Eric Lindros

Eric Bryan Lindros (; born February 28, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Oshawa Generals prior to being chosen first overall in the 1991 NHL entry draft by the Quebec Nordiques. He refused to play for the Nordiques and was eventually traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in June 1992 for a package of players and draft picks including Peter Forsberg. During his OHL career, Lindros led the Generals to a Memorial Cup victory in 1990. Prior to being drafted in 1991, Lindros captured the Red Tilson Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in the OHL, and also was named the CHL Player of the Year.

Lindros began his National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Flyers during the 1992–93 season. He was an exemplary power forward, and averaged more than a point per game. His hard-nosed style caused him to miss significant time with injuries, and he had many problems with concussions. Lindros captured the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player and Lester B. Pearson Award as the most outstanding player after the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season. In August 2001, Lindros joined the New York Rangers via a trade. He then signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2005–06 season before finishing his career in 2006–07 with the Dallas Stars.

Internationally, Lindros represented Canada at the World Junior Championships three times (1990, 1991 and 1992), winning gold medals in 1990 and 1991. He was Canada's all-time points leader at the World Junior Championships with 31 points until surpassed by Connor Bedard in 2023, five points ahead of Jordan Eberle and Brayden Schenn. Lindros has also represented Canada's senior team at the World Championships, leading the squad in scoring at the 1993 tournament. In the Winter Olympics, Lindros represented Canada three times (1992, 1998 and 2002), winning a silver medal in 1992 and gold in 2002. In 2016, Lindros was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. In 2016, Lindros was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history. Lindros' jersey, #88, was retired by the Flyers in 2018.

Junior career (1989–1992) As a teenage power forward playing minor hockey, Lindros became nationally famous both for his scoring feats and his ability to physically dominate players older than himself. He attended Monarch Park and later North Toronto Collegiate in Toronto. Both Eric and his younger brother Brett (Eric in 1988–89) played for the Metro Junior "B"'s St. Michael's Buzzers before moving up to the OHL. Lindros' play made him the most highly valued amateur player in North America and he was often nicknamed "The Next One", a reference to Wayne Gretzky's moniker "The Great One." He was also called "The Big E". scoring 97 goals and 119 assists for 216 career points in 95 games.

During the 1990–91 season, Lindros won the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as top scorer, the Red Tilson Trophy as MVP, the CHL Player of the Year award and the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award. The Generals returned to the Robertson Cup finals, facing Sault Ste. Marie. The series was one of the more dramatic in OHL history given Lindros' attitude toward the team, with fans from the Soo loudly booing him every time he touched the puck. The Greyhounds upset the heavily favoured defending champions in a six-game series, winning the last game on home ice.

On March 6, 2008, the Generals retired his jersey number 88, the second number to be retired by the franchise, and it was declared Eric Lindros Day in Oshawa.

1991 NHL entry draft

Lindros was selected first overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1991 NHL entry draft, even though Lindros had signaled in advance that he would never play for the Nordiques, citing the ownership. In a 2016 interview, Lindros revealed that this decision was based entirely on the behavior of Nordiques owner and CEO Marcel Aubut, explaining, "The decision to not play for Quebec was based solely on the owner. It had nothing to do with language, culture, [or] city. Keep in mind, my wife is French [from Quebec]. I was not going to play for that individual – period." In one particular meeting between Aubut and the Lindros family, Aubut reportedly made a rude and sexually charged comment in French about Lindros' mother Bonnie, not knowing that Bonnie was bilingual.

Despite this, the Nordiques selected Lindros anyway. Aubut publicly announced that they would make Lindros the centrepiece of their franchise turnaround, and refused to trade Lindros, saying that the only way he would play in the NHL would be in a Nordiques uniform. While he awaited a trade, Lindros spent the time playing with the Generals and also participated in the 1992 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal with Canada.

At the 1992 NHL entry draft, the Nordiques worked out trades involving Lindros with both the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers. The Flyers trade had the Nordiques receiving Steve Duchesne, Ron Hextall, Kerry Huffman, Mike Ricci, the rights to Peter Forsberg, the Flyers' first-round picks in 1992 and 1993, and $15 million. The trade with the Rangers had the Nordiques receiving Tony Amonte, Alexei Kovalev, John Vanbiesbrouck, Doug Weight, three first-round picks (in 1993, 1994 and 1996) and $12 million. Additionally, if Vanbiesbrouck was declared an unrestricted free agent, James Patrick would have replaced him in the deal.

After Lindros was officially traded to the Flyers, he stated that he had been wary of playing for the Nordiques primarily because of what he called a "lack of winning spirit" in the organization. At the time they picked him, the Nordiques had finished dead last in the league for three years in a row. However, in 2016, he told ESPN that his objection to playing in Quebec was based "solely" on Aubut. While he didn't elaborate, he said, "I was not going to play for that individual--period."

In 1998, Lindros, at just 25 years of age, was ranked number 54th on The Hockey News''' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players of all time. The only player of comparable age was 37th-ranked Jaromír Jágr, who was 26 at the time.

