News Article: "Not so crazy now, am I?" (Eric Lindros ESPN)

[Curufinwe]

Bure getting in means Lindros should also be in eventually.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

To me, not playing for Quebec was a dumb move and the only validated red mark on his file. Not reason enough to keep him out of the Hall.

He also refused to play for Sault St. Marie, who drafted him in the OHL, becuase it was too far from Toronto (he was subsequently traded to the Toronto suburb of Oshawa).

The fact that the entire hockey world knows the names of his parents doesn't reflect well, either.

Essentially, he and his family pissed off a lot of people in hockey; these people could make it difficult for him to get into the HHoF.

Personally, I think he belongs in the Hall.

 

[Appleyard]

In terms of hall worthiness... the guy was, for 7 years, one of the greatest players and point producers ever to play the game.

1992-93 to 1999-00
GP G A P PPG
Mario Lemieux 228 205 275 480 2.105
Jaromir Jagr 575 328 504 832 1.447
Eric Lindros 486 290 369 659 1.356
Teemu Selanne 564 346 383 729 1.293
Pat LaFontaine 278 135 219 354 1.273
Joe Sakic 553 264 429 693 1.253
Peter Forsberg 393 142 349 491 1.249
Paul Kariya 376 210 254 464 1.234
Wayne Gretzky 488 145 449 594 1.217
Pierre Turgeon 537 263 390 653 1.216
Pavel Bure 448 291 237 528 1.179
Adam Oates 582 181 501 682 1.171
Steve Yzerman 583 240 419 659 1.130
Alex Mogilny 511 269 298 567 1.110
Sergei Fedorov 515 238 331 569 1.105
Ron Francis 609 185 488 673 1.105
Mats Sundin 606 272 381 653 1.078
Brett Hull 561 308 294 602 1.073
Mark Recchi 616 247 407 654 1.062
Theo Fleury 611 260 381 641 1.049
Mark Messier 549 200 373 573 1.044

Him and Jagr were for several years the best two forwards in the NHL by a mile.

Plus he was such a unique, different player, there will never be another player like Lindros.

Edit: sorry for the ***** formatting... copied from a notepad doc instead of what I would usually do and write it in!

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Sucks he got injured and obviously wouldn't wish him anything other than a good life post hockey, but the author of that article makes it seem like the NHL is doing something wrong because players get concussions. Rory Boylen from THN tweeted a good quote this morning in response to a hit from last night...

"Hate seeing a guy get hurt. Tired of hearing how a physical game is too physical." I think that sums it up. A guy getting injured sucks. But this is a fast paced, violent game. People are going to get hurt, just like in football. Cheap shots. Clean shots. Whatever. And when guys get hurt, being professional athletes with money potentially on the line, they are going to want to get back as soon as they can. That may not be the smartest thing for them to do, but that is not the NHL's (or anyone else's) fault.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Sucks he got injured and obviously wouldn't wish him anything other than a good life post hockey, but the author of that article makes it seem like the NHL is doing something wrong because players get concussions. Rory Boylen from THN tweeted a good quote this morning in response to a hit from last night...

"Hate seeing a guy get hurt. Tired of hearing how a physical game is too physical." I think that sums it up. A guy getting injured sucks. But this is a fast paced, violent game. People are going to get hurt, just like in football. Cheap shots. Clean shots. Whatever. And when guys get hurt, being professional athletes with money potentially on the line, they are going to want to get back as soon as they can. That may not be the smartest thing for them to do, but that is not the NHL's (or anyone else's) fault.

Well, if the NHL is pushing people to return early then it's their fault.

Though I doubt any sports league in the West is doing that anymore.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Well, if the NHL is pushing people to return early then it's their fault.

Though I doubt any sports league in the West is doing that anymore.

I don't think the NHL is (at least not in recent years). I think the players want to come back as fast as possible to avoid losing out on future contracts or what have you. Not to mention the extreme competitive nature of these guys. I think back in the 90s and even early 2000s, there may have been some push by the NHL and teams to get back sooner than they should, but a lot of that has to do with what people know about concussions now vs. then. If the case is that the team or doctors or whomever was involved knew that a player was not well enough to play or could be seriously injured if he played and told them they were fine, that is a different story. But from what I understand that wasn't the case.

 

[Hockeypete49]

They'll never be a player in the NHL like Lindros....ever

also, I've been saying for years that the league needs a bigger ice surface. Maybe not longer, but definitely wider.

Ever is a long time. I just hope the next one is not a Mama's boy. And I was a big 88 fan.

 

[flountown]

Ever is a long time. I just hope the next one is not a Mama's boy. And I was a big 88 fan.

Did you even read the article? Lindros would have been praised in today's NHL for waiting out some of his injuries.

 

[Giroux It]

I think Lindros, needs to be accepted by Philadelphia again. I think most reasonable people understand that injuries derailed his career, and injuries are totally treated differently nowadays. Crosby sits out a concussion and returns when hes totally ready, nobody in Pittsburgh destroys him etc. I think Lindros being at the Alumni game really changed things, atleast for me personally it was really nice to see him skate again in a Flyers uniform. I think him being entered into the Flyers HoF should really be the first step, well before the NHL HoF IMO.

