How Many Years Did Eric Lindros Play in the NHL?

Eric Lindros was one of the most dominant players in the NHL for many years. But how many years did he actually play in the league?

NHL Debut

Eric Lindros made his NHL debut during the 1992-1993 season with the Quebec Nordiques. He was drafted first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. Lindros only played in 61 games during his rookie season due to injury.

Drafted by the Quebec Nordiques

In 1991, Lindros was drafted first overall by the Quebec Nordiques, but refused to play for the team. In a highly publicized trade, he was sent to the Philadelphia Flyers in return for a number of players and draft picks, including Peter Forsberg. Lindros made his NHL debut with the Flyers during the 1992–93 season.

Traded to the Philadelphia Flyers

On June 30, 1992, Lindros was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in a blockbuster trade, with Peter Forsberg, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Ron Hextall, and $15 million (US) going to the Quebec Nordiques in return. The trade is often regarded as one of the most lopsided in NHL history.

Early Career

Eric Lindros was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. He played junior hockey for the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for one season before he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in June 1992. Lindros made his NHL debut with the Flyers during the 1992–93 season. He was named the NHL Rookie of the Year and helped the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Named team captain

In his second season with the Flyers, Lindros was named team captain at the age of 19, becoming the youngest captain in franchise history. He would go on to lead the team to the Stanley Cup Finals that year, where they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in six games. Lindros would spend eight seasons with the Flyers, making six All-Star teams and winning the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1995.

Led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals

Eric Lindros had a successful start to his NHL career, leading the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1997. He played eight seasons with the Flyers before being traded to the New York Rangers in 2001. He spent three seasons with the Rangers and one with the Toronto Maple Leafs before retiring in 2007. In total, Lindros played 13 seasons in the NHL.

Later Career

Lindros only played 8 more seasons in the NHL, and his last was spent with the Dallas Stars. Lindros had a decent year with the Stars, putting up 15 goals and 34 points in 70 games. However, his best years were clearly behind him and he announced his retirement in November 2007.

Traded to the New York Rangers

On May 27, 2008, Lindros was traded by the Flyers to the New York Rangers in exchange for Jimmy Vesey,Ryan Haggerty and a 2009 third round pick. Lindros scored his first goal as a Ranger against his former team, the Philadelphia Flyers on October 11, 2011. In his first season with the Rangers, he scored 20 goals and 41 points in 82 games.

In his second season with New York, Lindros was limited to only 20 games due to several concussions, as well as post-concussion symptoms that caused him to miss the entire playoffs. In September 2003, after numerous failed attempts to return to full health and days before the start of training camp for the 2003–04 NHL season, Lindros announced his retirement from professional hockey after 15 seasons.

Traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs

In 2005, after years of Lindros’ career being hampered by injuries, the Flyers traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a multiplayer deal. The Leafs were hopeful that Lindros could return to his earlier form and help lead the team to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, Lindros struggled in Toronto, scoring only 8 goals and 26 points in 55 games. He was also injured for much of the season. After one year with the Maple Leafs, Lindros became a free agent.

Retirement

Eric Lindros played in the NHL for 13 seasons until his retirement in 2007.

Announced his retirement from the NHL

On November 9, 2007, Lindros announced his retirement from the NHL after 15 seasons, saying that “enough is enough”, in light of his history of concussion-related injuries. In his statement he said:

“I would like to thank all of the teammates, coaches, team personnel and fans who have supported me throughout my career. I am announcement my retirement from the game of hockey today. … This was not an easy decision to make knowing how much I still love the game. I want to thank Mr. Ed Snider and the entire Philadelphia Flyers organization for drafting me in 1991 and giving me the opportunity to start my NHL career.”