Yzerman to Quebec for Lindros in 1991?

[Steve Kournianos]

It's pretty well known that a report out of Toronto in 1991 had Yzerman heading to Quebec for Lindros after Lindros dissed Quebec at the draft.

The AP reported the trade was Yzerman, Chiasson and some draft picks. After seeing the report, Yzerman went public by saying he wouldn't report if traded because of taxes/money.

My questions are:

1) what toronto paper broke the story and when.

2) was the offer confirmed by another source?

Only asking because Yzerman never shot it down as rumor.

Click to read more...

 

[sr edler]

If Lindros said he didn't want to report to Quebec only because of the taxes, would that possibly have made a difference on his reputation?

 

[Big Phil]

If Lindros said he didn't want to report to Quebec only because of the taxes, would that possibly have made a difference on his reputation?

Maybe...........however the thing Bonnie and Carl and Eric never thought of was that Eric probably has a Stanley Cup or two if he stays in Quebec. Also, any money he loses to taxes he gains two fold with endorsements. He did have endorsements with Philly of course, but being a future superstar in Canada would have probably meant even more.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

Maybe...........however the thing Bonnie and Carl and Eric never thought of was that Eric probably has a Stanley Cup or two if he stays in Quebec. Also, any money he loses to taxes he gains two fold with endorsements. He did have endorsements with Philly of course, but being a future superstar in Canada would have probably meant even more.

My opinion: I think his parents cares less about winning unless it meant more money and made their son the greatest who ever played.

While Eric wanted to win because of his desire, his parents were way more superficial.

His mother said he had no idols or heroes and he wanted to be the "next Lindros"

Too bad her son idolized Messier and carried his hockey card in his wallet.

I will never hate on Lindros. His parents destroyed his reputation.

There job is to get him to the NHL. Once he's there, go retire somewhere.

Perfect example: look at how Gretzky and his Dad handled himself and his SSE situation. Look at how Gretzky handled the Pocklington situation.

Gretzky made one PR mistake his whole career and he showed remorse.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

If Lindros said he didn't want to report to Quebec only because of the taxes, would that possibly have made a difference on his reputation?

If he did everything in private and put a muzzle on his parents, yes.

All he had to do what shut his mouth, wear a jersey for 90 seconds, and then make up some lie with Page saying he can't play for Quebec because of ice time/Sundin + Sakic or something.

He still would have booed at Le Collisse but he wouldn't have been a villain in an entire province.

Reading his mother's quotes over the years - what an egomaniac.

 

[Killion]

If Lindros said he didn't want to report to Quebec only because of the taxes, would that possibly have made a difference on his reputation?

That would have to have included Montreal and he wouldve reported to the Habs had they drafted him. My recollection of that item (taxes) alone wasnt an issue but ya, was mentioned, though if selected by the storied Montreal Canadiens no problem.... the primary issues for them instead were lack of external sponsorship opportunities playing in a predominantly francophone community & lack of franchise stability. While its true the Lindros's wanting to tap & capitalize on "The Next One's" marketability in a Big Market. Of more importance was that they wanted to insure stability long~term with Eric playing for a team which didnt have question marks floating around with respect to their solvency & place in the league with what even then appeared a likely relocation.

What really amp'd things up was that the Diques desperately needed a new building, securing a Wunderkind like that possibly would have helped Aubut in securing the financing though thats highly debatable, a Red Herring in my opinion. That franchise was Doomed just as the former WHA Jets, Whalers & very nearly the Oilers were. The CDN$ at that time as well against the US Green Back, and salaries paid in US$, killer for QC, the NHL's Canadian Equalization Program too late to save the franchise, Aubut rather duplicitous in facilitating the clubs relocation. Burned in effigy in fact on several occasions by an outraged fanbase, branded a Traitor. Context is obviously very important in forming an opinion about anything, so while the Lindros's & Eric took a lot of heat over it all, on any number of levels its entirely understandable. You only get one chance, one shot at getting Drafted & if you wind up Drafted at #1 and parachuted into the eye of a Tornado like that, very good chance you could find yourself swept up & messed up. They wanted to minimize that kind of a risk & if it meant bucking the system, so be it.

 

[ICM1970]

Agreed with Killion. If you want to be angry at somebody/thing over the loss of the Nordiques franchise, you certainly do not get angry at Eric and his family. You get angry with NHL presidents Clarence Campbell and John Ziegler and hardline owners like Harold Ballard (Leafs) and Paul Mooney (Bruins) who opposed any deal with the WHA until the bitter end in 1979, even though as far back as 1975 Bill Jennings of the Rangers and Ed Snider of the Flyers favoured this. Ballard, as well as the Montreal Canadiens management, opposed any further sharing of television coverage and revenue in Eastern Canada and made this quite well known to Molson Breweries/Molstar Communications, who basically owned Hockey Night in Canada at the time, causing the Nordiques to miss out on a great deal of such potential revenue.