Lindros' relationship with Flyers general manager Bobby Clarke soon deteriorated. He and Clarke feuded in the media, with Clarke questioning his toughness; Lindros spent many games on the injured reserve and suffered a series of concussions, the first in 1998 from a hit delivered by Pittsburgh's Darius Kasparaitis that sidelined him for 18 games. Lindros suffered a second concussion in December 1998 that sidelined him for two games. During a game against the Nashville Predators on April 1, 1999, Lindros suffered what was diagnosed as a rib injury. Later that night, the teammate he was sharing a hotel room with, Keith Jones, discovered Lindros lying in a tub, pale and cold. In a call to the Flyers, the trainer was told to put Lindros on a plane that was returning to Philadelphia with injured teammate Mark Recchi. Instead, Jones insisted that Lindros be taken to a nearby hospital and it was discovered Lindros had a collapsed lung caused by internal bleeding of his chest wall. Lindros' father wrote the Flyers a letter in which he stated that if the trainer had followed team orders, Eric would be dead, a statement supported by the doctors who treated him in Nashville.

The 1999–2000 season was Lindros' last as a Flyer. Having suffered his second concussion of the season (fourth overall) in March, Lindros criticized the team's trainers for failing to diagnose a concussion as he played with symptoms following a hit he suffered in a game against the Boston Bruins two weeks prior. Clarke then stripped Lindros of the captaincy for his actions. Lindros sat out the remainder of the regular season and suffered another concussion while rehabilitating for a return to the lineup. Lindros ultimately returned for game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New Jersey Devils; he scored the lone goal in a 2–1 Flyers loss. In game 7 of the series, Lindros was coming over the blue line with his head down, when Devils defenseman Scott Stevens hit Lindros with a shoulder check, knocking him unconscious and causing him to suffer yet another concussion. He was able to get off the ice with help from teammates. The Flyers lost game 7, 2–1 and the series despite leading three games to one, and Lindros became a restricted free agent during the off-season. He refused to accept a two-way qualifying offer with a minor league provision from the Flyers, who still owned his rights. After Lindros was cleared to play in December, the Flyers refused to deal his rights to the Toronto Maple Leafs, as he preferred, and Lindros sat out the entire 2000–01 season.

New York Rangers Bobby Clarke eventually traded Lindros to the New York Rangers on August 20, 2001, in exchange for Jan Hlaváč, Kim Johnsson, Pavel Brendl and a 2003 third-round draft choice (Štefan Ružička). The Rangers would also receive a 2003 first-round draft pick if Lindros were to suffer a concussion in the pre-season or the first 50 games of the regular season, and did not return to action for at least 12 months (this pick was never converted).

In 2001–02, Lindros averaged a little over a point a game with 37 goals and 36 assists for 73 points in 72 games. His impressive start also led to his seventh and final All-Star selection, but due to an injury he was unable to participate and was replaced by teammate Mike York. Though 2002–03 was the first injury-free season of his career, he struggled to match his previous season, scoring just 53 points in 81 games. In 2003–04, Lindros' eighth concussion limited him to just 39 games, though he did collect 32 points. He again became an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Toronto Maple Leafs On August 11, 2005, after the NHL labour dispute had cancelled the 2004–05 season, Lindros signed a one-year, $1.55 million contract with the Maple Leafs for the 2005–06 season. After a steady start to his tenure with Toronto in which he recorded 22 points in 30 games, Lindros suffered a tear of a ligament in his left wrist against the Dallas Stars on December 10, 2005. After a 27-game absence, Lindros returned to the Toronto lineup on February 28, 2006, his 33rd birthday, against the Washington Capitals. His return was brief, however, as he re-injured his wrist while taking a slapshot in a game against the Ottawa Senators on March 4, effectively ending his season. He had surgery on the wrist at the Hand and Upper Limb Centre in London, Ontario, two days after the game.

Dallas Stars and retirement Lindros signed a one-year contract for the 2006–07 season with Dallas on July 17, 2006. He played in 49 regular season games collecting 26 points, and three games in the 2007 playoffs.

Lindros officially announced his retirement on November 8, 2007, in London at the age of 34.

Post-playing career

On the day of his retirement, November 8, 2007, it was also announced that Lindros had donated $5 million to the London Health Sciences Centre. This donation supports programs such as the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic, and is one of the largest personal donations by a Canadian sports figure.

On November 11, 2007, three days after his retirement, the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) appointed Lindros to the newly created position of NHLPA ombudsman. Lindros had been involved with the organization throughout his career. Lindros cut ties with the NHLPA, however, on February 3, 2009, resigning as ombudsman after 15 months on the job.

On May 9, 2010, Lindros, along with his mother Bonnie, supermodel/actress Monika Schnarre and a few other Canadian notables, helped Habitat for Humanity Toronto by recognizing Mother's Day by building homes.

On December 31, 2011, he played in the 2012 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers.

