Eric Lindros Philadelphia Flyers Jersey

With his imposing physical strength and playmaking ability, Lindros established himself as the top player on a Flyers team that had perennially been in contention but always fell short. His time in Philadelphia would see him score points at a phenomenal rate (for much of his first 5 seasons in the NHL, Lindros hovered around 4th all-time in points per game) and become one of the most feared players in the NHL. In September 1994, Lindros succeeded Kevin Dineen as Flyers captain. Along with John LeClair and Mikael Renberg, he played on the dreaded "Legion of Doom" line. He scored over 40 goals in each of his first two seasons and won the Hart Trophy as MVP in the lockout-shortened season of 1995 by scoring 29 goals and 41 assists in 46 games and leading the Flyers to their first playoff appearance in 6 years.

Lindros led the Flyers to the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals, handily defeating Pittsburgh, Buffalo and the New York Rangers in 5 games apiece. But in the Finals the Flyers were swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings; Lindros' only goal came with 14 seconds left in the 3rd period of Game 4. Lindros as a franchise player was expected to carry the team, but he had not lived up to expectations nor had he shown leadership during the Finals series. In 1998, Lindros, only 25 years old, was ranked number 54 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players of all time. The only player of comparable age was No. 37-ranked Jaromir Jagr, who was 26 at the time.

The 1999–2000 season would be Lindros' last as a Flyer. Having suffered his 2nd concussion of the season (4th overall) in March, Lindros criticized the team's trainers for failing to diagnose a concussion as he played with symptoms following a hit he suffered in a game against Boston 2 weeks prior. Clarke then stripped Lindros of the captaincy for his actions. Lindros sat out the remainder of the regular season and suffered another concussion while rehabilitating for a return to the lineup. Lindros ultimately returned for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against New Jersey, Lindros scored the lone goal in a 2-1 Flyers loss, and in Game 7 Lindros suffered yet another concussion after a hit by New Jersey defenseman Scott Stevens. The Flyers lost Game 7, 2-1 and the series despite leading 3 games to 1, and Lindros became a restricted free agent during the off-season. He refused to accept a 2-way qualifying offer with a minor league provision from the Flyers, who still owned his rights. After Lindros was cleared to play in December, the Flyers refused to deal his rights to the Toronto Maple Leafs, as he preferred, and Lindros sat out the entire 2000–01 season.

Eric Lindros Philadelphia Flyers Jersey