Claude Lemieux back in the NHL is not a publicity stunt; but rather a move designed to help a team understand what it takes to be a champion.

It's getting pretty hard to grab a headline these days.

On a day when 43-year-old Claude Lemieux made his return to the NHL some five-plus years after he retired from an illustrious career, his mighty accomplishment paled compared to the big news of the day: Barack Obama being sworn in as the first African American president of the United States of America.

And that's not all.

Lemieux wasn't even the oldest competitor playing in the NHL on his debut night. That designation went to 46-year-old Detroit Red Wings defenceman Chris Chelios (who turns 47 in four days).

But Lemiuex's return is a triumph for the blue-rinse set. And it is another step, I believe, in what should be a Hockey Hall of Fame career. That's right, the Hall of Fame.

To those who detest him for what he did to Kris Draper, one of the biggest hit-from-behind cheap shots of all-time, let's get over it now and then move on. It was a dastardly, unforgivable deed but it put Lemieux on par with any number of other Hall of Famers who have a night or two they'd rather forget. The Richard Riot ring a bell? Gordie Howe and his elbows? Bobby Hull and his toupee?

The point is, while I agree there have been several questionable inductees into the Hall of Fame, Lemieux deserves the honor, regardless of how this comeback attempt pans out.

These are the facts: Lemieux, who returned to action after 2,116 days away from the NHL and by way of the China Sharks, is one of the best two-way players to ever skate in the NHL. He was a part of three Stanley Cup championship teams, winning four Cups in all, and was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the most valuable player in the playoffs in 1995. Prior to joining the Sharks last night, Lemieux scored 379 goals and 785 points in 1,197 regular season games and another 80 goals (ninth all-time) and 158 points in 233 playoff games. Dick Duff got in a few years ago more than 40 years after he retired having scored 283 goals and 572 points in 1,030 games.

Outside of the fact he'd been away for so long, his return wasn't exactly one for the record books. In a 2-1 win over Vancouver, Lemieux skated 12 shifts for 7:08 ice time with three shots on goal and three hits. But big picture, he would already be in the Hall of Fame and just another Lemieux coming out of retirement for another shot at winning the Cup.

It's hard to say exactly what Lemieux brings to the table for the highly-regarded Sharks, but one thing is certain: straight-shooting GM Doug Wilson wouldn't bring him in as simply a publicity stunt. Wilson has way too much respect for the game. He must figure that Lemieux's winning background along with his determination to be an effective player again will have nothing except a positive affect on a team that is still trying to figure out what it takes to be a champion.

Do you think Claude Lemieux deserves to be in the NHL Hall of Fame?

And while we're on the subject, please allow me to plead (yet again) for Steve Larmer to be included. Always the consummate foot soldier and a dedicated NHLer who, like Lemieux, played both sides of the puck effectively, Larmer deserves the honour. Aside from helping the New York Rangers snap a 54-year Cup drought, Larmer played in 884 consecutive games with the Chicago Blackhawks from 1982 to 1993.

I once asked him how a player could play in so many consecutive games without being seriously injured or becoming ill, and in typical understated Larmer fashion, he said, "There were plenty of times when I was sick or hurt, but I played anyways. I figured whether I stayed home or went to the rink to play, I'd still be sick or hurt. So why not p-lay?"

The NHL's rookie of the year in 1983, Larmer registered 441 goals and 1,012 points in 1,006 games and another 56 goals and 131 points in 140 playoff games. On top of the he played a huge role in helping Team Canada win the 1991 Canada Cup scoring a tournament-leading six goals and 11 points (second to Wayne Gretzky).