Arguably the greatest leader in all of sports, Mark Messier had his #11 retired last night at Madison Square Garden. This night will go down as one of the most momentous occasions ever in New York Rangers history and quite possibly in MSG history as well.
As I sat in tears watching the ceremony, host John Davidson made a point that this type of event, holding such magnitude, could only be done in New York. The atmosphere, appreciation, celebration and class are one-of-a-kind here in the greatest city in the world. An event that took months of planning was full of gifts, video montages, speeches, special guests and of course tears of joy.
Now, I’ve put events together before, but to be a part of such a historic affair must have been quite a thrill for the MSG PR and event staff. From bringing in the most unique trophy in all of sports, the Stanley Cup, to the Empire State Building lit up red, white and blue in honor of the New York Rangers, the night was magical.
The night’s sponsor was satellite radio innovator XM, who, along with the fans, raised $211,000 for The Tomorrow’s Children’s Fund, a charity that Messier has been involved in for many years.
The Rangers’ public relations department used many tactics to create the metro buzz by using Messier’s #11 to provide awareness. For example, the number was painted onto the Garden ice 11 days prior to last nights festivities, producing the relationship between the night and the number.
Overall, Messier night was a huge success and with New York City as the backdrop, no other location would have done this event and this great leader justice. Thank you for all the great memories. Mess, you simply are “The Captain.”
