Lindros a NHL Hall of Famer?

Author: Illegal Curve

November 23, 2009

Illegal Curve`s E-Take is sponsored by Immunocal, the elite athlete nutritional supplement for muscular performance since 1996. www.wellnesswinnipeg.com.

So a rather divisive topic came up on The IllegalCurve.com Radio show last week (Wednesday nights from 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. on 92.9 KICK FM, Winnipeg’s Indie Station) and that was the subject of former NHL strong boy and Hart Trophy winner (1995) Eric Lindros and whether or not he deserves a spot in the storied Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto in the coming years.

Lindros,36, retired after the 2006-07 season after he played in only 49 games for the Dallas Stars (that’s right, Lindros played for Dallas remember?) and he will be eligible for the HHOF next year as part of a potential class that includes Russian dynamo Pavel Bure and American goalie Mike Richter.  It makes sense that the gun-shot reaction of many hockey fans is to commonly dismiss the notion of Lindros joining recently inducted superstars Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Luc Robitaille in the sport’s holiest shrine based on the shortened length of his career (760 regular season games played) and his low rank among the game’s all-time scoring leaders (865 points, presently 105th all time).

However, these same factors that were used four years ago to build an argument against the inclusion of Cam Neely in the Hall of Fame-another NHL power forward whose career was cut short due to injuries- may end up assisting Big E’s case this time around.  Neely, of course, entered the Hall in 2005, despite only playing the equivalent of 11 full time NHL seasons.  His induction at the time had as much to do with the impact he left on the game of hockey as a trend-setting rough-and-tumble power forward as it did to do with the impressive offensive numbers he posted as a member of the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks. 

The same premise holds true for Lindros.  The simple fact of the matter is that Lindros left an indelible mark on the game of hockey as a physically intimidating sniper just like Neely did, so his offensive accomplishments which spanned a 13-year career should be more than enough to earn him a spot in Toronto alongside Gretzky, Lemieux and the players previously mentioned. 

Although Lindros was somewhat of a controversial figure in professional hockey, beginning with his refusal to play for the Quebec Nordiques (who drafted him in 1991) and continuing with his legendary off-ice battles with Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bobby Clarke, his special place in hockey history in undeniable.  If you look back at some of the numbers Lindros posted back in the mid-1990’s (listed below, courtesy of hockeydb.com) with the Philadelphia Flyers, he simply stands out as one of the best pure point-producers of all-time (his dazzling 1.14 points per game average is an impressive statistic that would have been even more impressive if it wasn’t for some mediocre production towards the end of his career).

1993-94 65 GP 44 G 53 A 97 P
1994-95 46 GP 29 G 41 A 70 P *season shortened due to owner’s lockout
1995-96 73 GP 47 G 68 A 115 P
1996-97 52 GP 32 G 47 A 79 P

To return to the Neely juxtaposition, a quick side-by-side statistical comparison of the two players shows that they enjoyed eerily similar careers.  Neely finished his injury-plagued career with 694 points (395 goals) in 726 games while Lindros posted 865 points (372 goals) in 760 games.  Based on these numbers alone, one could argue that Lindros is a no-brainer for a Hall of Fame spot and should follow Neely in under the “precedent” category.

Sure, Lindros never won a Stanley Cup and he suffered so many concussions that his true potential was never realized but both Lindros and Neely were players who had a unique blend of skills that are simply not common in your average hockey player.  Neely, on the one hand, was not a particularly gifted skater but he used an unparalleled work ethic and zeal for the game to bump and work for every goal he scored and he scored a lot (three 50-goal seasons).  Lindros, meanwhile, had the ability to run over a defenseman while undressing him with a slick move at the same time. 

The Hockey Hall of Fame acknowledges la crème de la crème and Lindros was one of the games finest, period.  All the naysayers need to stop hating.  Lindros is a Hall of Famer.  It’s just a question of when will he be inducted.

Written by Ezra Ginsburg ezra@illegalcurve.com

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