How did people feel about Lindros refusing to play for the Nordiques?

[Perfect_Drug]

I always pictured him as an unlikable brat after that.
In hindsight knowing what I know now about head trauma, I probably wouldn't have been so happy about Scott Stevens, and the concussions (But I was sure as hell happy back when it happened).

I'm also quite glad he never won a cup. Good chance he would have his name etched on the cup had he stuck with Sakic and the gang.


He never said anything about Aubut until it was a convenient excuse decades later.

 

[Voight]

It wasn't political at all. The media made it political. The Lindros family didn't liked Marcel Aubut that's all. And if you know Aubut then you know the Lindros family was right...People keep saying thing like "Lindros hated french canadians blah blah" heck... Eric Lindros wife is a french canadian from Quebec City

Weird - Sakic, Sundin and Owen Nolan all had no issues playing for Aubut.

 

[Gee Wally]

Discussion better suited for History of Hockey board.

Also please refrain from ‘political’ posts as they may be deleted.

Thanks.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

Lindros' refusal to play for the team arguably resulted in their relocation. If he was such a big draw, he could've propped up that franchise. They would've almost doubtlessly won at least one Cup had he stayed, and the likelihood that they move after that? Low.

 

[The Macho King]

Lindros' refusal to play for the team arguably resulted in their relocation. If he was such a big draw, he could've propped up that franchise. They would've almost doubtlessly won at least one Cup had he stayed, and the likelihood that they move after that? Low.

It's not like they didn't have star players.

I don't know - that relocation feels destined, whether he played there or not.

 

[Tom Polakis]

Except the purpose of the draft is infusing high-end talent to teams that are lacking in it to create more parity in the league. I agree with you that people should be able to decide where they live and work, but things like this completely fly in the face of the league and I don't think it's too much to ask to adhere to the norms of the league in which you play. As an NHLer you're nothing like a non-athlete; there are pros and cons to it just like there is with any other job on the planet. I'm a big Giants fan (NFL) and I don't think what Eli Manning did was right. It just seems to be against the spirit of the game.

Yes, that's the 'larger picture' problem with what he did. You're employed not only by a team, but also by a larger organization. It sets a bad precedent if any prospect is allowed to refuse to be drafted by a team.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

It's not like they didn't have star players.

I don't know - that relocation feels destined, whether he played there or not.

I mean then f*** it, eventually he gets what he wants anyway if they relocate to a different city, so why even fuss?

 

[NyQuil]

It's not like they didn't have star players.

I don't know - that relocation feels destined, whether he played there or not.

Lindros really was special.

I got his autograph while he was an Oshawa General and when they came to town to play the Ottawa 67's, it was a madhouse. The entire city was abuzz.

It was on this card incidentally:

This is a guy who was put on the 1991 Canada Cup team without having played a single NHL game.

 

[The Macho King]

I mean then **** it, eventually he gets what he wants anyway if they relocate to a different city, so why even fuss?

Well presumably he isn't a wizard and didn't know that Quebec would be relocating at the time of the draft.

 

[The Macho King]

Not doubting Lindros' hype - I just don't know if QC's issue was an inability to fill the barn or something more fundamental that led to their relocation.

 

[tntkid]

Lindros is the reason that Quebec/Colorado won a cup.
Philly never won a cup because of all the great players they gave up for him.

Lindros has always been an arrogant jerk and a spoiled brat.

 

[Mario le Magnifique]

Were they indifferent? Offended? Was it a French Canadian vs English Canadian thing?

I always wondered how people generally felt about it at the time. Anybody can share some insight?

Lindros told, years later, in Quebecs show Tout le monde en parle, that Marcel Aubut, Nordiques owner, sexually harassed his mother and that he was gonna play for Quebec before multiple incidents between Aubut and Lindros' mom happened, and the family decided that a Lindros would never play for Aubut. Of course, media then
Ran away with the racism accusations. Aubut since has been accused by many other women, a bit like Harvey Weinstein. That dirty old and ugly ball sack who sold the Nordiques, a championship winning team (ty Philly), to Colorado. One Quebecer that I despise from the bottom of my heart.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Not doubting Lindros' hype - I just don't know if QC's issue was an inability to fill the barn or something more fundamental that led to their relocation.

From what I recall, Quebec City itself was in financial trouble at that time. Seem to remember a commentator saying something like "the city cannot justify helping a hockey team financially while its having to close hospitals at the same time".

