Eric Lindros should eventually make it in to the Hall of Fame. He may not get there on the first ballot but he has the numbers and the accomplishments to get in. Surely, if Clark Gillies is in the Hall, so should Eric Lindros be inducted.

Here are Clark Gillies’ Career Stats:

NHL 958 games 319 goals 378 assists 697 points +241

Here are Lindros’ Career Stats:

NHL 760 games 372 goals 493 assists 865 points +215

Here is a list of Lindros’ accomplishments if you need to be reminded:

2001-02 Played in NHL All-Star (Injured)
2001-02 Olympic Gold Medal (2002-CAN)
1999-00 Played in NHL All-Star
1998-99 Played in NHL All-Star
1997-98 Played in NHL All-Star
1996-97 Played in NHL All-Star
1995-96 NHL - Second All-Star Team
1995-96 Played in NHL All-Star
1994-95 NHL - Hart Trophy (MVP)
1994-95 NHL - Lester B. Person Award (Player of the Year selected by the NHLPA)
1994-95 NHL - First All-Star Team
1993-94 Played in NHL All-Star
1992-93 NHL - All-Rookie Team
1991-92 Olympic Silver Medal (1992-CAN)
1990-91 CHL - Player of the Year (Canadian Major Junior)
1990-91 CHL - Plus/Minus Award (Canadian Major Junior)
1990-91 OHL - Red Tilson Trophy (Most Oustanding Player)
1990-91 OHL - Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy (Leading Scorer)
1990-91 CHL - Top Draft Prospect (Canadian Major Junior)
1990-91 OHL - First All-Star Team
1989-90 Memorial Cup - All-Star Team

Eric Lindros was set to be “the Next One” but his parent managers set back his career by causing league wide ill-will by insisting on dictating the terms of his draft. How much of this uncooperative attitude can be attributed to Lindros himself will never be known.

I only know what I saw during his career. It is unfortunate that Eric came up in the league at the height of expansion. The dilution of the talent pool lent itself to clutch and grab and hits to the head. No better reminder of this dark period in NHL history is the induction of Scott Stevens to the Hall of Fame this weekend.

Recall that Scott Stevens deliberately dealt concussion causing head injuries with unnescessarily high hits to both Lindros and future Hall of Famer Paul Kariya. No matter what people think of Lindros, no player deserves to be head hunted and severely injured. And yet, the league is rewarding that behavior by inducting Stevens. Despite all of Steven’s accomplishments and Stanley Cups, he will always be a lowlife for his cheap play and borderline legal hits. If the NHL lionizes a player who exhibited the worst qualities of a hockey player, then they should induct a skill player like Lindros when his time comes.

Eric Lindros came to the Rangers long after he should have. While with the Rangers, Lindros played to the best of his ability. He didn’t dog it like many other players in those same years who gave less then their best and collected fat paychecks.

What is really rich is that a jerk like Bobby Clark, after effectively destroying Lindros career and almost killing the kid in the process, comes out in support of Erics’s eventual induction now. Clark is the one person that has made Ranger fans hate the Flyers all these years. Now that he is gone, the Flyers are doing better. Too bad they didn’t have the cojones to give Bobby the Bum’s Rush back when he defamed and slandered Lindros and his family.

Is there any way Clark can be uninducted?

I’ve been waiting years to get that off my chest.