really good record I think we were 16 and one or 16 to2 in the playoffs wow and that team I think 87 team uh it I

Think 87 team was was probably more talented but we didn’t have as good as a record um in the playoffs um you know we brought in a guy Kent neelson who’s might have been top five offensive players talented players that I’ve ever played with uh we got him at the

Deadline Rio RH Salena a finished defenseman that the Ranger fans know very well came in and was a was played with Don Jackson a big strong solid defenseman uh we had a lot of depth on that team um but in 90 we won with on sheer guts and grit and determination uh

You know we had lost you know Wayne and pough and Grant and a lot of the players that had been there and then we brought in a lot lot of young guys so we still had Yari Curry who had a lot OFA ticken and Kevin low Glenn Anderson you know we

Got Craig Simpson that played with Annie and I so that cup was kind of one more on sheer experience and just Grizzle um so that was that was in everything that was should have been my favorite cup cuz we were able to win without Wayne and

I’m going I was just going to ask if that meant more no it was actually disappointing that he wasn’t there to share it again you know we’re brothers in arms right so you know we’re all obviously disappointed when he left but I I felt more proud of the guys that were left

Over that banded together um under the Circ under tough circumstances and didn’t roll over and and and surrender to the circumstances we fought hard and we felt we had an obligation to each other and to the team and everything else even though was we were pissed off right yeah but um that

Was that was a great cup and they’re all but they’re all special in their because they’re all take on their own meanings in different ways so for 15 years you know I was driving up to practice Center and tons of photos all over the rink uh but to me there’s two photos

That stands out to me and I’ll never forget them it’s a photo of you about to lift the cup here in 94 that pure excitement I see and the second one is first game back at the Garden after 911 you wearing the firefighter hat right those are the two like of all the

Photos and there’s so many big moments but those are the two that really stands out to when I think back of the training center because it gave me so much inspiration but also where the city’s been and um MH can you talk to us a little bit about that game first game

Back at the Garden after 9/11 well hockey is a game of emotion it’s what um brings people into the team into the players into their Journey um and the game has to be played with a motion and it evokes motion um it evokes motion 30 years later walk into the

Garden for you and I and and for you more recently um but that’s what makes it so special so you know when you think about you know that in your career the moments that define certain events like you’re talking about uh coming back the first game and of course 911 and um is

That the one you’re talking about 911 yeah October 7th yeah you know that was one of those U moments um where you could be proud to be a New Yorker you could be proud to be a ranger because the way the city banded together um under some incredibly trying

Circumstances and you know everybody at that moment wasn’t quite sure what the right thing to do was nobody wanted to make a mistake and and seem insensitive to the lives that were lost uh decisions had to be made leadership had to stand up and and make hard decisions um and uh

That game kind of brought all that into focus in some ways and um you know years later to your point that’s you know one of those iconic moments for me personally in my career that I was a part of it and could represent something much bigger than you know the Rangers or

Myself or you know you’re really representing the city at that point and and many different other things as well so yeah that mean those you know but then you look back at some so many other pictures that have a million stories rights just like that but everyone somehow or another conjures up emotion

One way or another and that’s why the sport is so great and that’s why exactly you there’s so many photos up there big moments but those are the two that kind of they do something to me when I see them yeah like your excitement and the importance and how much it meant to

People winning 94 but also October 7th 2001 the first came back there something happens to me every time I walk by those two photos M and that’s I think the one you’re talking about when I’m about to lift the cup up you know how difficult it is to win

Anytime let alone in New York and all that but when I came to New York I thought I had a good understanding of how passionate the fan base was here and to me that really excited me because it’s coming from Edmonton that’s was such a Micro Focus in on the team and um

Of course having Wayne and all the expectations that we started to create because of the a great team we had to come to New York and and I was so excited that it meant something to play for the Rangers and there was a there was an intensity to it there were

Expectations that because to me I think that’s fuels it should fuel the organization it should fuel the players and um that was a great sign and then three years later riding that wave of excitement and disappointment all the way up to winning I knew the impact that

It had on so many people here and how hard it was to get there so I mean you know you’re lift you’re get you’re about to lift a cup not for yourself you’re about to lift a cup for millions of New York Ranger fans around the world that