 

[hollywood42]

i was just a kid during lindros time here
ages 7-13 he was my favorite player and when he took the pass from leclair in the winter classic alumni game i damn near started crying with joy it was such a great memory

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

In terms of hall worthiness... the guy was, for 7 years, one of the greatest players and point producers ever to play the game.

1992-93 to 1999-00
GP G A P PPG
Mario Lemieux 228 205 275 480 2.105
Jaromir Jagr 575 328 504 832 1.447
Eric Lindros 486 290 369 659 1.356
Teemu Selanne 564 346 383 729 1.293
Pat LaFontaine 278 135 219 354 1.273
Joe Sakic 553 264 429 693 1.253
Peter Forsberg 393 142 349 491 1.249
Paul Kariya 376 210 254 464 1.234
Wayne Gretzky 488 145 449 594 1.217
Pierre Turgeon 537 263 390 653 1.216
Pavel Bure 448 291 237 528 1.179
Adam Oates 582 181 501 682 1.171
Steve Yzerman 583 240 419 659 1.130
Alex Mogilny 511 269 298 567 1.110
Sergei Fedorov 515 238 331 569 1.105
Ron Francis 609 185 488 673 1.105
Mats Sundin 606 272 381 653 1.078
Brett Hull 561 308 294 602 1.073
Mark Recchi 616 247 407 654 1.062
Theo Fleury 611 260 381 641 1.049
Mark Messier 549 200 373 573 1.044

Him and Jagr were for several years the best two forwards in the NHL by a mile.

Plus he was such a unique, different player, there will never be another player like Lindros.

Edit: sorry for the ***** formatting... copied from a notepad doc instead of what I would usually do and write it in!

Lindros was a beast. Many people overlook how dominate he was in his hay day because his career didn't have the longevity and all the bs that surrounded him. He was a talent that probably won't come around again in our life times again. It was a treat watching him and Leclair do their thing every night night.

If there was ever a such thing as a five-tool player in hockey like there is in baseball he would be the prototype. The guy could simply do it all.

 

[Qyburn]

Before I read the article last week, I'm pretty sure I was close to turning the corner on the headshot/concussion issue, but didn't realize it. The article just made it click. One year ago I absolutely would have defended the Gryba hit to the death and would have said it's ridiculous for him to get even one game. I've been afraid the league would start to look like a kiddie league. But now I think that was a huge overreaction. I think it'll be fine with just making an exception for that one type of play involving that one body part. I don't think there will ever be a shortage of immensely satisfying hits like B Schenn on P Martin. And if they do decrease a little in frequency, they'll just be that much more exciting when they do happen. Same principle behind preferring hockey to sports where there's tons of scoring (and the mild "good job, go team" cheers that accompany each score).

 

[Beef Invictus]

Before I read the article last week, I'm pretty sure I was close to turning the corner on the headshot/concussion issue, but didn't realize it. The article just made it click. One year ago I absolutely would have defended the Gryba hit to the death and would have said it's ridiculous for him to get even one game. I've been afraid the league would start to look like a kiddie league. But now I think that was a huge overreaction. I think it'll be fine with just making an exception for that one type of play involving that one body part. I don't think there will ever be a shortage of immensely satisfying hits like B Schenn on P Martin. And if they do decrease a little in frequency, they'll just be that much more exciting when they do happen. Same principle behind preferring hockey to sports where there's tons of scoring (and the mild "good job, go team" cheers that accompany each score).

The turning point for me with Lindros came sometime in 2005 when a high schooler from back home died because they got concussed in a car accident, then the next day (while home from school) they practiced heading a soccer ball by letting it roll off a roof. That was the "wow, I guess concussions are serious business" moment for me.

 

[RJ8812*]

I think Lindros, needs to be accepted by Philadelphia again. I think most reasonable people understand that injuries derailed his career, and injuries are totally treated differently nowadays. Crosby sits out a concussion and returns when hes totally ready, nobody in Pittsburgh destroys him etc. I think Lindros being at the Alumni game really changed things, atleast for me personally it was really nice to see him skate again in a Flyers uniform. I think him being entered into the Flyers HoF should really be the first step, well before the NHL HoF IMO.

With the reception he got at the WC alumni game, I'me pretty sure he's accepted by Philly now

 

[FlyersFan61290]

The turning point for me with Lindros came sometime in 2005 when a high schooler from back home died because they got concussed in a car accident, then the next day (while home from school) they practiced heading a soccer ball by letting it roll off a roof. That was the "wow, I guess concussions are serious business" moment for me.

i never really blamed the guy i thought it was just handled terribly by both Lindros and Clarke. If all that unfolded today nobody would've even questioned him imo.

i mean how can you blame the guy for his comments about the medical staff when you hear stories from his teammates about how he almost died in a tub from internal bleeding after a game and the flyers medical/training staff cleared him. i remember either therien or jones telling this story. i don't know when it came out but that's pretty messed up and we all know concussions weren't taken as seriously back then either

edit: from wikipedia

During an April 1, 1999 game against the Nashville Predators, 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. But 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.

 

[Toonces]

With the reception he got at the WC alumni game, I'me pretty sure he's accepted by Philly now

I would hope so, he did a lot for the city, some just lost sight of that.

Was so amazing being in the stadium that day, witnessing that ovation first hand. I was very proud of the city of Philly that day.

 

[Giroux tha Damaja]

Great read, thanks for posting.