Eric Lindros Officially Announces Retirement

“I truly enjoyed my days of playing and look forward to the next chapter of my life,” Eric Lindros, 34, said on Thursday while announcing his retirement from the NHL after 13 years in the league. 

“I played with the best, I played against the best — it was a blast. It really truly was,” he added. “I enjoyed myself immensely.”

The same can’t be said for those who played against the muscle-bound forward, especially in his early years when he could single-handedly dominate a game with his rare blend of finesse and brawn. 

Lindros finished his playing career with 372 goals and 493 assists for 865 points.  He also had 1,398 penalty minutes, a testament to his feisty side.   In the end he competed in 760 NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars.

Unfortunately, his career was hampered by severe injuries, most notably a slew of serious concussions, many of which he suffered after being on the wrong side of the vicious checks he once doled out so mercilessly.

“I might have practised stickhandling with my head up a bit more,” he joked Thursday.

All joking aside, Lindros knew the time was right to hang them up.

“I felt strong about this in my heart and in my mind all summer long,” he said. “As soon as the playoffs ended last year I felt real comfortable that this was the direction I wanted to take and it was time to do so.”

But the Big E still went out with a bang, albeit a much gentler, kinder one than he was accustomed to on the ice — Lindros combined the announcement of his retirement with one of the largest one-time donations ever received by the London Health Sciences Foundation.

Lindros is giving $5 million to the facility, to be used to support hospital programs including the Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic where Lindros was treated during his playing career.
  
“I believe it’s because of this care that my career lasted as long as it did,” he said.

A quick look at the career of Eric Lindros:

Born: Feb. 28, 1973, in London, Ont.

Nickname: The Big E.

Imposing Frame: Six-foot-four, 230 pounds.

Controversy: Declined to join the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds after being chosen 1st overall in 1989 draft and was later traded to Oshawa; later refused to play for the Quebec Nordiques after they drafted him first overall in 1991.

Hardware: Olympic gold (2002) and silver (1992), Canada Cup (1991), Memorial Cup (1990).

Individual Awards: Hart Trophy (1995), Lester B. Pearson Award (1995), CHL player of the year (1991).

NHL stats: 372 goals, 493 assists for 865 points in 760 games for Philadelphia, the Rangers, Toronto and Dallas.

Health: Suffered several concussions during his 13 NHL seasons — among them one sustained on a famous open-ice hit by Scott Stevens during 2000 playoffs; a collapsed lung kept him out of the 1999 playoffs; battled a wrist injury throughout his 2005-06 season with Toronto.

Quote: “Eric was the player that I hated to play against, but also the guy that I absolutely loved to play with. In my opinion, Eric was the most dominating player I faced during my time in the NHL, and was part of the best hockey line I ever went up against (with John LeClair and Mikael Renberg)” — Matthew Barnaby, former Rangers teammate

(Notes from The Canadian Press)