At long last, one of the most iconic Flyers to lace up a pair of skates is getting his due.
Eric Lindros, the veteran of 13 NHL seasons, will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, the selection committee announced on Monday. Former coach Pat Quinn will be inducted as well.
In his sixth year of eligibility, Lindros will be inducted, after a career that has saw him score 372 goals and 865 points in 760 games with the Flyers, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars. He was the centerpiece of a 1991 trade with the Quebec Nordiques that is widely-regarded as one of the most polarizing trades in NHL history, and was no stranger to controversy during his time in Philadelphia — thanks to a long-running feud between his parents and then-GM Bob Clarke, who, incidentally, was part of the Hall's selection committee.
A force on the Legion of Doom, the line constructed of Lindros, John LeClair and Mikael Renberg, the Flyers were powered by Lindros' leadership throughout the '90s.
Lindros' dominant style of play led him to a Hart Trophy in 1995, as well as being named to two All-Star Teams. He also led the Flyers to a Stanley Cup Final in 1997 — the only Final appearance of his career — and fell at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings. The Flyers recognized Lindros with four Bobby Clarke Trophies as the team MVP in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999.
As the '90s started to fade, Lindros' career took a turn due to concussions. He suffered five during his time with the Flyers, his last coming in Game 7 of the 2000 Eastern Conference Final. Lindros sat out the beginning of the 2000-01 season while he recovered from the fifth concussion. After he was cleared to return in December, the Flyers refused to trade his rights to Toronto, as Lindros had requested, and he sat out the rest of the season as well. He was traded in the offseason prior to the 2001-02 season, heading to the rival New York Rangers.
But Lindros would make a triumphant return to Philadelphia hockey lore in 2012 when he returned wearing the Orange and Black at the Winter Classic Alumni Game. He has been heavily involved in the Flyers alumni since then and was inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame in 2014, alongside linemate John LeClair.
Quinn's illustrious coaching career started behind the Flyers' bench, as he coached the Orange and Black from 1978 until 1982 — compiling a 141-73-48 record along the way. His most notable achievement was leading the Flyers to their 35-game unbeaten streak in the 1979-80 campaign (which still stands as a league record), which also culminated in the franchise's fourth Stanley Cup Final appearance — a six-game loss to the New York Islanders — and earned him a Jack Adams Award.
"The Big Irishman" continued his coaching career with Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto and Edmonton, and last coached in 2009-10. He finished his NHL coaching career having coached 1,400 games at the NHL level, compiling a 684-528-154-34 record. He also had a 94-88 record in the playoffs and coaching in one additional Stanley Cup Final in 1994 with Vancouver.
Quinn served on the committee that determines the Hockey Hall of Fame inductees for many years, and following his coaching career, became chairman of the committee in 2013. He passed away in November 2014 after a lengthy illness.
In addition to Lindros and Quinn, Sergei Makarov and Rogie Vachon were called to the Hall. Induction is set for mid-November.
Kevin Durso and Rob Riches both contributed to this story. Kevin is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso. Rob is a contributing writer for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Riches61.
