Messier's final farewell?

Messier is thought to favour retirement

Mark Messier may have hung up his skates for good after the New York Rangers failed to make this year's NHL play-offs.

The ice hockey legend captained the Rangers in Wednesday's 4-3 home loss to Buffalo but will not play in their final regular season game on Saturday.

Messier, 43, left the ice at Madison Square Garden to heartfelt applause from fans, team-mates, family, friends and even the opposing Sabres.

"I think everybody is sick of me crying on national TV, so I was trying to hold it together the best I could," said the veteran centre.

Messier won four Stanley Cups with Edmonton before joining New York in 1991, captaining them to an NHL Finals win over Vancouver three years later.

But this season's disappointing campaign means it is now seven years since the Rangers reached the post-season.

MARK MESSIER FACTFILE Born: 18 Jan, 1961, Edmonton NHL seasons: 25 Games: 1,756 Goals: 694 Points: 1,887 Teams: Edmonton (1979-91) NY Rangers (1991-1997) Vancouver (1997-2000) NY Rangers (2000-2004)

However, Messier will always be a hero to the team's supporters, having promised them a first Stanley Cup win for over half a century - and delivering.

The Canadian left New York in 1997 but returned in 2000 when Glen Sather, the architect of the Oilers' dynasty, took over as Rangers general manager.

His second stint in the Big Apple never came close to reproducing his earlier success as Messier reached milestones but never made the play-offs.

If this is really is the end after a 25-year NHL career - and it might not be - then he will retire as the NHL's second-leading scorer with 1,887 points - trailing only old Oilers and Rangers team-mate Wayne Gretzky.

Messier, the only player to captain two franchises to the Stanley Cup, scored his 694th goal in his 1,756th game - 698 with the Rangers - on Wednesday.

But his 18 goals this season couldn't help New York make the playoffs - almost a must with the league's highest payroll.

A trading deadline sell-off stripped the team of most of its veterans, including Brian Leetch who was traded to Toronto after 17 seasons.

Without a realistic chance to win a championship with New York, and not playing with Leetch, Messier is thought to be leaning towards retirement.

Being six goals away from becoming the seventh player with 700 goals and 12 games short of Gordie Howe's record may not be motivation to play on.