Bodog Beat

The 2007 Hockey Hall of Fame class (from left): Ron Francis, Al MacInnis, Jim Gregory, Mark Messier and Scott Stevens. (AP Images)

There are professional athletes, then there are Hall of Famers and then there are the greatest who’ve ever played.

On Monday night, the distinction was evident as the NHL inducted four of the best players who ever laced up skates into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Headlined by Mark Messier, who will forever be remembered for leading the New York Rangers to their first Stanley Cup in 54 years, the 2007 induction class features the elite of the elite.

Center Ron Francis, and defensemen Al MacInnis and Scott Stevens were the other players honored. NHL executive Jim Gregory went in as a member of the builder category. Francis ranks fourth all-time in points, MacInnis was noted for his deadly shot from the point and Stevens is best known for his intensity and hard-hitting skills that led the New Jersey Devils to three Stanley Cups.

But it is Messier who shines above the rest. Known as The Moose and The Captain, he is widely considered the greatest leader who ever played hockey and arguably any North American team sport. He won six Stanley Cups in his 25-year career and is second all-time in scoring. In 1994, he captained the Rangers to a historic Stanley Cup win.

NHL betting