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Eric Bryan Lindros (born February 28 , 1973 in London , Ontario , Canada ) is a professional Ice Hockey player in the National Hockey League . BIOGRAPHY As a teenaged 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 played parts of three seasons for the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League from 1990 to 1992 . During that time, he scored 97 Goal s and had 119 Assist s in 95 games played. He attended St. Michael's College School in Toronto with his brother and fellow hockey player, Brett Lindros . Both brothers at one time or another (Eric in 1988-89) played for the school's Metro Junior "B" 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." A controversy arose when Lindros refused to go to the drafted him anyway, enabling Esposito to sell his share in the team at a higher price. Lindros was traded to the Oshawa Generals instead, and when they played the Greyhounds, some Greyhound players wore black armbands in protest of Lindros' antics. Lindros' 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. He went as far as to refuse to wear the team's jersey on draft day; the team selected him anyway. Some suspect that the team knew that they could command a high price in trade. The Nordiques president publicly announced that they would make Lindros the centerpiece 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 the NHL Commissioner intervened to get the Nordiques to trade him, as it would otherwise damage the image of the league. (Lindros spent the time playing with the Oshawa Generals and also participated in the 1992 Winter Olympics , winning a Silver Medal.) In 1992, the Nordiques worked out trades for him with both the New York Rangers , and Philadelphia Flyers . Eventually, an arbitrator by the name of Larry Bertuzzi – uncle of future NHLer Todd Bertuzzi – ruled his rights belonged to the Flyers, for whom he played from 1992 to 2000 , most of the time as the team's Captain . Shawn P. Roarke, A Look Back: 1991 , NHL.com, accessed July 17 2006 Many consider this trade a key reason that the Colorado Avalanche , which the Nordiques became in 1995 , went on to be an NHL powerhouse. They received in the trade Peter Forsberg , 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 large 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. 50 Moments: #37 - The Eric Lindros Trade , Hockeyology.com, accessed July 17, 2006 PLAYING CAREER With his imposing physical strength and playmaking ability, Lindros established himself as the top player on a Flyers team that had perennially been in contention but always fell short. His time in Philadelphia would see him score points at a phenomenal rate (for much of his first 5 seasons in the NHL, Lindros hovered around 4th all-time in points per game) and become one of the most feared players in the NHL, eventually leading the Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals in 1997 (which they lost to the Detroit Red Wings ); he would also suffer frequent injuries and feud with general manager Bobby Clarke . Along with John LeClair and Mikael Renberg he played on the dreaded "Legion of Doom" line. He scored over 40 goals in each of his first two seasons and won the Hart Trophy as MVP in the lockout-shortened season of 1995 by scoring 29 goals and 41 assists in 46 games. He led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals in 1997 , handily defeating their three opponents along the way. The Flyers were overmatched against the Detroit Red Wings , however, and were swept in the series, with Lindros managing to score his only goal in the dying minutes of Game 4 to cut the score to 2-1. 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 , 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 team mate 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. It was estimated he'd bled out more than half his body's total blood volume. Lindros's 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 following season, he was stripped of his Captaincy after criticizing team doctors. Once again plagued by concussions, Lindros returned in the Eastern Conference Finals, in which he played the final two games of the series, the latter of which Lindros suffered yet another concussion after a hit by New Jersey Devils defenceman Scott Stevens . The Flyers lost the final game and the series, and Lindros became a restricted Free Agent during the off-season. He refused to accept the Flyers qualifying offer, 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 rest of 2000-01 NHL Season . During that season, Flyers general manager Bob Clarke said he didn't care about Lindros and that he "didn't give a shit if he ever played another NHL game." Clarke eventually traded Lindros to the New York Rangers on August 20, 2001 for Jan Hlavac , Kim Johnsson , Pavel Brendl , and a 2003 3rd-round draft choice ( Stefan Ruzicka ). He played for the Rangers for the next three seasons. Though his second season with them was the first injury-free one of his career (albeit his first season averaging under one point a game), in 2004 he sustained his eighth concussion. He was given permission by a doctor to resume training; however, two doctors (who have never examined or treated him) have suggested Lindros retire. He again became an unrestricted free agent. On August 11 , 2005 , after the NHL Labour Dispute had wiped out the 2004-05 season, Lindros signed a one-year, $1.55 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2005-06 NHL Season . After a steady start to his tenure with Toronto in which he recorded 22 points in 32 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 against the Washington Capitals. His return was shortlived however, as he re-injured his wrist while taking a slapshot in a game against the Ottawa Senators on March 5, 2006, 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. Lindros signed a one-year contract for the 2006-07 NHL Season with the Dallas Stars on July 17, 2006. Lindros signs one-year deal with Stars , ESPN.com, accessed July 17 2006. Lindros is currently an unrestricted free agent. Lindros has stated that his focus is on choosing a new president for the NHLPA along with some other NHL players, and not finding a new team. He says his injuries over the last few years have been frustrating, and is now leaning towards retirement.[http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2941208 TRANSACTIONS
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QUOTES "In the past, there’s been a lot of mistakes made. I don’t think this is about finger-pointing; I think it’s about identifying mistakes in procedure, identifying loyalty, identifying some of the mistrust, but it’s about learning from our mistakes, learning from how things happen so quickly. It’s not rocket science; it’s about being honest and being clear with what your intentions are." REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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