 

[Troubadour]

All he had to do was learn French, like Stastny did.

Different situation. The Stastnys decided to defect and initiated contact with the Nordiques, as the Nords had drafted Anton in 1979. Aubut helped them defect and settle down in a culture that seemed like a paradise compared with the Commnist Slovakia.

 

[tony d]

This was early in my hockey fandom days but I somewhat remember a little disgust about it. Got to wonder if he had stayed with the Nordiques if they would have moved.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

POS move in his part that ironically let to them winning Cups while he went no where in Philly

 

[BlueBaron]

Except the purpose of the draft is infusing high-end talent to teams that are lacking in it to create more parity in the league. I agree with you that people should be able to decide where they live and work, but things like this completely fly in the face of the league and I don't think it's too much to ask to adhere to the norms of the league in which you play. As an NHLer you're nothing like a non-athlete; there are pros and cons to it just like there is with any other job on the planet. I'm a big Giants fan (NFL) and I don't think what Eli Manning did was right. It just seems to be against the spirit of the game.

Well of course you don't think it's too much to ask, it's not your life. I don't think it's too much to ask for you to move to Brazil. Let us know when you get there.

"The spirit of the game" is very fan serving and owner friendly.

If you have the power to make your life better/happier as Lindros did why wouldn't you? He ran a risk, bad reputation, no one wanting him and being black listed, losing money by not playing, not getting endorsements due to uncertainty.

Ultimately I think anyone who feels strongly about it probably is thinking more about the league or their team then they are about the player and his family. Billionaire owners don't need your sympathy.

 

[FourRings]

Well of course you don't think it's too much to ask, it's not your life. I don't think it's too much to ask for you to move to Brazil. Let us know when you get there.

"The spirit of the game" is very fan serving and owner friendly.

If you have the power to make your life better/happier as Lindros did why wouldn't you? He ran a risk, bad reputation, no one wanting him and being black listed, losing money by not playing, not getting endorsements due to uncertainty.

Ultimately I think anyone who feels strongly about it probably is thinking more about the league or their team then they are about the player and his family. Billionaire owners don't need your sympathy.

Aren’t most things supposed to be fan serving? Hockey is, after all, entertainment. If you don’t want to adhere to the rules or norms, find a different career or play for a different league.

Some guys get drafted to places like Toronto, others get Quebec City. It’s part of the business. When you hit FA, then exercise your right to move.

Multi-millionaire athletes don’t need my sympathy either.

 

[BlueBaron]

Aren’t most things supposed to be fan serving? Hockey is, after all, entertainment. If you don’t want to adhere to the rules or norms, find a different career or play for a different league.

Some guys get drafted to places like Toronto, others get Quebec City. It’s part of the business. When you hit FA, then exercise your right to move.

Multi-millionaire athletes don’t need my sympathy either.

So no one should ever try to change things, test limits or challenge norms? Sounds like fascism.

He also worked within the rules.

Lets agree to disagree. I'm pretty big on individual rights and freedoms.

 

[LeafsNation75]

So no one should ever try to change things, test limits or challenge norms? Sounds like fascism.

He also worked within the rules.

Lets agree to disagree. I'm pretty big on individual rights and freedoms.

When Bryan Berard was drafted 1st overall by Ottawa in 1995 he realized later on that he didn't want to play for them because of their management team and was eventually traded.

 

[BlueBaron]

When Bryan Berard was drafted 1st overall by Ottawa in 1995 he realized later on that he didn't want to play for them because of their management team and was eventually traded.

Good point, same thing but no one ever talks about him, less of a star I guess.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

f***ing the draft over is a scum bag move. It exists for a reason.

 

[Kennedys]

Besides Lindros being booed when he played in Quebec City against the Nordiques, was he ever booed for the same reason when he played against the Canadiens while with the Flyers and Rangers? I only ask because I remember in his only season in Toronto when the Leafs played in Montreal he was booed each time the puck was on his stick.

Like i said the media made it political but it wasn't. A lot of people think the media only tell the truth all the time so yea Lindros was probably booed for the same reason in Montreal.

 

[Pyrophorus]

This is pretty false. What, the SSM holdout was a 'political/linguistic' thing too?

I said, I saw it this way and few others did as well.

SSM was a too far away from home thing, according to Bonnie.

 

[Pyrophorus]

This is how I remember it as well. Lindros is generally seen much more positive these days, but right around the draft thing, public opinion was not kind.

I thought it was more his mom.