Messier, Francis, MacInnis, Stevens, Gregory form 2007 class

Mark Messier can now add Hall of Famer to his list of credentials.


The six-time Stanley Cup winner and the NHL's second all-time leading scorer was one of four players named to the 2007 class of the Hockey Hall of Fame on Thursday. Joining Messier will be Ron Francis, Al MacInnis and Scott Stevens. NHL executive Jim Gregory was voted into the builder category.

"I'm very honored to go in with a class like this," Francis said.


All four players were on the ballot for the first time. Other eligible players who didn't make it in included Adam Oates, Igor Larionov and Claude Lemieux.


The induction ceremony for the Hall, which allows a maximum of four players in each year, will be held Nov. 12.


Messier teamed with Wayne Gretzky to win four championships in Edmonton during the 1980s and then won another in 1990 after Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles. He then became a headliner on Broadway in the '90s, captaining the New York Rangers to the 1994 championship that ended the team's 54-year Stanley Cup drought.


He trails only Gretzky in playoff goals and assists and posted 1,887 NHL regular-season points over a 25-year career -- 970 fewer than all-time leader Gretzky and 37 more than Gordie Howe, who sits in third place.


"We started an era [coming into the league in the 1980s] that produced some amazing players, players that had incredibly long careers as well as a number of cups to go with them," Messier said. "It was a great time to come into the league. ... I have tremendous respect for all of the players that are in the class."

When asked whether he'd like to enter the Hall as an Oiler or a Ranger, even though players are not required to designate a team as they enter the Hall, Messier laughed.


"I felt my career was really defined in Edmonton from the first 12 years of my career and for the 10 years I spent in New York," he said. "Unfortunately, the time I spent in Vancouver, we never had the success we were hoping to. ... Hopefully they can sew a jersey down the middle and I can go in as both a Oiler and a Ranger.


"There would be some hurt feelings and that's not what this is about ... it's about being a hockey player," he said.


Stevens is a big reason the Devils became a contender when he arrived in New Jersey in 1991. During his 13 seasons in New Jersey, Stevens won three Stanley Cups (1995, 2000, 2003), the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP (2000) and only missed the postseason once (1995-96). While most consider him a great defensive defenseman first, he could also provide offense. He had 908 career points, 10th all-time among blueliners.


MacInnis ranks third all time among defensemen in points (1,274) and assists (934) and won the Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy with the Flames in 1989.


Francis, 42, played for Hartford, Pittsburgh, Carolina and Toronto over 23 seasons, and leaves the game with a resume few can rival. He is second to Gretzky with 1,249 assists and ranks among the league's all-time leaders with 1,731 games (third), 549 goals (19th) and 1,798 points (fourth).


He won a pair of Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992 and helped the Hurricanes make a surprise run to the Cup finals in 2002.


In addition, Francis was a three-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy, awarded to the player exhibiting sportsmanship and gentlemanly play combined with playing ability.


Gregory, a senior vice president with the league, served as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1969 to 1979 before running the NHL's Central Scouting department.

im pretty sure no one is gonna disagree with these 4

damn that's a pretty good class.

yeah it is... even though i always thought messier looked like an SS officer

That group is outstanding. I think they should make exceptions to the 4-per-year rule now and then... you've got Adam Oates and Doug Gilmour sitting 15th and 16th all-time in points and they both have to wait another year (Gilmour has now been passed over twice) to get in.

2009 should be another huge year... Yzerman, Hull, Leetch, Robitaille, Andreychuk...

It's 3 years.

And they have, they just decided to end any exceptions after Gretzky.

I believe he was talking about their rule of only inducting four players per year.

Larionov, Oates and Claude Lemieux were first balloters passed over. Glenn Anderson, Doug Gilmour, Kevin Lowe, Steve Larmer and Pavel Bure were passed over again.

I dont know much about hockey, but I do know Scotty was one of my favorite Devils.....congrats Scott Stevens!!!!!!

Ah okay, my bad.

The one bonus for the guys I mentioned (Gilmour, Bure, Oates, etc.) is that no one "retired" during the lockout year, so next year the selection committee has a bit of a chance to make up for some huge screwups.