Lindros Could Get Hall of Fame Call Monday

Between now and Monday at 3:00 P.M. ET, a few people could receive the most important phone call of their lives.

What makes this year’s Hall of Fame Class different than others in the past is that there isn’t any first-year candidates that are slam dunks to get inducted. What this means is that some guys who have been waiting for their chance to be enshrined in Toronto could finally get their chance.

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Topping that list is Eric Lindros. Lindros had a Hall-of-Fame type of career before it was derailed by injury. Concussions and other serious injuries limited his career to 13 years and 760 regular season games, but he did win the Hart Trophy in 1995,  and led the Flyers to the 1997 Stanley Cup Final and averaged over a point a game in the regular season and playoffs. He missed less than seven regular season games twice his career (46 of 48 in 1995 and 81 of 82 in 2002-03) but managed to score 372 goals and 865 points.

It should be also noted that every Hart Trophy winner since 1945 is in the Hall of Fame and to keep Lindros out would be an abnormality. He has similar career statistics as Peter Forsberg who is already in the Hall. With first-ballot candidate Teemu Selanne becoming eligible next year, now could be the time for Lindros.

There are 18 members of the balloting committee and they value winning and longevity, which is why Lindros isn’t in the Hall yet as he appeared in only one Stanley Cup Final and never won it. He needs 14 votes, which will reach the 75 percent threshold to get in.

There are a maximum of four male and two female players who can be inducted in any one year (in addition to a maximum of two builders and one official). Other players who could contend with Lindros include:

  • Mark Recchi
  • Sergei Makarov
  • Dave Andreychuck
  • Curtis Joseph
  • Alexander Mogilny
  • Paul Kariya
  • Jeremy Roenick
  • Rod Brind’Amour
  • Chris Osgood

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