Mark Messier explains how magic mushrooms helped his career
Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier isn’t afraid to talk about one big factor he feels helped make his career so successful.
Messier, whose 1,887 points rank third all-time in NHL history, joined The Pat McAfee Show yesterday. A big part of the conversation was about psilocybin mushrooms, known to many as magic mushrooms. The 63-year-old was open about his experience with them in the past and explained how it changed his entire mindset, both on and off the ice.
“As an athlete, we spend probably 95%, or 99% of the time on our bodies, and not a lot of time on our minds,” Messier said. “It gave me the ability to look at a bigger picture, a vastness that is out there. As you know, we’re only utilizing a small portion of the power that we have in our brains. I was thinking, if I’m going to spend 95% working out at the gym, how can I become a better player? How can I understand the game better?
“I think enlightenment is a good word for it. It gave me a better perspective, it gave me some humility. It just gave me a better perspective on the whole experience of professional sports. It made me focus more. It worked for me. It’s something that I don’t regret.”
“As an athlete we spend so much time on our bodies and back then not a lot on our minds..
Mushrooms gave me a better perspective and it made me focus more..
This was back on a trip to Barbados in the early 80s” ~ Mark Messier #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/ActuuGoQio
ā Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 28, 2024
Messier admitted that the first time he tried the psychedelic was back when he was 18 or 19 years old, while on a holiday in Barbados. Though he didn’t notice as much at the time, he said that he believes looking back on his career, mushrooms helped make him a better leader for his teammates.
Messier served as the Oilers captain from 1988 to 1991 following the infamous trade of Wayne Gretzky to the LA Kings.
He also served as the captain for both the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, winning his sixth Stanley Cup in 1994 with New York.
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