Mark Messier happy to move aside for Jaromir Jagr

Hall of Fame center Mark Messier is so impressed by Jaromir Jagr's longevity and inspired by his dedication to training, to the game, that he's looking forward to moving out of a position he's held for 13 years so the Florida Panthers 44-year-old right wing can step in.
Jagr needs three points to tie and four points to pass Messier for second on the NHL all-time scoring list. If the timing works out, Messier wants to be there when Jagr pushes his way into second place behind Wayne Gretzky.
"No question I'd like to be there in person if possible," Messier said. "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."

Jagr has 1,884 points in 1,660 NHL games, including 16 in 31 games this season. Messier finished his NHL career in 2004 with 1,887 points in 1,756 games. Gretzky is first with a potentially unreachable 2,857 points in 1,487 games.
The Panthers play at the Colorado Avalanche on Friday before returning home to play the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings prior to the NHL holiday break that begins Christmas Eve.
"I think as humbling as Gordie [Howe] was when Wayne passed him and all the great players, I look at it as an opportunity for us to hopefully inspire the next generation of players, set the benchmark for them and hopefully inspire them to be the best they can be wherever their careers take them," Messier said.
Messier has been No. 2 on the list since he passed Howe on Nov. 4, 2003. He said he couldn't believe his accomplishment at the time and still can't.
"I didn't really consider myself an elite scorer like a Mario Lemieux or Wayne Gretzky," Messier said.

Being passed by Jagr is easier for Messier to fathom because he's been waiting for it to happen, not wondering if it would.
Messier even said the moment will be anticlimactic for him because, at least the way he sees it, Jagr has already passed him in points as a professional if you count his production in professional leagues in Europe and Russia.
Jagr had 146 points in three seasons playing in Kontinental Hockey League from 2008-11. He also had 67 points in European leagues during the 2004-05 season and a combined 68 points during the lockouts that shortened the 1994-95 and 2012-13 seasons.
"In my own mind he's surpassed me a long time ago," Messier said. "I had a chance in my first year pro in the [World Hockey Association] and I amassed all of 11 points, so I wasn't quite as productive as he was leaving the NHL. The total he's amassed as a professional hockey player is astounding."
Messier played until he was 43, so he understands how challenging it is for Jagr to be playing at a productive and competitive level in the NHL. Messier talked about recovery time taking longer and how the rest-to-work ratio leans more toward the former.
"It becomes more difficult," Messier said. "[Jagr has] been able to maintain an incredible amount of conditioning, and probably more important because he has done that and put the work in he has really stayed away from any major injury, which is always the key to someone playing as long as Jaromir has. He's had some nicks and bumps, but if you really look at it, he's been really lucky without any major injuries, which has helped him prolong his career."
What may be more impressive to Messier than what Jagr has done is the fact that it doesn't seem like he is going to stop any time soon.
Jagr has said he wants to play until he's 50 years old (he turns 45 on Feb. 2). Messier doesn't see signs of anything that would stop him.
"When I watch Jaromir and I see him play his shifts, he's still hustling to get the puck and retrieve the puck, still covering a lot of ice when he's out there, still very powerful on the puck," Messier said. "What it will boil down to eventually is what he wants and how he wants to contribute to the team as the team improves. … Those will be questions he'll have to answer as he goes along, and the team will have to answer as well, but there doesn't seem to be too many signs of him slowing down at this point."