5 Mind-Blowing Eric Lindros Facts

Eric Lindros wasn't always a Philadelphia Flyer. He famous went first overall in the 1991 NHL entry draft to the Quebec Nordiques, but refused to play for them. He was eventually traded to the Flyers, and the rest is history. 

Lindros began his NHL career with the Flyers during the 1992-93 season. He was a great power forward and averaged more than a point per game, but he would often get injured due to his hard-nosed playing style. Discover the following five mind-blowing facts about Lindros.

Eric Lindros was arguably the most hyped prospect since Wayne Gretzky. Even before he stepped on the ice, he was a household name in the hockey world. He was 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, and had the skills of a forward and the physical build of a defenseman. He earned the nickname "The Next One," a play on Gretzky's well-known nickname "The Great One."

At 18 years old, he was so dominant in junior hockey that people were comparing him to Gretzky and another hyped prospect, Mario Lemieux. In the 1990-91 season, he tallied 149 points in just 57 games played. He was also named the CHL Player of the Year.

At the 1991 Canada Cup, he made his presence even more known, holding his own against some of the NHL's best players. No junior hockey player has ever been this ready to take the next step toward the NHL in a way that Lindros had been able to achieve.

Lindros was famously traded shortly after the draft, and ended up helping two different teams acquire their core players of the future. Lindros was traded from Quebec to Philadelphia in 1992, and the Flyers sent a substantial package of talented players, which included Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Mike Ricci, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Chris Simon, two first-round picks, and even $15 million cash.

Once Quebec became the Colorado Avalanche, that trade finally helped the team become a Stanley Cup-winning dynasty, as Forsberg emerged as a Hall of Fame-caliber talent. The Flyers made the Stanley Cup Final with Lindros in 1997, but could never get over the championship hump with him as their captain.

Less known about the Lindros trade is that there was a second deal that almost occurred, involving Lindros being sent from Quebec to the New York Rangers. The issue is that Quebec also agreed to this trade, along with the Flyers' one, and the NHL had to step in to verify the validity of the deal. The arbitrator awarded Lindros to Philly.

Typically, NHL players are either large and physically strong or skilled and agile. Lindros was a combination of the two, and he also had elite skating, soft hands, and a blistering shot. He was basically like a power forward in basketball and could dominate the game of hockey. Lindros would fight the big guys, go stride for stride with the top forwards, and score from anywhere on the ice.

Lindros was a combination of Mark Messier's toughness and Mario Lemieux's hands. During his prime years, many skaters couldn't stop him. From 1995 to 1997, he scored at a 100-plus point pace, but some of those games were missed due to injuries. Lindros won the Hart trophy in 1995 and led his "Legion of Doom" line with John LeClair and Mikael Renberg.

Lindros was on the rise to becoming one of the greatest hockey players of all time, but his body had other plans. During his time in the league, Lindros dealt with at least eight concussions, and some of them were particularly serious. The worst incident occurred in the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals, when Lindros took a massive open-ice hit from the Devils' Scott Stevens. This injury marked the end of his time in Philadelphia.

Lindros averaged over 1.14 points per game, placing him in the top 25 in NHL history. Some of his final career numbers were 865 points in 760 games. However, many hockey fans believe that if he weren't so injury-prone, then those numbers would have been in the 1,500 range. If this were the case, Lindros would have been compared with Gretzky, Lemieux, and Gordie Howe. But there's little denying how dominant Lindros was when he was on the ice.

Lindros was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016, five years after becoming eligible. A lot of people in the hockey world couldn't believe it took this long. Some think it was due to his relationship with the Flyers organization and his relatively short career. In the end, talent, impact, and an elite performance secured his place, ultimately cementing his legacy.

Eric Lindros wasn't just a star player, but quite the force on the ice. He revolutionized how hockey teams allocate power, speed, and skill. Lindros inspired the next generation of players to utilize their size effectively and experiment with various playing styles. Although unfortunate injuries prevented him from being alongside some of the NHL's elite players, in his prime, he was a dominating force on the ice during his celebrated NHL career.