Lindros’ Career Comes Full Circle
On Monday night, Eric Lindros and three other titans of hockey were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Each player and the one coach, who was posthumously inducted, gave their all to the National Hockey League throughout their lives and careers. It was a night they will never forget.
In regards to Lindros, the induction marked the completion of a long and sometimes tumultuous journey into the world of hockey. His career started at the young age of 18 when he was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques (QUE). The hype surrounding him was already high. However, upon being drafted, he refused to play for his team. QUE was faced with the loss of Lindros without any return. Then, in the summer of 1992, the Philadelphia Flyers and Nordiques arranged one of the biggest trades in NHL history. Philly sent six players to Quebec in exchange for the rights to Lindros’ contract. A couple of those players were two guys named Peter Forsberg and Ron Hextall.
After the fiasco, Lindros began a prosperous yet tough career in the NHL. He began his stint with the Flyers and made a name for himself as one of the most dominant players in the league. Along with John LeClair and Mikael Renberg, he was the third component of the famous “Legion of Doom” line on the Flyers. Here’s a little taste of just how good they were:
Lindros himself recorded 75 points in his rookie season, became the captain of the Flyers in 1994, was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1995 as league MVP after having 70 points in 46 games (lockout year), and lead the Flyers to the playoffs for the first time in six years. He was a force to be reckoned with.
The success of Lindros was a blessing to Flyer fans but soon things went south. His relationship with then general manager, Bobby Clarke, deteriorated on top of suffering multiple concussions after devastating hits from opponents. Lindros ended his time with the Flyers in 2000 and was traded to the Rangers the next year.
Continuously plagued by head injuries, Lindros’ career was cut short. He retired from the NHL in 2007. His time in the NHL was limited to only 760 games over 13 seasons. However, over the years he accumulated 865 points and is now recognized as one of the greatest players of all time.
Now, as a Hall of Famer, Lindros has made his mark on the sport of hockey, and has left behind a legacy that is unorthodox yet great. He will always be revered as a Flyer great and will go down in history as one of hockey’s greats too. With his journey completed, Lindros can look back on it with a positive mind.
The Class of 2016 – Lindros, Makarov, Quinn & Vachon are officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/Y83SHR1c9Q
— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) November 15, 2016
