After all, he wasn't even taking his election for granted.

"I still go back to the year I was the third-leading scorer in the league and didn't get picked for the All-Star Game," Francis said. "Ever since then, I tend to wait for things to happen before I get too confident."

The former Carolina Hurricanes captain and current director of player development met with the media on Thursday at the RBC Center to discuss his recent election to the Hall. He'll be inducted Nov. 12 in Toronto along with Messier, Scott Stevens and Al MacInnis.

The concussion Francis suffered at the hands of Stevens in the first round of the 2001 playoffs was the most notable of his career, but Francis recalled another -- many years ago, in Montreal, when he also was deprived of star treatment.

"Our trainer at the time came out and was helping me get off the ice," Francis said. "In the process, I knocked his baseball hat off, and I think he was losing his hair at the time and he dropped me like a sack of potatoes to pick up the baseball cap. I probably had a few more, but those are the only two I remember."

If it weren't for Messier, this probably would be known as the Francis Class. Only Wayne Gretzky had more assists than Francis' 1,249. Messier is second in points, Francis fourth. Messier is second in games played, Francis third.

Add it up, and even Francis can't believe what he accomplished in his 23 seasons in the league.

"It was 26 years ago I started playing in the NHL," Francis said. "It was 16 years ago when I won my first Cup and my daughter was born. I look at her sometimes and kind of shake my head. I wonder where the years went with her. It's the same thing with my career. I wonder where the time went. It actually feels like just yesterday when I started."