Calgary Flames' Al MacInnis hoists the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after the Flames beat the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup in Montreal, May 26, 1989. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadiam Press)

Al MacInnis never dreamed of possessing the hardest slapshot of his generation – it just worked out that way.

The former NHL player is one of the best defenceman in hockey history, but is mostly remembered for wielding a booming shot that struck fear into many opposing goaltenders he faced.

It's also a reputation that helped him earn a place among the hockey immortals.

In one of the finest classes ever assembled, MacInnis will join Ron Francis, Mark Messier, Scott Stevens and Jim Gregory as part of the newest group entering hockey's Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Toronto on Monday night.

"I think like most players, you don't think about the Hall of Fame," said the Port Hood, N.S., native during a conference call. "Growing up you think about different things: maybe winning the Stanley Cup [or] an [Olympic] gold medal. But I don't know if anybody really sits back and thinks that they're going to get in the Hall of Fame."

Indeed, MacInnis wasn't dreaming in such a grandiose style as a novice, nor was he contemplating a future skill that would help cultivate a 23-year NHL career.

When he was nine and growing up in a small fishing village on Cape Breton Island, MacInnis's father was one of only two men entrusted with looking after the local arena, allowing the younger MacInnis to collect pucks that sailed over the boards. As spring came around, MacInnis had gathered between 75-100 pucks to practise his soon-to-be signature shot.

"I could remember spending hours out there just shooting pucks off a sheet of plywood against my dad's barn," he said. "I was just doing it to pass the time, never thinking it would end up the way it did and be known for the slapshot.

"There was no secret stick or no composite stick back then. It was just old wooden sticks with about three rolls of tape on it and I would just fire pucks. There's no question that's how the shot became what it is."

Oblivious to this newfound talent, MacInnis didn't realize how the power would develop until his teenage years – a time when he noticed that his shot whistled harder than everybody else's.

"My junior coach [Joe Crozier of the OHL's Kitchener Rangers] at the time was watching me shoot pucks after practice one day and he kind of came over shaking his head and he said, 'Kid, that shot is going to get you into the NHL some day.' And sure enough, it was a shot that gave me a chance to play."

Crozier's prophetic words became reality in 1981 when the Calgary Flames made MacInnis the 15th overall selection of the NHL draft. It was with the Flames that MacInnis flourished, scoring 213 goals in 13 seasons.

Following a disappointing ousting at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1986 Stanley Cup final, the two teams met again three years later. With MacInnis leading the way, the Flames disposed of Montreal in five games, earning the hard-shooting blue-liner the Conn Symthe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

"Thinking back when you're growing up playing street hockey, the Stanley Cup was your No. 1 goal," he said. "You play this game to win the Stanley Cup. I would've loved to win more than one, but looking back over my career, I feel very fortunate [because] there's a lot of great players that don't get a chance to win one. To think that we won one was no question the highlight of my career."

The shine of Olympic gold

The way MacInnis reflects back, the Cup run of 1989 is followed closely by Canada's gold medal victory at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics as his second-most cherished moment.

Former Hockey Canada executive Wayne Gretzky was charged with the responsibility of selecting a who's who of hockey greats, including McInnis, Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic and Scott Niedermayer, to represent the nation.

Considering Canada had been waiting 50 years for a team – any team – to bring home a gold medal, the pressure was intense to end the five-decade long drought. Although the journey was hardly a smooth one, Canada finally managed to win gold with a 5-2 victory over the hometown Americans in the final.

MacInnis shows off the NHL's hardest shot during the 2000 All-Star Game skills competition. MacInnis won the event with a shot timed at 100.1 miles per hour. (Kevin Frayer/ Canadian Press)

"The Stanley Cup was your No. 1 goal," he explained. "Then all of the sudden, years later, they allow professionals to play in the Olympics, and without a doubt it was a great accomplishment. Anytime you put on a jersey representing your country [it gives you] pride."

MacInnis played the remaining 10 seasons with the St. Louis Blues before a lingering eye injury ended his career for good in 2003.

The long-time veteran ranks third among defenceman with 340 goals and second with 1,274 points. Along the way, he has won the NHL's "Hardest Shot" at the league's annual All-Star weekend seven times, highlighted by four consecutive titles.

As for his induction speech, MacInnis admits it's almost complete, but is still attempting to cram in all the people that have helped him through the years.

"You don't want to miss anybody that's been very important in your life and in your hockey career," said McInnis. "You want to make sure you touch on all areas of your hockey career. It starts with your parents and all the way through to the end. When you play 23 years, there's a lot of help along the way with a lot of different people, and you want to make sure you touch on the most important parts."

And just maybe, he'll touch on a story during his youth in Nova Scotia that helped launch a Hall of Fame resume.