Mark Messier is about to be pushed down a peg.

The hockey legend ranks second on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 1,887 points, but Jaromir Jagr is on the verge of passing him and laying claim to the title of the game's most productive player not named Wayne Gretzky.

With Jagr's Florida Panthers set to take to the ice Thursday, and with the Czech winger only four points back of second place, Messier held a conference call Thursday to reflect on Jagr's accomplishments and what it means for him personally.

"When there’s been almost 6,000 people come into the league, I’m the most surprised person of anybody that I’ve been sitting at No. 2 for this amount of time," Messier said, per Craig Davis of the Sun-Sentinel.

"As humble as Gordie (Howe) was when Wayne passed him, I look at this like it's an opportunity to hopefully inspire the next generation of players and set the benchmark for them and hopefully inspire them to be the best they can be."

Messier added the following in regards to Jagr:

When he came into Pittsburgh he dazzled us with his power and his skill and his overall game. And later on in his career he inspired us with his passion and dedication. He's played long enough to understand the significance of what the game means to him as a person and as a player.

The only way you can play and do what he's doing right now is to make sure you're putting the time in for your conditioning and taking care of yourself. And to really have a deep passion for the game. The game has to be the number one priority in your life because it takes a lot of time to prepare for each and every game, never mind each and every season.

Jagr - whose NHL career was interrupted by a stint in the KHL - has recorded 1,883 points in 1,659 career games, while Messier needed 1,756 to reach his total.

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