It’s been a good week for two good guys on the Boston sports scene.

In a six-day span, two of the most intense competitors to play in Boston over the past two decades got the just desserts. Dennis Eckersley got the word he’d been elected to the Hall of Fame on Tuesday, and Cam Neely will see his number eight retired by the Boston Bruins.

At first glance, Eckersley and Neely couldn’t seem more different. “Eck” grew up in the California sunshine. He’s always had the long, flowing hair, and a one-of-a-kind vocabulary. Neely grew up shoveling snow in British Columbia. He arrived in Boston as a quiet, hulking presence, leaving his beloved Vancouver behind after being traded by the Canucks.

Differences? You bet. Similarities? Yes, sir.

Both men blossomed in Beantown. Both had movie-star good looks. Both loved to be in the middle of the action. Both chose Boston as their post-career homes, even though they could’ve lived anywhere.

Eckersley won 37 games as a Sox starter in 1978-79. He was traded in 1984 after drinking problems began to affect his performance. He eventually overcame his abuse issues and was reinvented as a closer with Oakland. He ultimately finished his career as one of the best relievers ever, winning the Cy Young and MVP Awards in 1992 when he posted 51 saves in 54 tries. He pitched until he was 43 years old and left nothing on the field

Neely never got to choose when his playing career ended, the game was taken away from him after battling hip, knee, and other ailments through his career. He was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy in 1994 for “perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the game of hockey.” Big words, big ideals, but the big guy lives up to them today in helping to run the Neely House and the Cam Neely Foundation with his brother Scott and a dedicated team. The house is fully endowed, and the Foundation has moved into pediatric cancer care, research, and stem cell collection.

On Tuesday afternoon, Eckersley spoke of sharing the award with family — especially his ill father.

“More than anything, I think about my dad,” said Eckersley. “this day is for them. When I talk to them and see their emotions, it does wonders for me.”

Neely doesn’t get to share Monday’s number retirement with his parents. Mike and Marlene Neely passed away after battling cancer while Cam played for Boston. That set Cam and his family on a life-long mission to continue the battle. That mission has helped thousands of others. His best assists have come off the ice.

On Tuesday night, a few hours after Eckersley’s emotional press conference, Neely was honored by Tufts-New England Medical Center for his charitable work. While addressing the crowd of some 250, Neely got choked up.

“I thought this would be easy,” Neely told the gathering. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through Monday (at the Fleet.)”

When Cam said those words, and Eck spoke of his father, each had tears in his eyes. That’s another similarity between the two. They always wore their hearts on their sleeves, and that emotion continues to drive them to this day.

Lewiston native Tom Caron is a studio analyst for NESN.