NEW YORK — Mark Messier’s New York Rangers career was immortalized in two Game 7’s in the spring of 1994.
Down 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Final against the New Jersey Devils, Messier publicly declared a Game 6 win. Though the Rangers at one point trailed 2-0, Messier scored a natural hat trick to force a seventh game. Less than three weeks later, he scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in Game 7 against the Vancouver Canucks, bringing the Rangers their first championship in 54 years.
Those moments — thriving under pressure and performing in a high-stakes environment — are at the core of GAME 7, the sports and entertainment brand co-founded by Messier.
“We think GAME 7 can branch outside the realm of sports and the theoretical or the literal sense of Game 7s,” Messier told amNewYork. “And ask everybody what their own game seven moment is, and we can teach those learnings for the people that thrived under the pressure.”
GAME 7 first launched a five-part anthology series on Amazon Prime Video — a deep dive into the most famous Game 7s in sports history. On Tuesday, GAME 7 unveiled its first-ever officially licensed NHL apparel collection at NHL Shop NYC, in partnership with Centric Brands.
Despite the rain, hundreds of fans lined up outside for a chance to meet and get autographs from Messier, as well as a first look at the new GAME 7 apparel, which blends a premium design with a modern take on hockey heritage.
The event featured Messier, Mat Vlasic, co-founder of GAME 7, Jason Rabin, chief executive officer at Centric Brands, leadership from Madison Square Garden and the NHL, notable creators like Justin Morelli, Nimay Ndolo, Gabe Escobar, and Kevin Leonel, and the Rangers’ Blue Crew. ESPN Radio also broadcast live from the event, featuring Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg.
The collection features apparel from the New York Rangers, alongside other NHL teams like the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, and Vegas Golden Knights.
But for Messier, New York remains at the forefront of GAME 7. He spoke highly of the Rangers’ passionate fan base and said that coming to the city was one of the greatest parts of his career.
“New York City is a blue-collar town,” Messier said. “There’s hard working men and women in this city that understand perseverance, dedication, sacrifice, discipline.”
GAME 7 apparel is available at NHL Shop NYC, on the brand’s Amazon storefront and at Madison Square Garden retail locations.
“It’s a lifetime of learning,” Messier said. “And we think GAME 7 can through the storytelling, through the lens of sports, like we did on Amazon Prime with our docuseries there … talking to the people that have actually done it before, I think we can all learn something from it.”
Watch the video here and follow @amnysports on Instagram to see more.
