Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Messier hopes to be there when Jagr passes him for No. 2 in all-time scoring

Edmonton Oilers vs New York Rangers

NEW YORK - JANUARY 12: Jaromir Jagr #68 presents Mark Messier with a fishing rod during the ceremony to retire his #11 before the game between the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers on January 12, 2006 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Getty Images

After Thursday’s game, Jaromir Jagr needs three points to tie Mark Messier for second all-time on the NHL scoring list, and four to stand alone behind Wayne Gretzky.

It almost seems customary for a record-holder or high-ranking player to handle such situations with humility, at least in hockey. And Messier is no different.

“No question I’d like to be there in person if possible,” Messier said, according to NHL.com. “I don’t know if it’s going to be possible or not, but I certainly will be reaching out to Jaromir and congratulating him when he does move into second place overall.”

He notes that he never saw himself as a top scorer along the lines of Gretzky or Mario Lemieux, and also points to one of hockey’s better “What if” scenarios: where would Jagr rank if he didn’t spend all that time overseas?

Regardless, Messier is impressed by how strong Jagr is on the puck even to this day.

As far as Jagr’s teammates go, they’re taking the “don’t make eye contact with the guy who could pitch a perfect game” approach.

“We don’t really talk about that here, but I think everybody knows that he’s pretty close,” Aleksander Barkov said. " ... It’s amazing”

Yep, that might be the way to go.

Update: Jagr got an assist in Florida’s shootout loss to the Jets.