Philadelphia Flyers: 5 best captains in franchise history
By Tim Boyle
2. Best Philadelphia Flyers Captain – Eric Lindros
Maybe this is the personal bias pick or maybe NHL Hall of Famer Eric Lindros truly is the second-best captain in team history. He ranks ninth in goals, seventh in assists, and sixth in points on the team. For me, Lindros was exactly what hockey was supposed to be.
The Flyers of the 1990s were defined by the presence of Lindros. A huge trade first brought him to the organization. Not named the captain until September 6, 1994, there was an obvious change the first season under Lindros.
There was a lengthy playoff drought for the team after the 1988-1989 season. For five straight seasons, the team finished outside of the chase for the postseason. Lindros’ first season as captain, a shortened season of 48 games, got them back. They would make the playoffs every year with Lindros as captain. The biggest season was the 1996-1997 trip to the Stanley Cup finals versus the Detroit Red Wings.
The organization was completely different with Lindros as captain. His 290 goals, 369 assists, and 946 penalty minutes were an unusual combination of points and toughness. Although there’s an argument to say he didn’t quite live up to the Wayne Gretzky-level hype he came into the NHL with, he was the second-best captain the Flyers have had.