All those miles of bad road Eric Lindros has travelled, he has no desire to do again in reverse.
I dont see any merit in looking back and questioning the past, he said. Im thinking about what lies ahead.
At 38, he says his head is not only clear (I feel pretty lucky based on what a bunch of guys are going through), but on straight about putting on a Flyer jersey again in Saturdays Alumni Game at Citizens Bank Park.
It will be great putting on the orange and black, he said in brief media availability at the park Friday. It will mean a lot to me, it really will.
He won an MVP in Philadelphia, got a Flyers team to a semifinal (1995) and a final (1997), scored 290 goals and 369 assists, in but 486 games. Never mind the dysfunctional relationship between his family and Flyers management, the object of the biggest trade in hockey history was on his way to being almost all of what the Flyers and the hockey world expected when eight concussions virtually wiped out Lindros prime.
Concussions are not such a taboo subject any more, he said. I think things are getting better.
They are going to happen, its inevitable. Do they put the red line back in to slow the game down, widen the boards? These are things the players association will take a look at. Its past the tipping point with how fast the game is and what the body can take.
NHL
By his last days in Philadelphia, Bob Clarke and Ed Snider couldnt take much more of Lindros parents, but his return here, 11 years since his Flyers days ended witheringly with an open ice hit by Scott Stevens in Game 7 of the conference finals, says everything about his and the organizations desire to move on.
I dont know, is it? Im coming down here to enjoy myself, Lindros said when asked about the awkwardness of being in the presence of Clarke, before the two exchanged brief pleasantries about Lindros brother and Clarkes daughter before Eric went on the iceto an ovation from the fansfor a skate at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees.
They do not plan dinner together during Lindros visit. But Clarke, now a Flyers vice president, who has said Lindros belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame, endorsed the Flyers invitation to Lindros.
I got a phone call from Paul Holmgren in late August, asked me if I wanted to come down and I said, Sure, why not? said Lindros.
Im excited about it. This is a great weekend for hockey, a celebration of hockey. Its nice to come back and be able to play in front of Flyers faithful.
You can look back at what happened, depending upon different points of view. But I dont think there is anything positive about focusing on the past. I was very excited when Paul called me.
Jay Greenberg covered the Flyers for 14 years for the Daily News and Evening Bulletin. His history of the Flyers, Full Spectrum, was published in 1996. He can be reached at jayg616@aol.com.