Hockey fans across Canada and the U.S. will be able to tune in all day long to Mark Messier Day events celebrating the career of one of hockey’s legends on XM Satellite Radio today.

XM will broadcast live coverage of Messier’s retirement ceremony tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York. Messier’s New York Rangers jersey No. 11 will be retired in a special on-ice ceremony prior to the Rangers-Edmonton Oilers game. The on-ice ceremony begins at 7 p.m. ET, followed by live play-by-play coverage of the Rangers-Oilers game.

XM’s hockey talk radio channel Home Ice (XM Channel 204) will broadcast comprehensive, on-site coverage of Messier Day from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET, including exclusive interviews with Messier and other Ranger greats before the event. “In the Slot” with co-hosts Phil Esposito and Todd Lewis will feature interviews and insight from former players, coaches and managers, including Mike Keenan, Glen Sather, Nick Kiprios, Jeff Beukeboom, Colin Campbell, Glenn Healy, Adam Graves, Neil Smith and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, among others.

Messier begins the day with a morning appearance during the 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. ET time slot on the Home Ice channel with Ottawa Senators general manager John Muckler and other special guests. XM has devoted the day to celebrate Mark Messier’s outstanding hockey career and will also broadcast fan tributes throughout the day.

Messier will be a regular contributor to Home Ice and appear in XM print and on-air promotions as part of a recently-signed marketing and broadcast agreement. Home Ice is carried exclusively on XM.

“I’m an XM subscriber and a big fan of the service, so I was excited about the prospect of working with the company,” Messier said. “XM is the number-one satellite radio company, and now it has NHL games and a 24-hour hockey talk channel. You can’t beat it.”

The 16-time NHL All-Star leaves the game ranking second on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 1,887 points. Messier holds the distinction of being the only player to captain two different franchises – the Rangers and the Oilers – to Stanley Cup championships; he won six Stanley Cup championships in total.

XM is the official satellite radio partner of the New York Rangers and the sole presenting sponsor of the Thursday ceremony at the Garden. XM will have listening stations, signage and other promotions throughout the venue.

In addition to the Home Ice channel, XM offers live play-by-play coverage of NHL games on channels 205 through 209. In 2007 XM will become the exclusive satellite radio home of the NHL.