Messier’s 500th Goal Memorable

After winning the Stanley Cup six times, it takes a lot to make a night special for Mark Messier. Scoring his 500th goal did the trick.

“There seemed to be karma in the building tonight,” Messier said after scoring three times Monday night in the New York Rangers’ 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. “It gave me the feeling that this might be it.”

Messier’s wrist shot past Rick Tabaracci with 7:28 left in the game made Messier the 21st player to reach 500 goals. Messier, who has eight goals this season, had his 21st three-goal game.

Glen Sather, his coach in Edmonton, was at the game, as was his father, mother and grandmother.

He got a five-minute standing ovation, was mobbed by his teammates and later got a call from his best friend, Wayne Gretzky.