Had been waiting so patiently so there was a lot of uh gravity to that moment that not just actually lifting the cup obviously yeah and a lot of people refer to you as the captain because of your leadership skills and this is actually something I reflected on meeting you

Over the years like your your energy were you always comfortable in leading even as like a teenager or is that something over time you just learned how to lead yeah I think it’s something happens over time I think you know I saw great examples of leadership throughout

My career uh I saw great examples of leadership when I was a young boy watching my dad who was a um teacher got his master’s degree in education and taught kids but he also coached uh kids and um into the junior level and I I was

A stick boy when they won their first national championships and I watched the way my dad talked to these players these young impressionable 15 to 20 year old players that were trying to make a career and how he galvanized a team and created the culture that was uh you know

All for one and one for all um the team always bigger than than than the individual and how do you sacrifice uh and how do you leave your ego and all the things that you guys know about um so I saw it and I saw it work and

There’s many ways to the one way as they say there’s many ways to to win I only knew one way and that was to be completely inclusive and making everybody feel completely responsible and anything other than their best was never going to be good enough and how do

You convince players and normally when you win as you know normally when you win there’s players that are overqualified for the positions that they’re playing so how do you keep them happy because everybody’s you know trying to get a better contract and if they get more goals and more points

They’re obviously going to get a bigger contract and all the Dynamics that come into it but in the end everybody’s got to you got to convince everybody that this is what we need from you yeah and that’s why some players can’t play in in winning organizations because it’s to

Too demand Landing it is hard and that that’s a great point because when you’ve been on winning teams um great teams everybody accepts their role and they take pride in their role even if like you say they want to do more they want to do the best they can in this role and

They accept it and I feel like every time you go into the playoffs it becomes clear during the season sometimes you there’s a lot of you know I want to play more I need more points but in the playoffs when it just becomes about winning I feel like you can sense it in

The locker room where guy’s just okay I’m going to really accept my role it’s it’s not about points anymore or ice time it’s about just winning games that’s when the St sport becomes beautiful in some ways is that you know you spent 80 games trying to kind of

Mold that kind of mentality and get everybody in their positions and in their roles and and um acknowledging the the sacrifices those guys are making but also celebrating their contributions no matter how big or how small I mean that that takes a lot of time takes a lot of

Trust takes a lot of work um to get to that point but when when you do that’s what makes our sport or team sport so beautiful is that you know you can you can actually create that kind of all-in philosophy and doesn’t always work yeah obviously but uh that’s that’s that’s

That’s the end game that’s what the goal is yeah just any role players stand out like guys that just absolutely nailed it maybe if they’re even overqualified I could go back 30 years and and tell you amazing stories but if you just look at the team here in New York you know Eddie

Eluk a former 50 goal scorer that was relegated to a role player yeah um you know but amazing guy um um um amazing team player um never I’m sure was disappointed at times obviously but never showed it I was always in support um you know let’s just goes on and on

And on Glenn Anderson the Hall of Famer became came to New York and was kind of became more of a depth player at times um you know so those are the kinds of examples that when you talk about you know guys that accepted a different role than perhaps they’ve had

In the past in order to win yeah and they realize that um you know this is and I think that the sales point is out you know the stage is always big enough for everybody when you win you know what I mean that and that’s kind of what

You’re trying to get across to everybody is that you know let’s just figure out a way to win and then the stage we can all stand there and take share in the share in the accolades yeah you talked Dar about pressure like did you enjoy being the guy like having that pressure

Obviously coming here was a lot of pressure but also the expectations that you as a as a superstar face every day did you enjoy that well I never looked I never once in my career thought of myself as the guy um I I realized that um I was never kind

Of the player like skilled like Wayne or Lemieux or some of the great players that played the game I was more um reliant on the players around me and so my I think my maybe my best skill is uh is galvanizing the team and of course

Uh you know you got to perform on the ice and of course there’s going to be added pressure if you’re the captain and the face of the franchise and you know you’re out front good or bad like I witnessed in 9192 when we won the presence Trophy and of course it was

Disappointment when we lost but then I was still out in front of it when we missed playoffs the next year uh and then have to absorb that uh what you really realize is that the most important thing you can do in a leadership role at that particular time

