On Thursday night, the Flyers will take on the Arizona Coyotes at the Wells Fargo Center in the 1990s edition of "Throwback Thursday". Hockey Hall of Fame center Eric Lindros will be featured prominently during the evening.
Throwback Thursday: 88 Facts about Eric Lindros
On Thursday night, the Flyers will take on the Arizona Coyotes at the Wells Fargo Center in the 1990s edition of "Throwback Thursday". Hockey Hall of Fame center Eric Lindros will be featured prominently during the evening
Here are 88 facts about the player who made the number famous in Philadelphia en route to becoming the leading points-per-game player in Flyers' franchise history.
88: Before playing in the NHL Eric originally selected number 88 for his jersey to honor the memory of the late John McCauley. A family friend and a mentor of sorts to Eric, John was an NHL referee who wore No. 8. Later the director of NHL officiating in the 1980s, he was the father of current NHL referee Wes McCauley.
87: The Flyers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 8-7, at the Spectrum on Feb. 21, 1994. Lindros scored two goals and also fought future teammate Eric Desjardins during a multi-player scrum that ensued immediately after Lindros' first goal of the game.
86: Lindros played 486 regular season games as a Flyer between 1992-93 and 1999-2000. Unfortunately, the number of games he missed was a big part of the equation, too.
85: In an 8-5 road win over the New York Islanders on Nov. 12, 1992, a rookie Lindros notched two goals and one assist. It was the third two-goal and second three-point game of his young career. Lindros was a plus-four in this game. Three nights later, on Nov 15, Lindros struck for a hat trick against Ottawa. It was his first three-goal game in the NHL.
84: Lindros had 8 PIM and 4 points (a hat trick and an assist) in the Flyers' 7-3 road blowout win over the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 3, 1996.
83: Lindros had 83 penalty minutes in 1999-2000; his final season as a Flyer.
82: Lindros scored 82 regular season power play goals for his Flyers career.
81: Lindros was the first and only Flyers player to wear No. 88. The only player in team history to sport No. 81 was Carsen Twarynski.
80: Lindros collected 80 voting points for the 1995-96 NHL All-Star team center. He took second-team honors behind Mario Lemieux.
79: During the 1996-97 season, Lindros racked up 79 points in just 52 games.
78: In his draft-eligible 1990-91 season with the OHL's Oshawa Generals, Lindros collected 78 assists in 57 games played.
77: Lindros received 77 voting points for the Hart Trophy in 1998-99. He did not finish as a finalist but likely would have if he had not been forced out of action for nine of the final 10 games of the regular-season stretch drive. At midseason, Lindros was Bob McKenzie's pick to win based on the pre All-Star Game portion.
76: Lindros averaged 0.76 assists per game in the regular season during his Flyers career.
75: Lindros compiled 75 points in 61 games as a rookie with the Flyers in 1992-93.
74: Before turning pro and joining the Flyers following a blockbuster trade for his rights with the Quebec Nordiques, Lindros racked up 74 career playoff points in the Ontario Hockey League. He did it in a mere 33 games.
73: Lindros was born in 1973.
72: Lindros scored 372 goals for his NHL career.
71: The Flyers crushed the Montreal Canadiens, 7-1, in the final opening night game at the famed Montreal Forum (Oct. 7, 1995). Lindros marked the occasion with a Gordie Howe Hat Trick: one goal, one assist and a fight with the Habs' Lyle Odelein.
70: Lindros racked up 70 points in 46 games during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season. He won the Hart Trophy that season.
69: Lindros produced 369 assists for his Flyers regular season career.
68: Lindros notched 68 assists in 73 regular season games during the 1995-96 season.
67: Lindros was credited with a team-high 67 takeaways in 71 games during the 1998-99 season.
66: Retiring Penguins superstar Mario Lemieux, who famously sported No. 66, congratulated Lindros at the end of the 1997 Eastern Conference semifinals (won by the Flyers in five games) and told him it was his turn to run with the mantle of being the NHL's best player.
65: Lindros was limited by knee and shoulder injuries to just 65 games in his second NHL season (1993-94), but he still managed to post 44 goals and 97 points.
64: A Hart Trophy finalist in 1995-96, Lindros averaged 0.64 goals per game that season: a career-high 47 goals in 73 games. It was the third highest season goals-per-game ratio of
his NHL career.
63. Lindros collected 63 voting points (10 first-place, 4 second-place and 1 third-place) in the balloting when he won the 1994-95 Hart Trophy.
62. Lindros averaged 0.62 goals per game during the 1996-97 regular season.
61. Knee injuries limited Lindros to 61 games as a rookie in 1992-93. Nevertheless, he won NHL All-Rookie Team honors, finishing fourth in the Calder Trophy balloting and ninth in the Hart Trophy race. Had he been healthy all season, Lindros likely would have been the Calder Trophy runner-up to Winnipeg's Teemu Selanne (76 goals, 132 points).
- Lindros won a remarkable 60 percent of his faceoffs (60.03%) during the 1998-99 season. During the years when the Flyers' roster had Lindros, Rod Brind'Amour, Joel Otto (1995-96 through 1997-98), the team far and away led the NHL in faceoff winning percentage.
