"There's No Way Messier's a Better Player"

It's an off-Broadway production. So don't expect the extravagance and pomposity that accompanied Mark Messier's canonization in New York a couple of weeks ago.

But a man who ranks fourth on the NHL's all-time scoring list, and second in assists, is equally deserving of a grand send-off. That's what Ron Francis will get Saturday night in Carolina.

"He was overshadowed a lot by bigger-name guys — but not better players," Hurricanes' captain Rod Brind'amour told Eric Duhatschek at GlobeandMail.com. "There's no way Messier's a better player, in my opinion, but he gets all the accolades. Ronnie was such a smart hockey player, definitely one of the smartest ever to play the game. I think that — and the fact that he played most of his career in Carolina and Hartford — is why he didn't get that attention."

Hockey fans in Raliegh have plenty to celebrate these days: Going into the Ron Francis tribute game, the Carolina Hurricanes are the best team in the NHL.