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NEW YORK -- Mark Messier is leaving the New York Rangers organization after being passed over to replace fired head coach John Tortorella. Messier, who had been a special assistant to Rangers general manager Glen Sather, announced Thursday in a statement that he is resigning in order to "expand the game of hockey in the New York area by developing the Kingsbridge National Ice Center." However, he added that the Rangers choice to hire veteran coach Alain Vigneault to be the new head coach wasnt a factor in his departure from the team. "I would like to thank the New York Rangers and particularly Glen Sather for giving me the opportunity over the last four years to work with the Rangers," said Messier, who has no NHL coaching experience. "Although some will perceive this as a reaction to the coaching decision, nothing could be further from the truth. I completely respect the decision that was made and for all the reasons it was made. I harbour no hard feelings toward Glen or the Rangers. "This is a personal choice I am making to create a program in the New York area that will give our children more choices and opportunities in the future. I wish the Rangers nothing but the best in the future." Messier, who captained the Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup championship, hoped to lead the team again -- this time from behind the bench -- after Tortorella was dismissed. He interviewed with Sather for the position that eventually went to Vigneault, who was let go after the season by the Vancouver Canucks. "Mark Messier will always be a part of the New York Rangers family," Sather said in a statement. "As a player and then as part of the management team, he brought incomparable passion and dedication to the organization. We wish him well in his future endeavours." Messier took his position as an assistant to Sather, who also serves as Rangers team president, in August 2009. A 16-time NHL All-Star, Messiers crowning achievement with the Rangers came in 1994 when he led the team to its first Stanley Cup title in 54 years. He set a Rangers playoff record with 12 post-season goals, including the Cup winner in Game 7 of the finals against Vancouver. Messiers No. 11 was retired by the Rangers in January 2006. The Hockey Hall of Famer ranks fifth on the teams scoring list with 691 points and seventh in goals with 250 of the 694 he scored in his career. He is second in career NHL points with 1,887 and seventh in goals. In addition to the championship with the Rangers, Messier won the Stanley Cup five times with the Edmonton Oilers, where Sather served as coach and general manager. Sather had a list of 13 potential coaching candidates that he cut down to nine. He interviewed Messier and Vigneault in person and decided to go with experience. "It was a difficult decision," Sather said last week. "Weve both grown up with each other. At this stage, A.V. was the man. Mark has got to decide what he wants to do." Kevin Durant Jersey . Tyrell appeared in seven games with the Lightning this year, he had no points in those appearances. The 24-year-old has seven goals and 17 assists in 132 career NHL games, all coming with the Lightning. He was selected in the second round, 47th overall, of the 2007 draft. Wholesale Warriors Jerseys .A. remained bitter for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers on the long flight back home to New York. http://www.cheapwarriorsjerseysstore.com...-cousins-jersey. -- During Kansas shootaround on Wednesday before the Jayhawks faced Oklahoma, coach Bill Self told Wayne Selden Jr. Damian Jones Jersey . Trailing 5-4 in the third set, the 12th-ranked Isner fought off two match points and evened it at 5-5 with consecutive aces. The former University of Georgia star had his only service break of the match to go up 6-5 before firing the last four of his 30 aces to close out Ginepri, an Atlanta resident ranked 281st. Cheap Warriors Jerseys China . Canada will host Japan in a World Group first-round match in 2015. It will be a rematch of their first-round clash last year when Japan defeated Canada 4-1 to reach the World Group quarter-finals for the first time in its history.It appears that Canadian international midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran is very close to signing with Toronto FC. His agent told TSN that the deal is "virtually done" and will be official in the next day or two. The news comes with Torontos season opener set ffor this Saturday on the road against the Seattle Sounders (TSN, 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt).dddddddddddd Farran, 29, was born in Calgary and has been playing with RWDM Brussels FC of the Belgian league. He has earned 27 caps playing internationally for Canada. ' ' '