"Huge," said Stamkos, who added it was his first time attending the Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony. "Everyone knows the impact Marty had on me as a player and more importantly as a person. The friendship that we have, it's amazing. It's an exciting moment for me as well."
Hedman called it a "phenomenal experience" to be here for St. Louis.
"He's the best player I've played with," Hedman said. "Sorry [Stamkos], but he is. Just his dedication, his work ethic -- he's won it all."
McDonagh, Girardi and Miller were honored to represent St. Louis' short tenure with the Rangers, which featured 93 regular-season games and 44 Stanley Cup Playoff games, including five in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.
St. Louis announced his retirement from the NHL on July 2, 2015.
"Obviously not being the biggest guy, that's been talked about for a while now, but his work ethic, his heart, he never gave up on anything and he just kept working," Girardi said. "A guy gets to 1,000 points, Stanley Cup champion, Hart Trophy winner, you've got a feeling [the Hockey Hall of Fame honor] is coming, so to be here for him, to be supportive, you can't ask for much more."