Rangers legend says ‘warrior’ Brian Leetch is one of his top 5 all-time teammates
Mark Messier played 25 seasons in the NHL, not to mention another two as a teenager in the WHA before it went defunct. First, absorb that number. Twenty-five NHL seasons, 10 with the New York Rangers. Only two players in the history of the League — Gordie Howe and Chris Chelios — topped that total, each Hall of Famer playing 26 NHL seasons.
Now let your mind wander to consider just how many teammates Messier played with over 1,756 NHL games (third most in League history) and another 236 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If you’re looking for an exact number here, well, hate to disappoint you, we didn’t tally it up. But it’s safe to say Messier has had a lot of different teammates over the years with the Edmonton Oilers, Rangers and Vancouver Canucks.
And of all those players, Messier stated emphatically on a recent edition of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast that former Rangers defenseman Brian Leetch is among the five best.
“I played with a lot of great players in my time, but he’s right up there in the top five,” Messier stated.
Messier didn’t name the other top four, though you’d have to think Wayne Gretzky is at the top of the list, of course. But being in a Messier top-five is pretty rarified air, considering The Captain was teammates with the likes of Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, Glenn Anderson, Pavel Bure, Mike Gartner and Sergei Zubov, among so many other NHL greats.
Certainly, we know all about Leetch’s numbers — the 102 points in 1991-92, the 981 points in 1,129 games with the Rangers, 741 assists — tops all-time in Rangers history, nine NHL All-Star Games — and awards — two Norris Trophies as top NHL defenseman, the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 1988-89, the Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP in 1994.
But what made Leetch such a great teammate, Mess?
“He was tough as nails. Warrior,” Messier explained. “Never once, at 5-11, 185 pounds, did he ever, ever take a backward step when he went back to get the puck. Didn’t matter with [Eric] Lindros coming down at him or the biggest forwards and all that. He never threw snow. Talk about a guy who played through pain
“Probably, maybe five guys that I would never worry about giving a long-term contract to, he’s one of them. You knew you’re going to get his best on any given night. What a warrior, what a player, what a friend, what a champion. Unbelievable.”
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Mark Messier praises Rangers great Brian Leetch
Messier touched on so many things that are overlooked about Leetch, who is mostly remembered for dazzling rushes up ice and piling up points from the blue line.
Leetch was an outstanding all-around defenseman. And his ability to play through pain was legendary in NHL circles as was his ability to absolutely chew up minutes game-in and game-out, largely due to an incredible capacity to recover so quickly between long shifts.
Check out some of his ice times in big games, especially during the playoffs, throughout his career. Leetch not only played on the top power-play and penalty-kill units, he’d often double shift at even strength. That Stanley Cup run in 1994? Leetch was on the ice for half of almost every game played that spring.
His teammates respected that aspect of his greatness immeasurably.
Mike Kelly from NHL Network recently shared a story he wrote in 2020 that broke down the subtle greatness of Leetch in the biggest game of his career, Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final for the Rangers against the Canucks.
Most remember that Leetch scored the first goal of the game. But Kelly dug much deeper to find out that Leetch led all players in ice time (33:50), puck possession (2:37), pass completions (47), defensive-zone pass completions (31) and blocked passes (9).
Greatness is often found in the details. Kelly’s research into that Game 7 proves just that.
“Leetch was such a great skater, passer and intelligent player,” Kelly wrote. “One of those guys who made it all look effortless.”
Yes, Leetch led all players with 34 points in 23 games that spring, but as Kelly pointed out, it just wasn’t the points that made Leetch the MVP of those playoffs. Nor are the points the reason why Messier considers Leetch one of his top-five teammates of all-time.
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