His playing career in the National Hockey League (NHL) lasted 25 seasons (1979–2004) with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks.

[6] On June 30, 2017, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada by Governor General David Johnston for "contributions to hockey as an outstanding player and captain, and for his leadership in encouraging children to take up the sport.

[10] Messier attended St. Francis Xavier High School in Edmonton as he played junior hockey where Doug was his coach and mentor for his early years.

[14] After the season he joined the Portland Winterhawks of the major junior Western Hockey League (WHL) for the playoffs, appearing in 7 games and scoring 5 points.

[17] At the same time, Doug contacted his former junior teammate Pat Stapleton, who was coaching of the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA), who needed someone to replace another young player they had just traded, Wayne Gretzky.

[17] Messier played 13 games with the Saints to start the season, then joined the Racers on November 5 for his professional debut against the Winnipeg Jets.

[19] Offered a longer contract, Messier held off on signing it, which proved fortuitous as the team folded on December 15; his only cheque from them bounced.

The WHA folded after the conclusion of the 1978–79 season, and four of the six remaining teams were admitted into the NHL; both the Stingers and the Bulls were not included in the merger and instead joined the minor Central Hockey League.

[24] During his first year in the NHL, Messier had several discipline issues, and at the end of October, he missed a team flight and was subsequently re-assigned to their CHL affiliate, the Houston Apollos, for four games.

Initially a left-winger (he was named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1982–83 on the left wing), Messier switched to centre in the 1984 playoffs, and the results were spectacular.

By the end of the series the Oilers had won their first Stanley Cup and Messier had earned the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player of the playoffs.

Messier also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP that season, edging out the Bruins' Ray Bourque by just two votes, the narrowest margin in the award's history.

[30] On October 4, 1991, in one of many cost-cutting moves by Edmonton management, Messier was traded to the New York Rangers for Louie DeBrusk, Bernie Nicholls, and Steven Rice.

With fans and players on both sides reading the news headline, it then became a feat comparable to Babe Ruth's called shot and Joe Namath's Super Bowl III guarantee, and he backed it up by scoring a natural hat trick in the third period on an empty net goal with ESPN play-by-play commentator Gary Thorne boasting, "Do you believe it?

First, when the buzzer sounded he was jumping up and down with overwhelming emotion as ticker tape fell; fireworks burst and fans and teammates celebrated.

The other, which would become an iconic image to the Rangers and their fans, taken by George Kalinsky, photographer at Madison Square Garden, showing incredible emotion as he accepted the Stanley Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

[36][37][38] Finally, during the ticker-tape parade celebrating the Rangers' win, Rudy Giuliani, witnessing his first New York sports team championship victory just five months after becoming mayor, dubbed Messier "Mr. June," conjuring Reggie Jackson's "Mr. October" nickname.

The two led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in five games, as the Rangers could not match the size and strength of Eric Lindros and his "Legion of Doom" linemates.

Although public sentiment sided with Messier, as he led the team to two first-place regular season finishes and the Stanley Cup, General Manager Neil Smith was content having Gretzky and Pat LaFontaine as top centremen, and he came close to landing Joe Sakic from the Colorado Avalanche[40] when he signed him to an offer sheet in the summer of 1997.

Amidst a turbulent season, in which president and general manager Pat Quinn and head coach Tom Renney were fired, Linden was eventually traded by new coach and acting general manager Mike Keenan to the New York Islanders, where he became their captain, replacing Bryan McCabe, for whom Linden was traded along with Todd Bertuzzi.

11, which he had worn throughout his career with the Oilers and Rangers, but which the Canucks had unofficially retired after Wayne Maki's unexpected death in 1974, hurt his image as well.

Messier was still expected to be named to the Canadian men's hockey team for the 1998 Olympics, in which the NHL allowed its best players to participate for the first time; however, he was surprisingly omitted by General Manager Bobby Clarke.

[46] Eleven days later, Messier was the only active player to play in the Legends Game at Edmonton's Heritage Classic, suiting up with the Oiler alumni.

Messier only played with Canada once outside North America, winning the silver medal at the 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships in Sweden.

[52] In February 2007, Messier publicly expressed interest in returning to the NHL as general manager for the Rangers; however, the then-current GM Glen Sather responded by saying he had no plans of stepping down from his position.

He appeared on various Rogers NHL GameCentre Live advertisements including the Vancouver Canucks-themed ad which drew backlash towards their fanbase.

In 2021, Messier signed a deal with ESPN/ABC to lead their new look studio coverage, as ESPN and ABC will air NHL games for the first time in 17 years.

Messier loses the bet, and ends up playing in a local "beer league" hockey game (for a team called "The Pylons"), which he easily dominates.

He was also featured in Lay's ads in the U.S. where he asked neighbors to borrow ice, sugar, or a hairdryer (playing on his bald head) to get chips.

Messier's son Lyon was born on August 16, 1987, and is a former defenceman who spent part of two seasons with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL, and both the Charlotte Checkers and New Mexico Scorpions of the Central Hockey League.