Posts for eric lindros

This Hockey News Article on Eric Lindros Is Terrific

Kyle Scott - February 15, 2016

Photo credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Ken Campbell of the Hockey News visited Eric Lindros at his home and describes the new Big E:

This is where the tranquility ends. Eric Lindros apologizes for the mess as he walks past the three baby car seats at the door and pushes a child’s toy out of the way with his foot. Two nannies are tending to nine-week-old twins, Ryan Paul and Sophie Rose. Lindros’ wife, Kina, rounds out the 1-on-1 defense, running everywhere and seemingly doing everything. Resident handyman Vern is omnipresent, taking massive doors off frames and providing the man of the house a little relief from his Honey-Do List. Oblivious to all the commotion is George, a Hungarian waterfowl-hunting dog who is scared to death of ducks. He’s licking the face of little Carl Pierre, who’s displaying the kind of behavior typical of a 17-month-old child – perfectly content and squealing with joy one moment, inquisitive the next, then agitated and impatient, and eventually in full meltdown mode.

Lindros has just returned from his weekly pickup game at the Toronto arena that first displayed his greatness more than a quarter century ago. It was decrepit back in the 1980s, and not much has changed. “We have a real good skate every Thursday morning,” Lindros says. “I had a good line this morning: Rob DiMaio and ‘Kipper’ (broadcaster and former NHLer Nick Kypreos).”

…

Perhaps that has something to do with the fact Lindros lives in the knowledge that he was right all along and those in hockey who viewed him as a petulant, selfish and spoiled superstar owe him a big apology. The trail he blazed on players’ rights and concussion awareness that earned him so much derision during his career have become standard procedure for today’s player. There is no difference between what Nathan McKinnon and Max Domi did orchestrating their destinations as junior players than what Lindros did almost 27 years ago when he refused to report to Sault Ste. Marie and ended up in Oshawa. NHL players can thank the likes of Lindros for the no-trade clauses that are standard today. And those who look out for their own health interests rather than keeping quiet and playing can take inspiration from the man who shut himself down and refused to play until he was healthy enough to do so, in spite of the avalanche of opinion against him at the time. “Listen, I wasn’t perfect, no one is perfect,” Lindros says. “But I do sit here and feel quite comfortable about my health going forward. I feel good. We’re going to be fine. Our (kids) are healthy, and we’re lucky. We’re just tired. We’re just tired.”

Yet another superstar we ran out of town because he was different. Now, he’s just like the rest of us… you know, minus the nanny, handyman, three luxury cars, weekly open skates with ex-professional hockey players, and questionable cranial integrity. Good read.

UPDATE: Eric Lindros Is Suing Former Referee Paul Stewart and The Huffington Post for Libel

Kyle Scott - February 25, 2015

Photo credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Photo credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

FINALLY. After more than five years of doing this, I finally get to experience the joy that is blogging about Eric Lindros drama.

Lindros is suing former referee Paul Stewart and The Huffington Post over a column Stewart wrote for the website in which he made Lindros look like a – quote – “dickhead.” From TSN in Canada:

Eric Lindros has launched a $3 million defamation lawsuit against one-time NHL referee Paul Stewart and the Huffington Post, after Stewart wrote a column for the online news website that allegedly made the former Philadelphia Flyers star forward look like a “dickhead.”

In documents filed in an Ontario court, Lindros says his reputation has been sullied after Stewart wrote about his poor on-ice relationship with Lindros, which was capped by an incident when Lindros allegedly tore up posters he was asked by Stewart to autograph for a charity.

…

Lindros has asked a court to award him $2 million in general damages and another $1 million in aggravated damages. He has also asked the court for an injunction that would prevent Stewart, the Huffington Post, and its U.S. owner AOL, from continuing to publish Stewart’s allegedly defamatory statements.

[UPDATE: Tim Panaccio reports, on Twitter, that Lindros is suing Stewart and AOL for only $150k, not $3 million. I’d link to it, but Tim blocked me like a big baby and I can’t see his original Tweet. So you’ll just have to take my word for it.]

Here’s what Stewart wrote back in July: Continue Reading

Continue Reading

The 44 Most Memorable Things about the Eric Lindros Era (Part 2)

Kyle Scott - November 21, 2014

This is Part 2 of 2. Part 1 is here. I think I went over 44. Oh well.

 

Lindros’ game-winner with seven seconds to go against the Rangers

He had a hat trick in Game 3 and scored the game-winner in Game 4 to give the Flyers a 3-1 series lead against the Rangers in the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals.