Is just cons consistency you can’t be a good guy when things are going great and then turn off the faucet when things go bad you have to be have a take a tact of who you are not only for the Press because the Press is such a huge part of

Um playing in New York but also so the players can read you uh you’re consistent in your Behavior you’re consistent in your in your um in your approach in your philosophy and with that comes a certain calmness um U and a big part of uh leadership and um and

Those are just kind of the lessons that you learn along the way and certainly learn that being here in in New York when the lights were the brightest and last time we were hanging out we talked a lot about the mindset of playing in the game and like today you know a lot

Of players and teams that have psychologists to to help you be in the right place mentally I’m sure it wasn’t that common back in the 90s like how much did you work on your mental approach you talked about being calm even though there’s a storm going on

Around you how much effort did you put into that well I realized early in my career that I was spending 99% of the time on my body trying to get in shape and be as strong and quick and fast and skills all I could but I realized that I

Would there was a bigger opportunity to um win the mind game um how could you be tougher mentally um how could you to expand your mind to be able to perform under pressure and not freeze because of the magnitude of the moment what are those life lessons that allow you to do

That and so you try to surround yourself with people that understand that and um back then um Sports psychologists didn’t really kind of exist to like they do today um back then it was probably more considered a weakness if you needed something like that um it’s a learned

Skill like anything else um and um and I think it’s for the better ultimately you know we’ve seen now where um where it’s really benefited players um that don’t have that uh skill set don’t know how to breathe under pressure um and um and I became just fascinated and interested

Just because I was always trying to figure out how I could become better in every way um better skater better pick better shot better understanding better teammate uh you know how can I coach tell me something and they and then remember it and go implement it on the

Fly not two weeks later when it had to be ingrained in me I mean I was trying to be better in every way and certainly the mental side of the game for me became uh Paramount uh I wanted to win the mental game every time I stepped on

The ice and I knew I could because um because I was paying attention to it um and so you know I think that’s um they’re just you know we could do a whole another show on that itself but yeah and it really is an ongoing process

Like much like how much time you spend on the ice skating or lifting weights like because I feel like every year something new happen your experience is a little different you might know more but also you have more baggage so you need to keep working on this

Mental you know approach it’s not like yeah experience gives you more knowledge but it’s not always easier I feel like having more experience sometimes you it means more pressure or maybe more expectations so I felt like throughout my my career you you definitely have to work on it every year every every month

You know and and and just deal with your own emotions and to to make sure you’re you had a clear mind well to to your point when you get more experience there’s also more heart heartache that goes along with it there’s more Scar Tissue yes so I mean then then there’s

Then you start to think about what the what ifs yeah you know what I mean and soon you start to thinking along those lines I mean obviously your 10 10 moves behind the play um so yeah there’s a there’s there’s a to be learned uh there and I I

Found it fascinating to myself and you just find people that um can help you in that regard and all the things you learned throughout your hockey career is there anything that you feel like really helped you now when you moved on for hockey and and and obviously a very

Different life but is there any lessons there that stick out to you that like I’m going to bring that into my next chapter in life um all of it I mean there’s there’s not one thing that happened in my career that isn’t relevant to what’s happening in post

Retirement uh from a very early age you learned a very simple lesson you fall down you get back up if you just take that alone you could do a thesis on that alone in life uh but we learned that from you know very early and age um I I

I think for me the the grit the grind the determination um problem solving um all the things that um are so critical to winning um for me anyways um but I don’t think there’s a thing that an experience that happened to me in hockey good or bad that didn’t

Shape me in a way and prepare me for a postretirement and um and mostly I would say that uh I recognize that uh surround yourself with good people I was lucky I was lucky and fortunate enough to play with some amazing players but more importantly some amazing in people with High

Character and um and you realize that there’s a lot of things that you could in a lot of areas that you could Venture into but doing it uh and waiting in carefully and making sure you’re surrounded with with great people and ident being able to identify Great Character people is is is incredibly

Important so the life lessons that uh came for me that to um help me in postretirement or are are incredible are you still are you still very competitive or you kind of more I don’t know for me at times I get very competitive now but

