The seventh time was the charm for Eric Lindros, who was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday.
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said Lindros would've gotten in long ago if his NHL career wasn't derailed by injury, particularly a series of concussions.
"When Eric played with us, he clearly was one of the most dominant players in the League at the time and probably one of the most dominant ever for that time," Hextall said. "He was a terrific player."
Hextall, who was among the package of players, draft picks and cash the Flyers traded to the Quebec Nordiques to acquire Lindros in the summer of 1992, returned to Philadelphia in 1994 and played five seasons with Lindros.
"It was terrific being on his team," Hextall said. "Again, the package of skill and size and aggressiveness, he had a big shot. At the time, he was the hardest guy in the League to defend."
Lindros, who never played for the Nordiques after they selected him No. 1 in the 1991 NHL Draft, had 290 goals and 369 assists in 486 regular-season games and 24 goals and 33 assists in 50 Stanley Cup Playoff games over eight seasons with the Flyers. He scored 82 goals and had 124 assists in 274 regular-season games over five seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars.
Lindros retired after the 2006-07 season and first became eligible for election to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010.
In addition to Lindros, the Hall of Fame's 18-member selection committee also tabbed goalie Rogie Vachon, forward Sergei Makarov and coach Pat Quinn for induction in 2016.
Mark Recchi, a longtime teammate of Hextall's in Philadelphia, was among the players who did not get a call from Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald on Monday.
"I think Mark Recchi is a Hall of Fame player, but I think it takes time sometimes," Hextall said. "Mark played a long time, put up huge numbers for a long time. It's because of the group you're up against. I'm sure in time Mark will get in."
Recchi scored 577 goals and had 956 assists in 1,652 regular-season NHL games with the Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Atlanta Thrashers.
Quinn, who was posthumously voted into the Hall of Fame in the builder category, coached the Flyers from 1978-1982, reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 1980.
"It's funny, I met Pat when I was a kid, he plays with my dad in Atlanta. I remember one day when he had a fight with a teammate of his, Butch Deadmarsh, in practice," Hextall said. "That was my first impression of Pat Quinn. Then you get to know the man and see him in the hockey world and all that he accomplished as a player, as a manager, as a coach. He's got a terrific legacy. All of us in Philadelphia are happy to see him get in."
Quinn, who also coached the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers, died Nov. 23, 2014, after a long illness. He was 71.
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99
Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html
No comments:
Post a Comment