 

Lindros snubs Quebec, arbiter awards him to Flyers over Rangers

For those of us under 40, it’s easy to forget what a HUGE deal this was. From Wikipedia:

Lindros’s entry to the National Hockey League proceeded in much the same manner. Lindros was selected first overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. Lindros had signaled in advance that he would never play for the Nordiques, citing distance, lack of marketing potential, and having to speak French; the team selected him anyway. Nordiques president Marcel Aubut publicly announced that they would make Lindros the centrepiece of their franchise turnaround, and refused to trade Lindros, saying that he would not have a career in the NHL as long as he held out. Because of Lindros’ popularity and hype, it is alleged that NHL President Gil Stein intervened to get the Nordiques to trade him, as it would otherwise damage the image of the league. While he awaited a trade, Lindros spent the time playing with the Oshawa Generals and also participated in the 1992 Winter Olympics, winning a Silver Medal with Team Canada.

In 1992, the Nordiques worked out trades for him with both the New York Rangers, and Philadelphia Flyers. Eventually an arbitrator, Larry Bertuzzi (granduncle of Todd Bertuzzi), ruled in favour of the Flyers, for whom Lindros played from 1992 to 2000, most of the time as the team’s captain.

Many consider this trade a key reason that the Colorado Avalanche (the new name of the Nordiques after they relocated before the 1995-96 season), went on to be an NHL powerhouse. They received in the trade the rights to eventual Hart Trophy winner Peter Forsberg, as well as Ron Hextall, Chris Simon, Mike Ricci, Kerry Huffman, Steve Duchesne, a 1st round selection (Jocelyn Thibault) in 1993, a 1st round selection (later traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, later traded to the Washington Capitals—Nolan Baumgartner) in 1994, and $15,000,000 cash. Since the trade, the Avalanche have won eight division titles and two Stanley Cup championships, due in part to the play of Forsberg, and the later addition of Patrick Roy, whom the Avalanche received in a later package deal that included Thibault.

 

Craig MacTavish’s head

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One day, you’re going to tell your kids that you remember when hockey players played without helmets.

 

Kristen Clement

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Still have no idea if this was true, but Lindros supposedly dated a 16-year-old high school basketball player. If this happened today it would break Twitter.

 

Garth Snow’s gigantic shoulder pads

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Ever wonder how Garth Snow became a part-time goalie on a Stanley Cup contender? Continue Reading

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The 44 Most Memorable Things about the Eric Lindros Era (Part 1)

Kyle Scott - November 20, 2014

Voila_Capture 2014-11-20_03-31-46_PM

With the Flyers inducting Eric Lindros and John LeClair into their Hall of Fame tonight, we thought it would be a good idea to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the 44 most memorable things about the Lindros era (loosely defined as 1992-2000).

This is Part 1 of 2. Part 2 will be posted later.

 

The Crazy Eights

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Before The Legion of Doom, there was The Crazy Eights— Eric Lindros, Mark Recchi and BRENT FEDYK(!). I literally have no idea what happened to Fedyk, and I’m not sure I want to know. I’d prefer to keep him and his gorgeous, sweet mullet a mystery.

 

Keith Jones saving Lindros in a bathtub

I asked Glen Macnow about this one. His words:

The shame of the Lindros Era is that fans were dragged into an unending feud between Lindros’ family and Bob Clarke. They wanted to like Lindros. They always loved Clarkie and the Flyers organization. So fans had to feel like the children of divorcing parents.

Low ebb came after Lindros sustained a concussion in a game in Nashville in 1999, and was discovered shivering in the hotel bathtub by teammate Keith Jones. Flyers management wanted Lindros on a plane back to Philly, but Jonesy took him to a Nashville hospital. Turned out to be a life-saving move by Keith, because Lindros had a collapsed lung, had lost half his internal blood and a plane flight could have been disastrous.

That, of course, led to Carl Lindros, Eric’s dads, writing a letter accusing the team of intentionally trying to kill his son. Which led to Clarkie calling Tim Panaccio an asshole on live TV, and Eric accusing the Flyers of improperly sharpening his skates, and then Clarke’s “What are we selling — wheat?” quote. Damn thing all spiraled out of control.

The rumors

Oh, the rumors. It’s hard to know where the truth ends and the fiction begins when it comes to Lindros. If you believe everything you hear, he was basically a drunken mobster who spit on chicks when he wasn’t boinking Rod Brind’Amour’s wife. How much of that is true? Who knows. But when I tweeted about this topic this morning, looking for some items I may have missed, so many more stories crept to the surface:

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I asked Sarah Baicker about that last one. Her words:

“I was told that Brind’Amour’s wife was very pregnant when all those rumors were going on. So I’m under the impression no one who was around actually believes it. [But] it’s good to know good storylines come back all the time (a la Jeff Carter-Scott Hartnell et al). Everything is a cycle. Also, I have a picture of me and Eric Lindros in 1997 and he’s wearing acid wash dad jeans. So that really bums me out.”

HEY– did you hear the one about Sarah Baicker and Eric Lindros?!