- Lindros posted 59 points in 51 games during the 1999-2000 season. Despite various injuries and the NHL's annual leaguewide declines in scoring that started in the mid-1990s, Lindros never averaged less than 1.07 points-per-game in a season during his Flyers career. His final season was his Philadelphia career-low.
- Lindros 1.58 points per game in 1995-96 is the Flyers franchise single-season record.
57. Lindros notched 57 points in 50 career Stanley Cup Playoff games as a Flyer. His 1.14 playoff points-per-game average ranks second in franchise history with a minimum 10 playoff games played. Ken Linseman (1.29 points-per-game in 41 postseason games) is the Flyers' franchise playoff leader. Danny Briere's 72 points in 68 Flyers playoff games (1.06 points-per-game) ranks third behind Lindros. Note: Peter Forsberg played just six playoff games as a Flyer and does not qualify based on sample size, but he posted eight points (1.33 points-per-game) during the 2006 Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
56. Lindros averaged 0.56 goals-per-game during the 1998-99 season.
55. Playing in a 5-5 tie against brother Brett Lindros' New York Islanders on Oct. 28, 1995, older sibling Eric racked up two goals, one assist and nine shots on goal. Eric scored a pair of goals in the second period. A would-be game winning overtime goal by Mikael Renberg set up by Lindros was disallowed due to referee Don van Massenhoven losing sight of the puck before it was put into the net.
54. A rare combination of finesse and brute force, Lindros had 54 penalty minutes along with 31 points in just 13 games for the OHL's Oshawa Generals during the 1991-92 season.
53. Lindros posted 53 assists in his second NHL season (1993-94). It was the first of three times in his career that he topped the 50-assist milestone in a season. He'd have easily made it four times when the 1997-98 season rolled around but he missed 18 games due to a concussion suffered at the hands of Darius Kaparaitis; the season when concussions, rather than early career knee issues, became the primary injury concern in his career.
52. Lindros played 52 games during the 1996-97 regular season but still managed 79 points. Due to all the games missed due to injury, he finished 9th in the Hart Trophy balloting.
- A forechecking machine even as injuries piled up during his career, Lindros was credited with 51 takeaways in 55 games played during the 1999-2000. By far, it was the NHL's highest ratio of takeaways to games played that season.
50. Lindros' first career NHL overtime goal was scored at the 50-second mark in a 4-3 home win at the Spectrum against the Florida Panthers on Feb. 10, 1994.
- Lindros dressed in 49 games for the Dallas Stars in 2006-07; the final season of his NHL career.
48. The 1997-98 season was not one of Lindros' top campaigns but he still managed to average 0.48 goals per game despite the aforementioned concussion-related issues.
- Lindros scored a career-high 47 goals (in 73 games) in 1995-96.
46. Lindros registered 46 shots on goal in 12 games during the 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
45. Lindros was on the ice for 45 Flyers power play goals during the 1998-99 season. He earned points on 27 of them (10g, 17a). His career high came in 1995-96, when he was on the ice for 57 Flyers power play goals and collected 39 power play points (15g, 24a).
44. Lindros was 44 years, 10 months and 21 days old when the Flyers retired his No. 88 jersey.
43.Lindros posted a career-high 43 even strength assists during the 1995-96 season.
- Per HockeyReference.com, Lindros' 42 "adjusted goals created" statistic during the 1995-96 season ranked fifth in the NHL behind Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Joe Sakic and Alexander Mogilny.
41. Hart Trophy winner Lindros' 41 assists led the Flyers and were tied for 4th in the NHL during the 1994-95 season.
40. Lindros scored 40 goals during the 1998-99 season. It was the fourth time he hit the 40-goal milestone in a season during his Flyers' career.
39. Derailed by post-concussion issues, a 30-year-old Lindros dressed in 39 games for the New York Rangers during the 2003-04 season.
38. During the 1991 OHL playoffs with the Oshawa Generals, Lindros compiled 38 points in 16 games (2.38 points-per-game-average).
37. Lindros scored 37 game-winning goals in the regular season during his Flyers career.
36. As a 16-year-old playing for the OHL's Oshawa Generals, Lindros racked up 36 points in 25 regular season games. He then added an additional 36 points in 17 playoff games.
35. For his career, Lindros had 35 fights: 34 in the regular season and one (vs. Tampa Bay's Igor Ulanov) late in the third period of the Flyers' 6-1 series-clincher in Game 6 of the 1996 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
34. Lindros posted 34 assists as an NHL rookie in 1992-93. It was the only season of his Flyers career in which he recorded more goals than assists.
33. Lindros played 33 career OHL playoff games with the Oshawa Generals before turning pro. The team won the OHL championship and Memorial Cup in 1990 and lost in the finals in 1991.
32. Lindros attained a career-high 32 even strength goals twice: 1992-93 and 1995-06.
31. Lindros was plus-31 in just 52 regular season games during the 1996-97 season.
30. Lindros scored 30 goals in 63 games during the 1997-98 regular season.
29. Lindros scored 29 goals in 46 games during his Hart Trophy winning campaign during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season.