I feel like I I lose up a little bit try to like ah it’s just a game but deep inside it’s like no it do not just a game I play tennis with my brother or whatever but yeah uh maybe it’s healthy that I’m not as extreme um but how do

You feel now like you uh I I’m super competitive I I remember uh my dad um you you know kicking our asses when we’re kids in all different card games and checkers and chess and you know any kind of game that we played and never relinquishing and you know what I mean

And um so when I do find myself playing anything now if I’m going to play I I want to win you want to win and whether it’s golf now or whatever um I think it’s just it becomes more habitual than anything I I don’t think it’s um I don’t

Think it’s a bad thing M to be competitive but for me probably more so uh the reason why is because it makes me Focus if I go out and play a game of golf it’s easy sometimes to say why I don’t have it today the exercise for me

Now many years later after being retired is that okay you don’t have it today but how are you going to get it today and not give into the situation and I think that to me is is is more important than whether I have it or don’t have it in

Anything whether you just don’t feel good one day and I don’t feel like getting up and going to the gym today no get up and go to the gym and then figure it out but having the discipline and the the wherewithal to not give into the situation is another one of those life

Lessons that you’re talking about that you learn there you know you got to show up there’s no there’s no there’s no there there’s no way you’re not showing up so if you’re going to show up you might as well figure out a way to show

Up and and do the best you can and and more importantly that’s where you’re talking about the mental side of the game right that’s what you learn you learn that to mind over matter under any circumstances because I used to wait for the league to kind of fall down and like

We talked about in Vegas I used to wait for the league in in like in around Christmas January the dog days of January February when it was kind of you couldn’t really see the end of weather was bad and everybody was a little tired and banged up you know that was a time

For me that I would double down because I knew there was an opportunity there winning the mind game at those particular times on every any given night and taking advantage of the team’s other softness or they’re not quite there mentally and um and then retirement is the same

Thing I don’t want to lay down I don’t want to take give into the situation in anything I do I want to I want to battle My Mind through it you’re involved with so many different projects now with Charities and businesses what what excites you the most right now uh

Spending time with great people for one uh helping kids I have an amazing board with amazing people High character board members that uh want to help and Inspire kids to be the best they can and give them access and opport Unity to anything that they choose um I think that to me

Is an incredible way to give back um um and then and then just doing amazing um entrepreneurial things the performance brand is we think of the literal term of game seven but the really what game seven is about is the journey that we talked about because everybody in life

Has had a game seven moment and how do you what what decision did you make when you were faced with that you know what was it that allowed you to perform did you leave it to chance to perform when it mattered most or were you did you prepare your whole life for that

Moment and arm yourself with the tools required in order to perform and uh so we’re very excited about that and the other one is uh with the uh health and wellness concept called honeycomb which we’re galvanizing you know the top brands modalities think of little eely meets Health and Wellness in big 50

60,000 foot boxes that will Encompass mind body and spirit to to uh to help people to start their own Journey or take someone that’s already high achieving health and wellness person and even take it to another level so we’re excited about that as well how much uh

How involved are you in in each one of these at Suns that is those you know my partner I Isaac chera from the from the Cher amazing uh family here in the city uh we partner on both these right around the same time just before Co or just

Through Co yeah so it’s been interesting to start uh to startups uh under those under that kind of uh pressure but uh we’re we’re close to both now and it’s been an amazing journey actually awesome that’s a exciting 24 yeah you know to to launch that and and talk about game

Seven I it just made me think about like when you say game seven like there’s two different ways of going about it and I always kept telling my teammates like if you look at it as an opportunity and get that positive vibe around it game seven

Instead of like oh it’s a must win or or we’re done you know it just creates such a different emotion in your body like to find that excitement going into a game seven with the the feeling of opportunity instead of a must win yeah if you don’t like how you’re feeling

Change your thoughts right yeah well that that is true and and and you’re right I think uh one of the things that’s interesting about starting up a a brand like game seven is our we did a nap survey one every two people in North America know what game 7

Is wow so immediately we got all this uh brand Equity um we got a 100 Years of content to work with uh but more important to your point um you know what is it that um you know really kind of inspires people and what what does game

Why does game seven resonate so deeply with a with someone that doesn’t even not particularly even a sport fan but will go somewhere and watch a game seven because you it’s it’s it’s it’s life’s what do they call it reality TV in a way so I think for us um you know