In April 2016, Lindros supported Rowan's Law. This was concussion-education legislation named in memory of a teen rugby player from Ottawa who died during a game. The legislation was privately sponsored by Nepean-Carleton MPP Lisa MacLeod. Later MacLeod revealed she knew of rumours relating to alleged sexual misconduct by Patrick Brown, then Ontario Progressive Conservative leader. In 2018 she acknowledged her source had been Lindros.

In June 2016, Lindros was announced as one of four appointees to the 2016 Hockey Hall of Fame induction class, joined by the late Pat Quinn, goaltender Rogie Vachon and Russian winger Sergei Makarov.

In a 2017 interview on French Canadian television, he opened up about his time being drafted by the Nordiques. He later stated that he had no problem with Quebec City or the people, stating that his wife is French Canadian. He stated that the real reason was he did not respect Marcel Aubut and would never play for him. At the end of the interview, he was given the Nordiques igloo and fleur-de-lis jersey at last, 26 years after the saga began.

On January 18, 2018, the Flyers retired Lindros' no. 88 jersey in a pre-game ceremony at the Wells Fargo Center.

Personal life The oldest son of Carl Lindros and Bonnie Roszell-Lindros, Lindros has Swedish heritage. The name "Lindros" means "rose of the linden tree." His great-grandfather Axel immigrated to Canada from Bredaryd, a small village in Sweden.

Eric is the third generation of the Lindros family to be born in Canada. His father Carl Lindros received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario (where he played football, and was drafted 30th overall by the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos in the 1970 CFL College Draft), and became a chartered accountant. Lindros' mother Bonnie is a registered nurse. Lindros has one brother, Brett, and one sister, Robin.

The book Fire on Ice'', co-written with Randy Starkman and published in October 1991 by HarperCollins, chronicled the life and early hockey career of Lindros.

In 2012, Lindros married Kina Lamarche, a native Québécoise and former president of the North American wing of Travelex. They have three children: Carl Pierre, and twins Sophie and Ryan. Lindros and his family currently reside in Toronto. They are close friends with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, with both families owning a cottage on Lake Rosseau in Muskoka, Ontario.

Lindros was made a member of the Order of Ontario for the class of 2022.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1988–89 St. Michael's Buzzers CJBHL 37 24 43 67 193 27 23 25 48 155 1988–89 Canadian National Team Intl 2 1 0 1 0 — — — — — 1989–90 Detroit Compuware Ambassadors NAHL 14 23 29 52 123 — — — — — 1989–90 Canadian National Team Intl 3 1 0 1 4 — — — — — 1989–90 Oshawa Generals OHL 25 17 19 36 61 17 18 18 36 76 1989–90 Oshawa Generals M-Cup — — — — — 4 0 9 9 12 1990–91 Oshawa Generals OHL 57 71 78 149 189 16 18 20 38 93 1991–92 Oshawa Generals OHL 13 9 22 31 54 — — — — — 1991–92 Canadian National Team Intl 24 19 16 35 34 — — — — — 1992–93 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 61 41 34 75 147 — — — — — 1993–94 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 65 44 53 97 103 — — — — — 1994–95 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 46 29 41 70 60 12 4 11 15 18 1995–96 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 73 47 68 115 163 12 6 6 12 43 1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 52 32 47 79 136 19 12 14 26 40 1997–98 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 63 30 41 71 134 5 1 2 3 17 1998–99 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 71 40 53 93 120 — — — — — 1999–00 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 55 27 32 59 83 2 1 0 1 0 2001–02 New York Rangers NHL 72 37 36 73 138 — — — — — 2002–03 New York Rangers NHL 81 19 34 53 141 — — — — — 2003–04 New York Rangers NHL 39 10 22 32 60 — — — — — 2005–06 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 33 11 11 22 43 — — — — — 2006–07 Dallas Stars NHL 49 5 21 26 70 3 0 0 0 4NHL totals 760 372 493 865 1,398 53 24 33 57 122

International

All-Star Games Year Location G A P 1994 Madison Square Garden 1 0 1 1996 FleetCenter 1 0 1 1997 San Jose Arena 0 2 2 1998 General Motors Place 1 0 1 1999 Ice Palace 0 0 0 2000 Air Canada Centre 0 0 0All-Star totals 3 2 5

Awards and achievements Award Year

NHL All-Rookie Team 1993 NHL All-Star Game 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 NHL First All-Star Team 1995 NHL Second All-Star Team 1996 Hart Memorial Trophy 1995 Lester B. Pearson Award 1995 One of 100 Greatest NHL Players 2017

Bobby Clarke Trophy 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999

Jack Ferguson Award 1989 OHL First Team All-Star 1991 "My decision to retire from professional hockey is something that I have been considering for some time and did not come easily. I will miss the day-to-day activity of being a member of a team and the camaraderie that I developed with my teammates will never be forgotten. I played with the best, I played against the best – it was a blast. It really truly was. I enjoyed myself immensely."

About Lindros "Eric Lindros was an OHL locomotive – a teenage blend of skill and speed and snarl and size that, until observed in him, had been observed in no one – history called. Context was needed. Tagging him as "The Next One" made sense.