28. Lindros' birthday is Feb. 28. He holds the unusual distinction of being the Flyers player with the most points scored in games played on his birthday. Lindros had three multi-point games in five games played on his birthday during his Flyers career. He had two points (1G, 1A) vs. Washington on Feb 28, 1995, two goals against Dallas on Feb. 28, 1996 and three points (1G, 2A) vs the Rangers on Feb. 28, 1999. Overall, Lindros scored five goals, three assists and eight points in the five Flyers games he played on his birthday.
27. Lindros was +27 in 46 games during his Hart Trophy winning campaign during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season.
26. Lindros posted 26 points in 19 games during the 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs.
25. On March 25, 1996, Lindros recorded his 100th point of the 1995-96 season in a 3-0 win at the Spectrum over the Hartford Whalers. He is one of just six Flyers players to record at least one season with 100 points. The others are Bobby Clarke, Rick MacLeish, Bill Barber, Mark Recchi and Claude Giroux.
24. Lindros scored 24 playoff goals in 50 games during his Flyers career.
23. On Feb. 23, 1995, Lindros tallied a hat trick and an assist in a 6-6 road tie against the Quebec Nordiques; much to the displeasure of the fans at Le Colisee.
- Plagued by concussion issues later in his career, most of Lindros' early-career injury issues were knee-related. The first one occurred on Nov. 22, 1992 on a play behind the net with future teammate Petr Svoboda in a home game against the Buffalo Sabres. Lindros sustained a sprained knee and was sidelined for nine games.
- At age 21, Lindros became the youngest captain in Flyers' franchise history.
- Lindros played in 20 games in the Olympics for Team Canada, representing his country in 1992, 1998 and 2002. He posted 17 points overall, was named to the all-tournament team in 1992 and his teams captured gold (2002) and silver (1992) medals. He captained the 1998 squad.
19. A 19-year-old Lindros posted points in each of his first five NHL games, including goals in both his NHL debut (Oct. 6, 1992 at Pittsburgh) and home debut at the Spectrum (Oct. 9, 1992).
18. On March 18, 1995, Lindros notched a hat trick against the Florida Panthers. He did it again two nights later against the Montreal Canadiens, making him only the second player in Flyers history to record hat tricks in back-to-back games. His third goal against Florida, scored in OT, saw the big center literally toss aside a defender with one arm in the neutral zone, keep skating up ice and score the winning goal.
17. One of the NHL's most deadly accurate shooters of his era, Lindros scored on more than 17 percent (17.64%) of his shots on goal during his Flyers career. He topped the 20 percent mark three times, including a career-best 22.78 pct as a rookie in 1992-93.
16. The Legion of Doom trio of center Lindros (1G,4A), left wing John LeClair (4G,2A) and right wing Mikael Renberg (1G,4A) combined to record 16 points in a 9-5 home win over the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 6, 1997. Their performance set a new team record for most points in a game by one line.
15. In a home-and-home set with the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 8 and 10, 1998, Lindros won 15 faceoffs in a row from the third period of the first game to the second period of the return game (he went 13-for-18 overall in the second game). The Flyers' captain also scored two goals apiece in the two games and was credited with a combined five hits in the two games.
14. Lindros was +14 in 63 games during the 1997-98 season.
- Lindros scored a single-season high 13 power play goals during the 1993-94 season.
12. Lindros compiled 12 hat tricks - 11 in the regular season, and one in Game 3 of the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals - during his Flyers career.
11. Lindros posted 11 assists in 12 games during the 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs.
10. Lindros was +10 in 50 career playoff games as a Flyer.
9. Lindros scored nine game-winning goals during the 1993-94 season; his single-season career high.
8. Before the birth of the Legion of Doom in Feb. 1995, Lindros centered the Crazy Eights Line, flanked by Mark Recchi (jersey No. 8) and Brent Fedyk (No. 18).
7. Lindros' single-game career high of seven points was attained on Feb 26, 1997 in an 8-5 road win over the Ottawa Senators. He posted one goal and six assists.
6. Lindros played in six NHL All-Star Games during his years in Philadelphia.
5. Lindros had five assists (as well as a goal) vs. the Ottawa Senators on March 10, 1994, five points against the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 6, 1997, five points against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 21, 1997, five points against the New Jersey Devils on Nov. 14, 1998 and five points against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 29. 1998.
4. Lindros won the Bobby Clarke Trophy four times: 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1998-99.
3. Lindros won NHL Player of the Week honors three times as a Flyer. He won Player of the Month twice (Oct. 1995, Nov. 1998).
- Two Flyers players have won the Hart Trophy. Bobby Clarke and Eric Lindros.
1. Lindros is number one in Flyers history in points-per-game average: 1.35 points per game. Counting only the Philadelphia years of Lindros' career, only Wayne Gretzky (1.92 points per game), Mario Lemieux (1.88), Mike Bossy (1.497), Sidney Crosby (1.398) and Bobby Orr (1.393) produced points at a more prolific pace than Lindros in the entire history of the National Hockey League. Overall for Lindros' career - which also saw him play with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars - he finished at 1.14 points per game. He ranks 17th all-time in the NHL.