We are going to tell these stories about people that have made great decisions not just in sports but beyond Sports life games eventually in the literal term to start with because obviously everybody knows of that but we you will’ll get out to musicians I mean there’s amazing stories about musicians

That you know um their life journey to get where they were politicians businessmen philanthropist um mean it extends to everything and I think once we do that and we ask you know the world what’s your your game seven moment that’s interesting how do we how do we

How do we inspire you or educate you for those moments that will ultimately come your way and I think that’s what the whole brand is uh going to be based on there’s a um a much deeper richer conversation that takes more time sure to delve into those moments of that so I

Think and then having sports psychologist talk about the pressures and how do you deal with pressures what are the what are the release valves that you’re talking about how do you go into a game seven and not think about failure or maybe do think about failure cuz me

Personally I allowed myself to to the night before laying in bed to see myself losing and what it would feel like and what the reaction would be to losing because I think if you’re trying to always push that out that takes a lot of energy MH so I allowed myself to feel

That way but then ultimately as the game got closer I would push that out and then I’d start to fill myself up with with all the positive and then ultimately um what you realize in the game you you concentrate on execution yeah and so once you start to

Concentrate on execution you don’t have to worry about all the things that are drifting into your mind because you only have one Focus singular Focus about executing your game plan and then what your responsibilities are on the team and so it becomes very clear and you’re

Not clouded with you know the outcome um and I think those are tools that people can actually use and many different aspects of their life have you had any U game seven moments uh in business I’ve had many game seven moments many game seven moment that’s a loic question because entrepreneurship

Is I think filled with them it is it is which it makes it exciting especially if you’re um trying to I like building things whether it’s something in the yard or something in the house or fixing something I I mean I that appeals to me

But I think in business um um that to me uh when you’re trying to create something that we we are with game s or even honeycomb um it’s people that you’re spending time with they’re working toward the same goal and focusing on on it uh and asking

Ourselves I mean what what’s going to be our game seven moment in this particular Endeavor right like what where is that kind of where we just kind of we’re right there on the edge of yeah you know things going one way or another the critical decisions that need to be made

In order to kind of uh uh tack your way through it um that’s exciting to me yeah absolutely I think that in business and you know outside of sports there’s people that really thrive in like the peace time and then there’s people that really thrive in the trenches right and

Uh like having superb characters around who are very comfortable in the discomfort is everything to your point on execution um yeah because it’s almost inevitable that those moments come well that’s what’s really interesting when you take a team of uh hockey 20 players in hockey right not everybody’s going to

Look at the same thing the exact same way and you’re going to have different players that react different ly to different situations but trying to figure out how you’re going to react so I can anticipate how you’re going to react under certain situations um is important for the

Leadership and the and the coaching and of of the team so you can you can uh you can anticipate it because I played with guys to be quite frankly with you that were great players there that froze in in the most critical moments and and not

The falter their own but it just but you know we knew we knew that kind of what to expect of that player so you know what I mean we knew what positions to put him in so you you put people in position to succeed not to fail but

Understanding those things I think is is more of the important conversation of of uh of of understanding it BEC extremely important and as a leader sports or business to to know your team to know who who is going to be comfortable in these different roles right we used to

Do this thing called the Thomas concept U because you would self-identify your own personality traits and so when You’ really kind of separated the room there would be like four guys in that bucket and four three or four guys in that bucket and you could look around the

Room you could see the diversity of the way people think on the team because if you had the whole team of real deep analytical thinkers and you had 18 of them and you had a kickass coach that’s coming in and screaming and yelling at these guys they weren’t going to that

Was not going to go well for them right so matching up the philosophy of the coaching and the teaching with the kind of personnel on your team is super important right so and the coach has to understand you can’t treat everybody the same because he doesn’t accept criticism

Or praise different the same as everybody else it becomes very uh big part of winning it sounds obvious but it it’s absolutely like more ignored than it’s embraced well I think we’re getting better at it now organizations are getting better at it now there’s more of a deeper understanding or there’s more

Attention being paid of the human element of uh winning um on teams and I for me I think it’s the only way I know uh to connect with my teammates on a much deeper level um so when I had to be hard on them they didn’t take it

