Eric Lindros was special. He was a celebrity in Canada long before making his NHL debut, and it didn’t take him long to show why everyone saw him as the next big thing in world hockey.
During his first year in the NHL, Lindros scored 75 points in 61 games. But he wasn’t just a great goal-scorer. Lindros had almost unique physical attributes, and it was almost impossible to bully him on the ice.
Lindros just loved the physical game. He flew into tackles, and he used his body great. Lindros only played 760 games in his career, and he’s still acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time.
He recorded a whopping 865 points in an almost absurd points-to-game ratio. Lindros was an absolute monster when he was healthy; he was every defensemen’s nightmare. Not only did he have the speed and the IQ, but it was also quite impossible to take the puck from him.
But some were better than others at trying to do it. Speaking on ”The Podcast,” Lindros named his toughest-ever opponent, and he took many by surprise with the answer.
”Let me go the toughest player, and this is a great guy, too,” he said.
”The toughest player to play against, who can also participate offensively for his team. It’s one thing to be a shutdown guy and to score five goals a year. And it’s one thing to be a guy like Bobby Holik that goes up against all the No. 1 centers and still contributes to 25-30 goals a year, you know, 55 points.
”He could do absolutely everything. He was such a pain in the ass to play against. Just such a strong guy. He was great at face-offs, had a decent shot, and I got to play with him in New York, and he was deeply underestimated.”
Talk about some strong words! What a tribute from one of the all-time greats.
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