Paul Kariya defied the odds en route to a Hall of Fame hockey career.

He was never one of the biggest or most muscular players. He was, however, always one of the best players.

"Paul Kariya paved the way for those who were told that their skill and creativity would only take them so far in a game where size and strength were thought to be paramount," an NHL Network narrator said on a video introduction for Kariya's Hall of Fame speech earlier this month in Toronto. "Paul Kariya not only changed minds. He also changed the game."