NEW YORK, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- New York Rangers center Mark Messier will consult one more doctor before deciding to undergo surgery on his ailing left shoulder, team officials announced Thursday night.
Messier was set to have surgery Friday, but that decision was postponed -- at least temporarily -- while he consults with the doctor who treated the shoulder earlier this season.
The team announced earlier Thursday that the procedure to remove bone spurs and ease pain in the rotator cuff was scheduled for Friday and that the 41-year-old Messier would be sidelined indefinitely.
"With Mark unable to perform effectively in his current condition, we feel that this common orthopedic procedure is the most appropriate form of treatment," team physician Dr. Andrew Feldman said.
Messier has been hampered by his shoulder for weeks and missed 15 of 18 games before returing for the final five before the NHL's Olympic break. He had just one assist in those five games and is just seventh on the team in scoring with seven goals and 16 assists in 41 games.
The only player in NHL history to captain two different teams to Stanley Cup championships, Messier ranks third on the league's all-time scoring list with 1,804 points on 658 goals and 1,146 assists. Only former teammate Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe are ahead of him.