 

Scott Stevens

Scott Stevens and Eric Lindros had some battles, but unfortunately, if you mention the name Scott Stevens in Philadelphia, the only thing anyone remembers is the hit that ended Lindros’ Flyers career.

Side note: I’m fully convinced that Lindros coming back in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Devils that year cost the Flyers the Stanley Cup. They were rolling without him and still held a 3-2 lead in the series. Throughout his career, things always got weird when Lindros returned from injury. Teammates, who would grow accustomed to playing without 88, seemed to defer to him upon his return. Lindros didn’t play poorly in Games 6 and (a little bit of) 7, but the Flyers were a different team.

Side note 2: It was trainer John Worley that Lindros and his family blamed for misdiagnosing a concussion that season. The assistant trainer for the Wild when they take on the Flyers tonight? John Worley. Continue Reading

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You Can Eat a Canadian Bacon Burger or Dip Some Wings in Cheese to Honor Lindros and LeClair Tonight

Jim Adair - November 20, 2014

Tonight, the Flyers host the Minnesota Wild and will be inducting Eric Lindros and John LeClair into the Flyers Hall of Fame. The special pre-game ceremony starts at 7PM, and during the game, the Flyers players will wear special “10/88” patches on their jerseys. Is that it? No, because you can also shove a Canadian Bacon Burger in your mouth.

There will be two special food offerings to honor the inductees:

The “Big 88” – monster Canadian bacon burger on a Flyers pretzel – in celebration of Eric Lindros

Left “Wing”ers – fried wings served with a Vermont cheddar dipping sauce – as a nod to John LeClair (who hails from Vermont)

Canadian bacon and pretzel because Canada + Philadelphia, and wings with Vermont cheese because he’s a wing from Vermont. Come on. I can’t wait for Giroux’s hall of fame night when they serve rump roast with no utensils, hands only.

There’s a whole lot more going on, including special Hall of Fame night apparel for sale, the post-game auction of game-worn jerseys, memorabilia displays, and more. For real though, I know I made fun of it, but that burger sounds awesome.

Poor Eric Lindros Had to Perform Two #IceBucketChallenges Because His Wife Forgot to Press Record

Kyle Scott - August 18, 2014

Poor E Train. As if his head didn’t hit the ice enough in during career, he had to perform two #IceBucketChallenges because his wife forgot to press record* the first time. Loving the IBC fails, though.

*No offense to the ladies, but women and camera phones are a dangerous combination. “Which one’s the flash? Oh, OK, got it. Never mind. OK, ready? Smile. The flash won’t go off. Should I hold the button down? Oh wait, my finger’s in the way. I think I’m doing a video. Yeah it’s a video. Now it says my storage is full. Can I just delete that? How do I delete that? I don’t want to do a Panoramic! I’m just going to Snap it.”

Eric Lindros, John LeClair and Eric Desjardins Will Be Inducted into Flyers Hall of Fame

Kyle Scott - July 31, 2014

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The re-inventing of Eric Lindros continues. From the press release:

The Flyers will induct Eric Lindros, John LeClair and Eric Desjardins into the Flyers Hall of Fame during the 2014-15 season.

Thursday, Nov. 20 vs. Minnesota: Eric Lindros & John LeClair
Thursday, Feb. 19 vs. Buffalo: Eric Desjardins

Awesome. My formative years love this. Now, no more stories (and denials) about 88 being a huge dick as a kid.

Flyers Equipment Manager Claims Eric Lindros was Not a Huge Jerk When He was Young

Jim Adair - July 18, 2014

Screen Shot 2014-07-18 at 11.58.37 AM

In a Huffington Post piece published the other day, former NHL ref and “noted tough guy” Paul Stewart told a story about Eric Lindros being a gigantic asshole and ripping up autographed posters meant for a charity auction. A key person in the story was the Flyers’ equipment manager Jim “Turk” Evers. Well, Turk called in to the Preston & Steve show this morning to tell his side of the story. And his side? That it never happened at all.

We’re still waiting for audio, but according to Preston & Steve’s producer’s notes for the show, this was the gist of it:

“[Turk] Said Lindros would never do anything like this, it’s not true. Turk was named in the story as the one telling the ref that Lindros ripped up the posters. He doesn’t know why this ref would ever make these accusations. Lindros is such a great guy, goes out of his way for the fans. Turk couldn’t believe this guy wrote this stuff, he never contacted Turk about any of these supposed quotes. Lindros would never do anything like this.”

Additionally, Buzz on Broad quoted Turk as saying, “I’ve known Stewie (Paul Stewart) for a while, he’s a UPenn grad, and you have to be pretty smart to go there. Maybe he had too many concussions over his career cause he wasn’t a very good hockey player, but I don’t know what would make him say something like that about Eric.” You know, Turk didn’t have to defend Lindros, but he did, and that’s great. He also didn’t have to make a dig at Stewart’s lack of playing ability, but that’s even better.