Molson's took legal action against Carling O'Keefe for their sponsorship of CTV games between 1983 and 1987, which featured a good number of Quebec Nordiques games and improved their TV revenues and financial situation. Molson eventually bought out Carling and the CTV games ceased soon afterward.

When you also consider the NHL's likely refusal to ape what the NFL did with both merging with the AFL and also the sharing of television revenue, you have a very dismal portrait of the Nordiques, along with other franchises, being vulnerable due to benign neglect and that it was only a matter of time where US based interests would want to buy such a franchise and relocate it. Aubut most likely saw Lindros alone as a few extra million in his pocket and that the drive-bys in the media would also play on French-English issues, so he certainly played this into an emotional storm. You can also get angry with someone like Peter Pocklington, who basically took great advantage of paying Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey, Mark Messier, and the rest of that group far less than what they would have been paid elsewhere in the NHL or very definitely in the NFL, NBA, or MLB. Be also angry with Alan Eagleson, whose failure to confront these dynamics as well as his own criminal, corrupt behaviour during his years running the NHLPA further added to this greedy and corroded situation involving the league.

 

[Killion]

...Be also angry with Alan Eagleson, whose failure to confront these dynamics as well as his own criminal, corrupt behaviour during his years running the NHLPA further added to this greedy and corroded situation involving the league.

Ya, those were halcyon years for the NHL, from 1989-94 really but more specifically 91/92 & 92/93. Ziegler deposed; the NHLPA playing without a Contract and that 10 day Walkout; you had the former players Pension Plan Lawsuit going down; Eagleson in a World of trouble. Adding further fuel to the fire problems in securing a broadcast contract, with interim President Gil Stein; weak Loonie amongst other issues and along comes the Lindros clan.

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

Molson's took legal action against Carling O'Keefe for their sponsorship of CTV games between 1983 and 1987, which featured a good number of Quebec Nordiques games and improved their TV revenues and financial situation. Molson eventually bought out Carling and the CTV games ceased soon afterward.

To quote John Caparulo, "Can't we have Coke and Pepsi in the same building?"

 

[Big Phil]

My opinion: I think his parents cares less about winning unless it meant more money and made their son the greatest who ever played.

While Eric wanted to win because of his desire, his parents were way more superficial.

His mother said he had no idols or heroes and he wanted to be the "next Lindros"

Too bad her son idolized Messier and carried his hockey card in his wallet.

I will never hate on Lindros. His parents destroyed his reputation.

There job is to get him to the NHL. Once he's there, go retire somewhere.

Perfect example: look at how Gretzky and his Dad handled himself and his SSE situation. Look at how Gretzky handled the Pocklington situation.

Gretzky made one PR mistake his whole career and he showed remorse.

That's right.

I can't stand the whole entitled attitude of a player who hasn't even set foot on an NHL rink. When you read the book the Lindros' wrote in 1991 after the draft to "explain" their side of the story it made them look worse. Honestly, silence would have made more sense. Chris Pronger was silent on why he left Edmonton. There was plenty of speculation of course, but he kept silent and said it was for "personal" reasons because he knew the truth would probably have made him look worse. The Lindroses exposed all of their reasons and it just made them look awful back then. Still today.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

Of more importance was that they wanted to insure stability long~term with Eric playing for a team which didnt have question marks floating around with respect to their solvency & place in the league with what even then appeared a likely relocation.

This makes absolutely no sense. He goes where the team goes, and even if the team folds, he could probably have waltzed onto any squad in the league that he wanted (no idea how they would've handled that).

 

[crobro]

Well the nordiques were a horror show in the front office during the late 80's and early 90's.the best deal is the one that never happened. joe sakic and Peter forsberg were offered to Ottawa for the Alexandre daigle pick. Quebec/Colorado should be thankful this deal was turned down by Mel Bridgman .

 

[Hennessy]

Was it the AP or a Toronto paper who broke the story? You ask for a back-up on a source that isn't even one. I know you're asking for clarification, but no citation was given in either the OP or the thread, which just immediately went into ramblings. What is claimed as well-known doesn't seem to be.

 

[Noutaja]

Well the nordiques were a horror show in the front office during the late 80's and early 90's.the best deal is the one that never happened. joe sakic and Peter forsberg were offered to Ottawa for the Alexandre daigle pick. Quebec/Colorado should be thankful this deal was turned down by Mel Bridgman .

