"That's what I think sometimes goes unnoticed, is that one or two players on the team gets the recognition because they're high-profile guys, but there are so many guys," Messier said. "Kevin McClelland scored a huge goal for us in 1984. Our grinders like Eddie Olczyk and the great players that were selfless and played their role so well in '94 are getting recognized. You can go on down the list, and I know I'm missing a million role players, but for those guys to get the recognition to be on those teams that are being recognized right now makes me feel really good."
Messier has a special place in his heart for all of his Stanley Cup-winning teams, but the 1983-84 Oilers are unique because they were the first team he played on to win the championship. The Oilers had been swept by the New York Islanders in the 1983 Stanley Cup Final but rebounded to defeat the Islanders in the 1984 Final.
"That team had been together for quite a while and we had suffered a lot of setbacks along the way, like getting swept in '83," Messier said. "That team had really gone on a journey together and learned how to win together and really figured out that in order to win we really needed to put the team and what was most important to the team first. I think if you talk to any one of the guys on that team that were around for the previous years leading up to it they would say the same thing, that it was a really seminal moment in our careers. We learned the real sacrifices you need to make to become a winner. It's not lip service."
The 20 remaining teams will be pared to 10 in the final round of head-to-head voting, which closes May 25. The Top 10 will be unveiled during the Stanley Cup Final, with the Greatest HL Team revealed during Game 4 of the Cup Final. To make your picks, go to
NHL.com/GreatestTeams
.
