Faceoff Factor

The Player You Loved To Hate – Big E Punches Out

Contributing Writers | National Hockey League

Nov 9, 07:21 PM | Hype this story!

_The following has been written by Brian Metzer, a friend of Faceoff Factor’s, who writes for HockeyBuzz.com

I can’t speak for all Penguin fans, but I think that it is fair to say that most of them learned to hate Eric Lindros. I know that I did. The original “Next One” brought out an ire I didn’t even realize could exist in me. Was it because he chose not to play for the team that drafted him, the Quebec Nordiques? Maybe it was the crazy trade packages that the he generated prior to playing a single NHL game? Or was it that he wasn’t a Penguin and instead thrived in games against them?

I think it was a little of all of those things, but most of all, it came down to his complete dominance during the early ‘90s. The best player in hockey was a mantle that belonged to the Penguins for as long as I could comprehend the game. Then this behemoth of a man came along, the prototypical power forward, and he was giving my guys a run for their money.

Big E was unstoppable at his peak and when he was combined with Johnny Vermont (John Leclair) and Renny (Mikael Renberg), it turned into something that I hadn’t seen before. Sure we had Mario, Artie and Dicky, but this Legion of Doom not only struck fear in the opposition with their offensive ability, they would beat the life out of you. The biggest hitter of the group was definitely Lindros and it probably forced his early retirement.

His style of play was one of controlled chaos; he didn’t shy away from contact and most of the time he thrived on it. Number 88 would drive the corner, crush defenseman before they could get at him and do whatever it took to secure his patch of ice. Lindros was reckless in an exciting way, but that also put him in position to be hit, which is what started the concussions.

Lindros scored 40+ goals during his first two seasons in the league and beat out the Penguins Jaromir Jagr for the Hart Trophy during the lockout shortened season of 1995. He went on to lead the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings in 1997, but came up short in his only Finals appearance.

Big E will now take his controlled chaos on a trip through the NHLPA, which is where many feel he will make his next and biggest contributions. He will also spearhead concussion awareness around the NHL.

Eric Lindros will always hold a special spot in my heart…the same spot where I keep David Volek, John Madden, Ron Hextall and company. Pittsburgh will miss the player they loved to hate…The Big E Train has pulled out of the station.