Eric Lindros joins ‘incredible list' with Living Legend Award

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CHERRY HILL, N.J -- What can you say about Eric Lindros that hasn’t been said so far?
 
He was the fifth-fastest player to score 500 points (just 352 games). He scored 865 points in 760 NHL games.
 
Lindros ranks among the Flyers’ top 10 in goals (290), assists (369) and points (659). He is also third in all-time scoring among Flyers centermen.
 
This past November, Lindros was enshrined into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
 
Friday night, “The Big E” was honored by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association with its Living Legend Award, an honor that has been given to such athletes as Bill Bergey, Billy Cunningham, Richie Ashburn and Larry Holmes.
 
“It’s been an incredible year. A year to reflect,” Lindros said after receiving the award at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. “I think about how fortunate I am and the people I’ve met along the way … the sacrifices of parents.
 
“Every event is meaningful. You look back to who has won this in the past, it’s an incredible list and a real honor to be associated with them.”
 
Lindros was the most dominant power forward of his generation in the 1990s and played eight of his 13 NHL seasons as a Flyer, for whom he is a member of the team’s Hall of Fame, as well.
 
His “Legion of Doom” line had two years of remarkable seasons under coach Terry Murray, with a record 255 points in 1995-96 and 235 points in 1996-97, the only year he, John LeClair and Mikael Renberg skated together in a Stanley Cup Final.
 
“It wasn’t until I was 15 or 16 that I thought maybe I could take a shot at this and play pro and make a team,” Lindros said. “I never thought for a second that things would evolve into what they did. I just never thought at that scale. Just thought about playing.”
 
Lindros said he still appreciates the bond he shared with Flyers fans despite all the concussion turmoil and issues he had with management during the end of his career with the franchise.
 
His ovation at the 2012 Winter Classic was among the loudest of any anyone, even louder than Bob Clarke. The fans loved him and remembered him and appreciate what he meant to the future generation of athletes in terms of understanding the complexities of post-concussion syndrome.
 
“I never felt a disconnect with the fans here, as Flyer fans are a special group,” Lindros said. “Paul Holmgren reaching out to me in early-2011, we talked through a bunch of things. He mentioned the outdoor game and pieces fell together.”
 
Lindros said he really enjoyed these past several days here meeting with friends.
 
“You live here so long, you make friends,” he said. “It’s good to see people and cruise around the rink and see people who helped out at the Spectrum and then CoreStates Center. People you want to say hi to.”
 
Friday night, they said hi back to Lindros in a big way. 

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