Personally sure I can’t come down hard on somebody uh for one reason other and then he’s saying saying to himself he doesn’t like me right he just he’s just out to get me no that’s not time because sometimes in the middle of the heat I don’t have time to explain why I’m

Telling you to do this right I just need to shut the f up and do what you’re supposed to do at this time we’ll talk about it later but I don’t have time right now yeah but if he takes that as a negative then he’s going to sit on the

Bench using to sulk I don’t need him to sulk at that particular time right so there’s so understanding how to treat everybody is critically important and how to establish your own point of view and moral compass so that trust is there when you do and that’s what takes a time

Uh that’s what takes a time to forge those relationships yeah great teams have that and you have the ability to you know really be honest face to face and there’s no behind closed door doors it’s like you you keep that open in the room and you’re able to tell

People what what’s going on and accountability yeah you know and I think it’s probably getting harder now because nothing’s a secret anymore back back in the days whatever happens behind the closed doors stays behind the closed doors now it doesn’t seem to be that easy so I think the trust level is

Harder now but ultimately to your point I think the teams that really have broken through that kind of mistrust and are really kind of you know um loyal to each other I can’t I can’t see it happen without that I think you’re just too reliant on everybody you just have to be

Able to trust everybody and to have those honest conversations Y and in theory everybody says yeah we’re doing it but are they really doing it well that’s the difference like there’s so many shortcuts like everything that gets attention is like do this better or hack this or but the stuff we’re talking

About is like the connective tissue that takes time and it actually takes the work not just saying you’re going to do the work right like oh I want to join this team because they do these things but if you don’t commit to that you know

And but it is uh you know getting to know each other and that’s why you can spend a full training camp let’s say we have a lot of new players come in you have a full training camp you start getting closer and get to know each

Other pretty good but it’s not until you have a night out with your boys and guys really loosen up and you actually start to get to know each other that’s when I start to feel like you you’re becoming a team at first you’re just 20 soldiers

Trying to get ready for season and then when you have time together away from the rink yeah you actually get to know each other as people that’s why the Halloween party was the best party of the year because it came at the perfect time because everybody could get out of

Their own professional ideology of what they are what they should be and really kind of bring it into the circle and really relax and everybody could kind of see the personalities emerge and you know get together with the you know the wives and girlfriends and better halves

Or whatever right and just bring this whole energy into the circle because ultimately um you know the extended families around the team are just as important as the 20 guys sitting in the dressing room you know I got to you know it’s just it’s fascinating that’s why I

Was able to play 26 years I’m sure I loved it that one of my questions here we kind of skipped it but what was the best part in in in your opinion playing in the other show for that long the endless possibilities I love the I loved playing hockey I loved

Um all the things that everybody talks about coming to the rink I never thought was a work to work out in the summer I I love the putting in the time the effort that was requ I knew what I needed to do to be the best I could be and it would

That never really felt hard for me I mean it was hard because I pushed myself um you know beyond the limits uh to prepare um but I love that part but I think when I look back now maybe the the the best part about 26 years is I

Thought I was in the hockey uh business playing 26 years but I was in the people Business course that that’s what really kind of emerges in retirement 30 years later it’s all about the people it’s all about relationships you know and how you forge those relationships and how you go on

This journey together and and that’s why culture becomes so I know it’s an overused word but it’s underestimated the that the culture can have because ultimately what you’re talking about there’s a lot of guys that come with bad reputations that I’ve seen come into our culture um and change uh because the

Enormity and the gravity of what and how how much power was built up if they weren’t able to change they got every opportunity to change and they made mistakes but we didn’t give up on them we gave them the opportunity to self-correct and and come back to it and

Then ultimately they would decide uh the culture would decide if they could stay or not nobody had to say this guy is not a good guy he he and and to be honest with you there were guys that came in that couldn’t do it because there was

Too too much expected of them they they couldn’t change they didn’t have the the character to change they didn’t have the character to uh think uh about people around them not only themselves but um that to me I think to answer your question starting every September and

Going on that journey to your point even if there’s the same team but there’s four different guys five different guys those four or five different guys is 20% of that team that changes Dynamics dramatically how do you bring them into the fold now you can’t rely on the past

