The overlooked legend finally being recognized by the Hockey Hall of Fame

Over 1,000 points scored, nearly 1,000 games played, and the fifth-most goals in a single season in NHL history: these are accolades that are inarguably Hall of Fame worthy. Yet, Alexander Mogilny was left off the list of inductees year after year -- that is, until now.

Finally, the legendary Russian forward will be joining the sport's all-time greats in the highest circle of honor and will be inducted during the weekend of Nov. 8. There was such a great push for his induction into the HHOF thatTSN even made a documentary campaigning for him.

Mogilny's accomplishments were historic both on and off the ice, and compared to other inductees, he is very deserving of recognition for his career in the NHL and internationally.

As a young player in the Soviet Union, Mogilny rose through the ranks as a standout scorer. In the 1988 World Junior Championships, he was named the best forward of the tournament after putting up nine goals and 18 points in just seven games played. Playing on a line with Pavel Bure and Sergei Fedorov, the trio led the USSR to a WJC gold in 1989 and then a World Championship gold months later.

The day that the World Championship ended, Mogilny boarded a plane and became the first-ever Soviet player drafted by the NHL to defect to North America. This gave courage to all-time NHL legends like Fedorov, Slava Fetisov, and so many more to follow suit. Mogilny singlehandedly sparked the wave of defectors and is an architect of the greatness we've seen from so many Russian players in the decades since.

Not only did he undeniably break a social barrier that changed hockey history, but his career achievements alone make him a worthy candidate for the HHOF ten times over. Mogilny scored the fastest goal in an NHL debut in league history, just 20 seconds into his first game with the Buffalo Sabres.

It was all goals all the time from the moment Mogilny hit North American ice. With 76 goals scored in 1992-93, he tied Teemu Selanne for the league lead and that stands as the fifth-highest total in a single season in NHL history.

Mogilny played a total of 16 seasons in the NHL split between the Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils, and Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored 30 or more goals in eight of those campaigns and retired with 473 goals and 1,032 points in 990 games. That includes two separate seasons with over 100 points and four All-Star Game appearances.

Mogilny is also a member of the Triple Gold club, having won a Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2000 in addition to an Olympic gold medal in 1988 and the World Championship gold in 1989. That's not to mention the Lady Byng Trophy in 2003, awarded to the player with the best sportsmanship as well as on-ice performance.

When you compare Mogilny to other recent additions to the HHOF, it's a no-brainer. Take Pierre Turgeon for example, who was also forced to wait far longer than he should have to be inducted. Fun fact, both Turgeon and Mogilny were briefly suspended from international competition due to the team-wide brawl between the Soviets and Canadians at the 1987 WJC, better known as the "Punch Up in Piestany."

Turgeon averaged 1.03 points per game over his 1,294-game NHL career, with a Lady Byng win under his belt as well. Mogilny had a very similar stat line with 1.04 points per game, despite playing fewer seasons. He also has a Cup ring, which Turgeon does not. Of course, that's not the only metric that should decide whether a player is HHOF worthy, but Mogilny's championships at the NHL and international level speak to his impact on the teams he played for.

Given his contributions to the sport, Mogilny should have been inducted into the HHOF many years ago, but his moment has finally arrived.