The 2016 Hall of Fame class has entered hockey's cathedral. Finally.

Eric Lindros, Sergei Makarov, Rogie Vachon, and Pat Quinn were enshrined during an induction ceremony Monday in Toronto, and are now included alongside players, builders, officials, and media members that have left an indelible imprint on the sport throughout its rich history.

With the quintessential power forward, a transcendent talent from the Russian Five, a trailblazing goalie decades removed from his playing days, and a universally revered, larger-than-life character strewn through the history of essential hockey markets, the 2016 class arrived tremendously diverse. But Lindros, Makarov, Vachon, and Quinn do share a distinct commonality: these legends waited far too long to be included in the sport's iconic collection.

This shone through in each speech, starting with Vachon, who closed his address with a heart-wrenching message for his late wife, who died just nine months ago.

Vachon, who won three Stanley Cups and the 1968 Vezina Trophy, received the call in his 31st year of eligibility.

This sentiment was felt again in the words of Kalli Quinn, who spoke on behalf of her father, who was immortalized posthumously. Kalli delivered a beautiful speech for Pat, touching on the characteristics and aspects that made her father so special to the game.

She then summed up his legend perfectly:

"I'm sure he's looking down on this with a glass in one hand, and a cigar in the other. And that wonderful smile he had, a twinkle in his eye."

Lindros had the shortest wait among the 2016 class, receiving the call in his seventh season of eligibility. But considering his achievements, this delay may have been the most unjust. With a singular blend of skill and size, the first overall draft selection of the Quebec Nordiques in 1991 was once the league's most dominant player. He won a Hart Trophy, Olympic gold, World Junior gold, and amassed 865 points in 760 career games - a top-20 point-per-game rate in the NHL all time.

Monday's headliner spoke last, and from the bottom of his heart.

Beginning with his family, who he said "never wavered," Lindros thanked everyone who helped shape him as a player and individual. He then closed his speech by inviting brother Brett - who shared in their dream of making the NHL - on stage with him.

Makarov was introduced by 2008 inductee, and linemate on the legendary KLM unit, Igor Larionov.

The "Russian Gretzky" entered the Hall with one of the greatest international resumes in the sport's history, helping drive his nation's dominance in the 1980s. Makarov's game translated seamlessly to the NHL, where he won the Calder Trophy in 1990 as a 31-year-old rookie with the Calgary Flames.

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