There's a Moose loose in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Mark (Moose) Messier, considered one of the finest leaders in professional sport, was one of five luminaries inducted Monday.
Ron Francis, left, Al MacInnis, Jim Gregory, Mark Messier and Scott Stevens flip pucks for photographers.
(Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
Ron Francis, Al MacInnis, Scott Stevens and longtime NHL executive Jim Gregory were the others.
All four players were former captains who retired in 2005, and entered the Hall in their first year of eligibility.
"It is a hard thing to measure, who is a better leader than the next guy," Messier said. "I look at all these guys here — who were unbelievable captains in their own right — and it is almost impossible to measure."
Messier, 46, is the only player in NHL history to captain two teams to Stanley Cups — the Edmonton Oilers in 1990 and the New York Rangers in 1994.
The Edmonton native was a 16-time all-star, a six-time Stanley Cup champion, a two-time winner of the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player in the NHL, and named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP in 1984.
Messier ranks second behind former teammate Wayne Gretzky with 1,887 points (694 goals, 1,193 assists) in 1,856 games over 25 NHL seasons with the Oilers, Rangers and Vancouver Canucks.
The Rangers retired his sweater number on Jan. 12, 2006, as did the Oilers on Feb. 27, 2007.
Messier, who wore No. 11, retired just 11 games shy of Gordie Howe's league record of 1,867 games played.
Prolific passer
Francis, 44, is the second most prolific passer in NHL history, trailing only Gretzky with 1,249 assists.
A three-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy as most gentlemanly player, he finished with 549 goals and 1,798 points in 1,731 games over 24 NHL seasons with the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs.
"I got to play in the NHL and won championships and had a lot of honours for that," he said. "It was very special."
Francis, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., was drafted fourth overall by Hartford in 1981, and went on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 1991-92.
Hot shot
MacInnis, also 44, had one of the most blistering slapshots in NHL history, notching 340 goals in 1,416 games as a defenceman with the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues.
The pride of Port Hood, N.S., was drafted 15th overall by Calgary in 1981 and, eight years later, was selected playoff MVP as the Flames won their first Stanley Cup.
He also won the league's hardest shot competition seven times.
"Never did I think my shot would end up giving me a chance to play in the NHL - and give me the recognition for it," MacInnis said.
MacInnis, an eight-time all-star, ranks third among defencemen behind Raymond Bourque and Paul Coffey with 934 career assists and 1,274 points.
Hard hitter
Stevens, 43, is widely recognized as the hardest hitting defenceman of his generation, renowned for doling out bone-crunching body checks throughout his 22 NHL seasons.
The Kitchener, Ont., native totalled 196 goals and 908 points with 2,785 penalty minutes in 1,635 NHL games, despite focusing on defence more than offence.
"It is hard to believe I am at this point," he said. "But this tops off a great career."
Stevens was drafted fifth overall by the Washington Capitals in 1982, played the 1990-91 NHL season in St. Louis, and rose to stardom with New Jersey, where he won three Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy (2000).
With files from the Canadian PressRelated
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