Eric Lindros Expected To Retire On Thursday
Posted November 6, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
There was a time when Eric Lindros was touted as the next great hockey player, much in the way Sydney Crosby is today. And while he made a dramatic impact on the game in his younger days, playing a wildly physical style that combined with his soft hands and keen hockey sense made him an almost unstoppable force, it wasn’t long before injuries began to take their toll on the Big E. A string of devastating concussions tarnished much of his unlimited potential.
Brief stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars seemed to energize him, but in the end, the once dominant player quietly became an afterthought to much of the hockey world. And now he appears ready to walk away from the game.
Lindros is expected to announce his retirement on Thursday in London, Ontario, bringing an end to a tenure in the league that was almost unparalleled when it came to public scrutiny and media attention. From his initial refusal to report to the Quebec Nordiques, who drafted him in 1991, to his very public disputes with Philadelphia Flyers G.M. Bobby Clarke, Lindros made headlines throughout his career.
Highlights include winning the Hart Trophy in 1995 and playing a key role with the Canadian Olympic team that won gold in 2002.
The 34-year-old forward took to the ice for the Dallas Stars last season and became an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.
His final tallies included 372 goals and 865 points in 760 games for Philadelphia, Toronto, the New York Rangers and Dallas.
