Calling hockey’s Hall Of Fame “as closed and secret a society as Yale’s Skull and Bones”, the New York Post’s Larry Brooks is incredulous that on the night Mark Messier, Scott Stevens, Ron Francis, Al MacInnis and Jim Gregory are inducted, “Versus will be all over the critical and compelling match in Florida between the Hurricanes and the Panthers.”

By scheduling five games on a night that should remain dark, the NHL essentially guaranteed that the mundane playing of early-season matches would in large part overshadow a marquee event like the Hall of Fame inductions.

Instead of holding the induction ceremony in the Hall of Fame’s small theatre, it should be open to the public and conducted at the Air Canada Center.

Instead of inviting a small number of Hall of Famers to attend the Hall of Fame Game, as a dozen were invited to participate in a pre-game ceremony here before Saturday’s Rangers-Leafs match, all living Hall of Famers should be invited to the induction ceremony at the arena.

Instead of limiting the speaking time for each inductee, all should be invited to speak from the heart for as long as their hearts desire.

Instead of being like hockey, in fact, the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies should be like baseball. But then, why would hockey want to be like baseball?