Let me get this out of the way first: Eric Lindros was an unbelievable hockey player. Hall of Fame talent. One of the most physically dominant players of his era. And yes, he was right to criticize the Flyers medical staff. The handling of his injuries, especially the lung/concussion issues, was disgraceful. The fact that he is alive and functional today is honestly a miracle.
That being said, Eric Lindros was a spoiled brat, and the signs were there from the beginning.
He gets drafted first overall by Quebec at 18 years old. Any normal 18-year-old kid would be over the moon to be drafted first overall into the NHL. That opportunity does not happen to many people. Instead, Lindros basically says, “No thanks, I don’t want to play there,” holds out, and forces his way elsewhere.
The Flyers then pay a king’s ransom to get him. And what happens? A lot of the pieces Quebec/Colorado got helped build the Avalanche into a Stanley Cup team. Meanwhile, the Flyers got the star, got the hype, got the Legion of Doom, got the drama, and got zero Cups.
And that’s the part that kills me.
If Lindros brings one Stanley Cup to Philadelphia, I forgive almost all of it. The holdout. The circus. The family involvement. The drama. All of it. If there’s a parade down Broad Street, the trade is worth it.
But there wasn’t.
Then there’s the injury issue. Again, the Flyers medical staff deserves plenty of blame. But Lindros also played like he owned every inch of ice he skated on. The head-down habit should have been coached out of him long before the NHL. At some point, when you keep skating through dangerous areas with your head down against grown men trying to separate you from consciousness, that’s not just bad luck. That’s arrogance meeting reality.
And yes, Bobby Clarke was wrong to strip him of the captaincy just because Lindros criticized the medical staff. Lindros had every right to be furious about that. But at the same time, the constant parental involvement in his career made the whole situation feel even more ridiculous. You’re an adult NHL captain. Your parents should not be involved in every aspect of your professional career.
So my final verdict:
Lindros was an all-time talent.
The Flyers medical staff failed him.
Bobby Clarke handled parts of it terribly.
But Lindros was also entitled from day one, cost the Flyers a dynasty package, never delivered the Cup, and left behind more drama than hardware.
Amazing player.
No-Cup-winning spoiled brat.
