5 defining moments in Eric Lindros' career
No player has had their inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame debated more than Eric Lindros.
Lindros, who will be formally inducted Monday, was the definition of "power forward" in the '90s, combining brute strength with finesse in a way fans haven't seen since.
Despite the former Philadelphia Flyers captain being honored by the league, it's well documented that Lindros, thanks to injuries, didn't have the career many envisioned for him.
That aside, "The Big E" provided hockey fans with more than a decade of memorable moments during a very dramatic career.
The hit
It will go down as the darkest moment of his career, and one that brought his time as a Flyer to a close.
On May 26, 2000, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final, Scott Stevens delivered arguably the most iconic hit in NHL history on Lindros, catching the Flyers captain cutting across the neutral zone with his head down.
The hit caused the most devastating of the confirmed eight concussions Lindros suffered over his career.
The following summer, he'd become a restricted free agent, but, after refusing a two-way deal from the Flyers, would sit out the 2000-01 season before being dealt to the New York Rangers.
Snubbing the Nordiques
Even before he first stepped onto NHL ice, Lindros made a significant impact on the league - for all the wrong reasons.
Prior to the 1991 NHL Draft, he made it clear he wouldn't report to the Quebec Nordiques if the team plucked him first overall.
The Nordiques selected him anyway, and chaos ensued. The 18-year-old stuck to his guns, sitting out the entire '91-92 season until the team mercifully dealt the towering forward to the Flyers the following June.
That put an end to the stalemate, and launched a Hall of Fame career.
Memorable trip to Quebec
Talk about sticking it to your old team. Well, sort of your old team.
On Oct. 13, 1992 - Lindros' first year in the league - the rookie visited the rink he refused to call home.
The game was extra chippy, for obvious reasons, but, in the end, despite the Nordiques walking away with a 6-3 victory, the game was overshadowed by Lindros' two goals in the losing effort.
What could have been ...
The 1994-95 season
As far as accolades go for Lindros, it will be the 1994-95 season that defines his career.
The lockout-shortened campaign saw him collect the Hart Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Award, and a first-team All-Star nod while potting 29 goals and adding another 41 assists in 46 games.
Of course, the bump came with the introduction of the infamous "Legion of Doom" line consisting of Lindros, Mikael Renberg, and John LeClair.
The line combined for 80 goals and 176 points in the shortened season, and went on to wreak havoc the following year with an additional 121 goals and 255 points.
Game 4 of the '97 Eastern Conference Final
Few goals over Lindros' career will be remembered more than his dramatic overtime winner during the 1997 Eastern Conference Final.
The Flyers - up two games to one over the Rangers - looked to take a stranglehold on the series.
The game went back and forth, with both clubs playing to a 2-2 score late in the third period. That was until Jeff Beukeboom took a double-minor for high-sticking in the closing minutes. Things looked to be heading to overtime until - with just seven seconds remaining in regulation - Lindros hopped on a rebound and shoveled a backhand past Mike Richter.
The Flyers took a 3-1 series lead and went on to win Game 5 to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.