Did this offer really happen???

 

[Hennessy]

It's pretty well known that a report out of Toronto in 1991 had Yzerman heading to Quebec for Lindros after Lindros dissed Quebec at the draft.

The AP reported the trade was Yzerman, Chiasson and some draft picks. After seeing the report, Yzerman went public by saying he wouldn't report if traded because of taxes/money.

My questions are:

1) what toronto paper broke the story and when.

2) was the offer confirmed by another source?

Only asking because Yzerman never shot it down as rumor.

Yes. The AP. Unnamed and unremembered Toronto paper that broke it followed by the AP with the details minus any citations here.

Maybe this post won't be ninja-deleted for no good reason.

 

[Killion]

Maybe this post won't be ninja-deleted for no good reason.

What in Hell are you talking about Hennessy?

 

[crobro]

Ya, those were halcyon years for the NHL, from 1989-94 really but more specifically 91/92 & 92/93. Ziegler deposed; the NHLPA playing without a Contract and that 10 day Walkout; you had the former players Pension Plan Lawsuit going down; Eagleson in a World of trouble. Adding further fuel to the fire problems in securing a broadcast contract, with interim President Gil Stein; weak Loonie amongst other issues and along comes the Lindros clan.

Also INTERIM Nhl President Gil Stein was in a heap of dung for somehow voting himself into the HHOF as a builder.

 

[Fugu]

Was it the AP or a Toronto paper who broke the story? You ask for a back-up on a source that isn't even one. I know you're asking for clarification, but no citation was given in either the OP or the thread, which just immediately went into ramblings. What is claimed as well-known doesn't seem to be.

I don't recall this coming up as one of the more or less confirmed trades that could have been for Yzerman. There are two, afaik. The first is the deal Edmonton had worked out for Gretzky, but obviously Pocklington deciding to go the LA and $$ route. The second was the October 1994 (95?) deal with Ottawa for Yashin. Story being that Ilitch nixed it after some fan backlash over the potential and also that Yzerman worked out his differences with Bowman.

 

[overg]

I don't recall this being anything more than "what would it take to get Lindros to Detroit?" speculation. I'm sure a lot of teams made a pitch for Lindros, probably including the Wings, possibly including Yzerman, but I don't recall Detroit being a serious option. For that matter, I don't recall anyone else being a serious option before Philly (and then NY).

 

[ICM1970]

Also INTERIM Nhl President Gil Stein was in a heap of dung for somehow voting himself into the HHOF as a builder.

Don't forget his non-game day suspensions and neutral sites games (pardon for getting a little off topic here). What a major disappointment Gil Stein was during his time running the NHL. To Big Phil and GWOW, you both make some very interesting and valid points, particularly the comparisons and contrasts between Walter and Wayne Gretzky and how they handled matters publicly versus Carl and Bonnie and Eric Lindros and that is certainly something to be considered in this kind of discussion. I say this because I hope that I did not come across in my previous post that I intended the points I raised to be the first and last word on this subject.

 

[Sentinel]

I don't recall this coming up as one of the more or less confirmed trades that could have been for Yzerman. There are two, afaik. The first is the deal Edmonton had worked out for Gretzky, but obviously Pocklington deciding to go the LA and $$ route. The second was the October 1994 (95?) deal with Ottawa for Yashin. Story being that Ilitch nixed it after some fan backlash over the potential and also that Yzerman worked out his differences with Bowman.

Gretzky is Detroit would be something, especially after Ilitch and Bowman turned that franchise around. Lindros in Detroit... I wonder how would Bowman deal with him.

 

[Hennessy]

What in Hell are you talking about Hennessy?

I have no idea.

 

[Killion]

I have no idea.

.... alrighty then.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

Yes. The AP. Unnamed and unremembered Toronto paper that broke it followed by the AP with the details minus any citations here.

Maybe this post won't be ninja-deleted for no good reason.

The AP never confirmed it. They reported the report.

Confirmation is: the AP contacted the source and verified. They never mentioned the Toronto paper by name, which is odd and against standard practice.

"A report from the Washington Post stated..."

The AP didn't do that on the Yzerman story which is why I started the thread to begin with.

 

[Fugu]

The AP never confirmed it. They reported the report.

Confirmation is: the AP contacted the source and verified. They never mentioned the Toronto paper by name, which is odd and against standard practice.

"A report from the Washington Post stated..."

The AP didn't do that on the Yzerman story which is why I started the thread to begin with.

Jimmy Devellano's book touches on a lot of these issues as he chronicled his career. I don't remember any mention of Yzerman to Quebec, but I'll check again.