Successes even if you won a Stanley Cup coming into the next year and think it’s going to be the same it’s not it’s never going to be the same what’s going to be the new motivator this year what’s going to be the INSP inspiration this year right you know

Those are the things that keep it fresh so you can play 26 years because it never becomes dull every year is a new sense of purpose a new sense of opportunity right and the culture is not a thing that you just achieve and then have forever right it changes too the

Right principles of the culture in my opinion there there’s certain principles that are um un non-negotiable sure obviously but I think what changes in the culture is um the I’m not going to say the motivation because the inspiration of that what that team takes on I I I I I

Think motivation sometimes gets lost in because it’s more compliance right you want to inspire people to motivate themselves so it’s a different kind of concept but it’s fascinating I love it yeah love it well listen I so happy you came on up third today love we’re done I mean we

Can keep going I don’t I don’t want to hold you for too long but I I feel like um you know meeting you over the years when was the first time you guys met um I spent a couple years with the with the Rangers as an advisor so I saw

The team a little bit here and there and traveled a bit but I think it was probably uh it was early on in my career you were around and and but every time I I see and and back to my earli point like your energy and how you approach

People is something I always admired and and your energy and um and uh I just look forward to you know have more opportunities to hang and and hopefully watch more music and and continue talking so% I went on stage in Hilton Head with hoodie and the Blowfish way back when

They were became big and uh so they invited right after we won the cup in 94 actually uh at the Old Post Office in the darus is a big hockey guy right it’s huge so Mark come on up it’s kind of a college bar back then it was kind of a

They get up there and they uh give me a tambourine so there I am banging the tambourine against my they gave you a black Mar tambourine message so I’m happy to join your band as join our B absolutely you should that’s good that’s good to know I’ll be on triangles yeah

Triangly Jay where are you putting you triangles oh triangles okay we got that covered the least critical position well listen Mark uh all the best to you Happy New Year and and good luck with the launch of game seven and um that’s fasting can’t wait to see what

That looks like with you guys yeah thanks so much for hanging with us let’s go rangers let’s go Rangers thank you to mark for uh joining us here today at Club 30 um oh that’s a lot a lot that I really enjoyed uh you know about leadership the mindset the music takeways Jay same I mean I just really appreciated how present he was and uh

His approach you know post hockey to life and business um I mean he kind of wrote he did write the book wrote a book on leadership right like that’s what he’s known for the captain and I think the way he’s been able to uh take this really uh cerebral approach into team

Building and business is is why he’s so special he has this you can feel the energy right yeah here and and he talked a lot about and he kept coming back to the people mhm you know and as a hockey player team sport you kind of take it

For granted yeah a little bit a little bit and now when you’re away from the game uh personally I feel you know I have an opportunity Now to create my own team yeah um and the importance of it to have great people around you and be intentional about it right even that you

Know earlier um in this year when we had A-Rod on he was talking about you know you only do people business with people that you like and you trust and and you kind of take it for granted which is like oh here’s an idea but you don’t think about prioritizing the people like

The you know who’s your team who’s your personal board and I thought that was an interesting um kind of comment that he made about his board in New York and how he’s really been uh focused on surrounding himself with the right people but definitely a lot of great

Takeaways for us yeah I really enjoyed it and I look forward to more conversations and and really get deep we are so privileged to be like able to do this you know I know it started as like a kind of a you know crazy idea let’s

See if we we like doing this but sitting here with Legends like Mark and it’s like a it’s you know it’s I’m just so grateful to to be able to be in this seat obviously I mentioned before the show that he was one of my childhood

Heroes but to get to know somebody I think it was like halfway through the interview and I was I was like actually that’s Mark Messier and we’re talking about stuff that I enjoy you know it’s we’re we’re lucky and and uh it’s really nice to be able to share with Club 30

Listeners yeah no this is exactly why we started the show and um I just want to wish everyone a great start to 24 yeah um just go out there and have fun surround yourself with great people and uh we’re going to see you down the road

But uh enjoy 24 everyone happy New Year let’s go happy New Year uh we hope you like the episode and we’d love your continued support so please like subscribe follow uh and we’ll be back with more content for you soon thanks all the best Guys