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Class of 2017 humbled by Hockey Hall of Fame honor (Video)

Teemu Selanne, Dave Andreychuk, Mark Recchi and Paul Kariya, Danielle Goyette, Jeremy Jacobs, Clare Drake.

Hockey Hall of Fame inductees, from left to right: Teemu Selanne, Mark Recchi, Paul Kariya, Jeremy Jacobs, Danielle Goyette and Dave Andreychuk display their rings during a news conference in Toronto, Friday, Nov. 10, 2017. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

AP

The 2017 Hockey Hall of Fame class was officially inducted Monday night. Two builders and five players were enshrined in Toronto and their speeches reflected on the journeys, friendships and impacts each of their individuals careers had on themselves and the people around them.
[Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2017 grew the game in many ways]

Dave Andreychuk was first, and looked back on his 23-year career, which included him noting a perk of being part of the Ray Bourque trade.

Up next was Danielle Goyette, who spoke about growing up emulating the great Montreal Canadiens players at the time, like Guy Lafleur. She also touched on just how important giving kids the opportunity to play the game is to continue growing the sport.

Mike Gabinet, grandson of Clare Drake, kept his speech short and sweet in honor of the legendary Canadian coach.

Paul Kariya pointed out two teammates in his speech: Steve Rucchin and Teemu Selanne. On the Finnish Flash, Kariya put it: “I simply would not be standing here without you. We will always be brothers in this life, and the next.”

Jeremy Jacobs spoke his time owning the Boston Bruins, and keyed on a few current players who have made a huge impact on the franchise’s success:

Mark Recchi gave plenty of love to his hometown of Kamloops, British Columbia.

Finally, Teemu Selanne reminisced about the change in weather going from Winnipeg to Anaheim and then gave thanks for his long-time friendship with Kariya.

MORE: What will the 2018 Hockey Hall of Fame class look like?

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.