Take A Skate, Guys

I don't usually get into sports much, but with the NHL finally beginning a new season, I'm just "tapping my stick," figuratively, to four greats who have just retired.

Scott Stevens of the New Jersey Devils - Lord knows I got tired of watching him splatter guys all over the place, especially when they wore the "orange and black," but if he were a Fly Guy, I'd be cheering his every move (like I may end up doing with Derian Hatcher this year if he can stay healthy). He won a few Cups and gave as good as he got. The league shouldn't have let him get away with some of the forearm/shoulder shots he dished out to guys' heads, but that is because of the sometimes stone age nature of the sport, and he just played within those archaic rules. He won at least two Cups, maybe three...I don't remember exactly.

Al MacInnis of the St. Louis Blues - He won a Cup with Calgary in '86, played well defensively, and possessed a 100-mph slap shot. MacInnis played in the NHL for 23 seasons, which is unbelievable. He managed to recover and continue to play from many severe injuries, including one to an eye that kept him out of most of the 2003-2004 season. He exemplified class, skill, and sportsmanship. My only regret is that I didn't see him much because he played for Western conference teams.

Ron Francis of the Carolina Hurricanes - As noted on ESPN, Francis played for Hartford, Pittsburgh, Carolina and Toronto, and leaves the game with a resume few can rival. He is second to Wayne 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.

Mark Messier of the New York Rangers - Quite simply, Messier is one of the greatest team leaders in sports history. I'm not even going to try and summarize his accomplishments; the information from this link will begin to give you a picture of what he did. The Edmonton Oilers lost a whole bunch of great players from the mid '80s until the early '90s, but their Cup reign didn't end until Messier went to the Rangers. As much as I dislike the "Broadway Blueshirts," I had to admit that watching them win that Cup in '94 (especially with former Flyer coach Mike Keenan) was a truly great moment in sports.

Update 10/19: Add one more All Star and Cup winner to the list.