Mark Messier joined the Vancouver Canucks in July 1997, bringing leadership and championship experience to a team eager to make a statement. In his Canucks debut on October 3, 1997, during the NHL’s first regular-season game played outside North America, Messier scored his first goal with the team. Against the Anaheim Ducks in Tokyo, his goal gave Vancouver a 2–1 lead in the second period and helped spark a 3–2 victory. Named team captain upon arrival, Messier’s time in Vancouver was a short chapter in his career before he returned to the New York Rangers three seasons later.