04/24/24
November 08, 2007
Lindros announces retirement, donates $5,000,000 to Ontario hospital: I truly enjoyed my days of playing, and look forward to the next chapter of my life.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 05:10 PM - 15 comments
Class act all the way . . . Can this be broadcast to other Professional athletes? Or maybe others of good fortune? It seems most have lost touch with the "common" folk. Just my 2 cents . . .
posted by B-2 Spirit at 06:07 PM on November 08, 2007
When Lindros was a young man people thought that he would do great things. I am glad that turned out to be true.
posted by kyrilmitch_76 at 06:51 PM on November 08, 2007
This was a great read. Thanks for this Tommy. Glad to hear he sees that there can be life after a playing career.
posted by brainofdtrain at 10:36 PM on November 08, 2007
Nice move, Lindros. Always a player I cheered against on the ice rink, but making a classy move like that really changes my impression of him.
posted by tahoemoj at 12:09 PM on November 09, 2007
Hall of Famer? I say yes. Over a point per game and some great international moments. Plus he was arguably a top 3 player in the league for about 3 years there. And it's the hockey hall of fame - Michel Goulet anyone?
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:07 PM on November 09, 2007
Hall of Famer? I say yes. Bob Pulford anyone?
posted by tommybiden at 03:18 PM on November 09, 2007
I was going to ask whether Modano was a Hall of Famer in the Modano thread, which got me to thinking. In baseball, I feel I have a pretty good sense of what makes a Hall of Famer and what (arguably arbitrary) milestones (3,000 hits, 300 wins, 500 home runs (now probably 600)) are generally sufficient, but not necessary conditions to entry. What are the similar milestones (if any) for hockey? What accomplishments (e.g., multiple Stanley Cups, one or more MVP awards, etc.) would help the candidacy of someone who comes up short on pure numbers?
posted by holden at 03:40 PM on November 09, 2007
Ah, they're so inclusive it's hard to suggest there are any real milestones - though 500 goals is close to a lock. So is a career average of over a point a game. Not a lot of guys do those things. But hockey isn't as much of a numbers game. A guy like Chelios is a good example of a player who is so much better than any numbers could suggest. He's a first ballot lock.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 05:29 PM on November 09, 2007
A guy like Chelios is a good example of a player who is so much better than any numbers could suggest. Same goes for Scott Stevens, and Chelios has better offensive numbers than him. If Gillies can get in than Lindros should be a lock. I think 500 goals is an exclisive enough club that anyone who has hit that milestone should been (Pat Verbeek). By virtue of this fact Modano, Roenick, Sakic should all be locks for the hall. I think for goalies 300 wins is a pretty good indicator (of course this would then exlude my favorite net minder Ron Hextall) I think Richter, Cujo, and the obvious choices (Belfour, Brodeur) belong there as well.
posted by HATER 187 at 12:43 AM on November 10, 2007
Ah, they're so inclusive it's hard to suggest there are any real milestones - though 500 goals is close to a lock. So is a career average of over a point a game. Not a lot of guys do those thing........ I think 500 goals is an exclusive enough club that anyone who has hit that milestone....... The Hockey HOF works a little differently than those in other sports. Dino Ciccarelli has 608 career goals and 1200 points and is the North Stars all-time goals scorer yet isn't a member of the Hall. He also is considered by many as the best player no never win a Cup. His career was tainted by several off the ice incidents that include arrest and conviction for indecent exposure and assaults on members of the media. He's also remembered for a vicious stick attack on Leaf's D'man Luke Richardson. I believe these issues have been used by the induction committee to exclude Ciccarelli from the Hall. The Induction Committee is an 18 Member Selection Committee of HOF'ers and Media Personalities. Only a relatively short 3 year period is required after retirement. (This was waived for 10 players considered exceptional). There are many that believe the current standards are too lax. It's also criticized for having an over representation of Original 6 Inductee's at the expense of WHA and International Players. As for Lindros many won't forget his disdain for the Nordiques on Draft Day with "nasty comments" and refusing to wear the jersey. His career will be marked as incomplete by some due to the his many injury shortened seasons and career. He does have 2 or 3 great years and 1 League MVP Honor. His career reminds me most of Cam Neely (2005 Inductee) and the numbers are similar as are the rash of injuries both suffered through-out their careers. I believe Lindros worthy of induction but the committee will probably make him wait more than 3 years.
posted by skydivedad at 04:22 AM on November 10, 2007
>Dino Ciccarelli... is considered by many as the best player no never win a Cup. I'd put most if not all of these guys ahead of him. Marcel Dionne, Darryl Sittler, Bill Gadsby, Brad Park, Marcel Dionne, Gilbert Perreault, Mike Gartner, Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert, Michel Goulet, Peter Statsny.
posted by Philfromhavelock at 09:28 AM on November 10, 2007
Wow Phil That's an amazing list of talent that never won a Cup. I'd say your right on most of those guys being better and I had forgotten about several of them when I typed that comment. It's just that I moved to Michigan several years ago and hear that argument about Dino all the time from the Wings fans around here. Yikes......I'm going native....
posted by skydivedad at 09:56 AM on November 10, 2007
Mike Gartner seemingly played for every team in the League and he never won a cup. Wow. I hadn't remembered that. Ciccarelli should get in. I always felt that was a bit of an oversight. Maybe not as big an oversight as Glenn Anderson, but close enough.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:19 AM on November 12, 2007
Gartner holds the (unofficial) record for playing the most games for a Stanley Cup winning team without being getting his name on the Cup. (Seventy two games when the Rangers traded him at deadline.)
posted by Philfromhavelock at 07:05 PM on November 12, 2007
Good for him on the donation. Sad career in some ways, but it sounds like he has good perspective on it. Too bad that his donation to the hospital was in Canadian dollars . . . wait, what's that you say? The U.S. dollar is worth what? Well, I'll be damned. Errr . . . good thing for the hospital his donation was in Canadian dollars.