Eric Lindros retiring from NHL: report

Eric Lindros reportedly is hanging up his skates for good.

Lindros, 34, will announce his retirement Thursday in his hometown of London, Ont., a source told the Canadian Press.

Speculation is he will accept a position within the NHL Players' Association under newly hired executive director Paul Kelly.

Lindros compiled points at a Hall of Fame pace, registering 372 goals and 493 assists for 865 points in 760 games over 13 NHL seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars.

Lindroscaptured the Hart Trophy in 1995 with the Flyers after recording 70 points in 46 gamesin alockout-shortened season. Heenjoyed his most productive campaignthe following year,posting career highs in goals (47) and points (115) in 73 games for Philadelphia.

But injuries, especially concussions, eventually took their toll as he averaged only 58 games and never played a full season.

A bullish forward blessed with tremendous skill, Lindros was slowed by six concussions over a 27-month period, and failed to regain the form that earned him MVP honours.

Lindros suffered his first concussion when checked by Darius Kasparaitus on March 7, 1998, missing 18 games.

He sustained four more concussions between 1999 and 2000, but the sixth concussion, on a bone-crunching hit by Scott Stevens, knocked him out of the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs and forced him to sit out the entire 2000-01 NHL season.

Lindros was never the same player after that, but went on to play five more seasons, overcoming two more concussions.

Eric's younger brother, Brett, was forced to retire from the NHL in 1996 at age 20 following a series of concussions.

'The Next One'

Eric Lindros was, arguably, the most coveted junior player of his generation, comparing in stature to Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.

Coined the Next One, the imposing centre with a combative spirit racked up 97 goals and 209 points in 95 games for the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League.

But he quickly became known for bucking the system.

Lindros spurned the Quebec Nordiques, who drafted him No. 1 overall in 1991, and later was awarded to the Flyers, who won out over the Rangers in a nasty trade dispute settled by arbitrator Larry Bertuzzi.

Lindros spent eight seasons in Philadelphia before falling into disfavour with Flyers general manager Bob Clarke, who engaged him in a public war of words after Lindros rejected an $8.5-million US qualifying offer.

Clarke stripped Lindros of his captaincy and steadfastly refused to honour his request to be traded to Toronto, preferring to let him languish in limbo for several months before dealing him to the Rangers on Aug. 20, 2001.

Lindros played three seasons in New York, but he remained prone to injuries and concussions.

Toronto signed him to a free-agent pact on Aug. 11 2005, but he was limited to 32 games by a torn ligament in his left wrist.

The six-time all-star resurfaced with Dallas on July 17, 2006, but injuries sidelined him 33 games in his final NHL campaign.

Lindros played numerous times for Team Canada, winning two world junior titles, the 1991 Canada Cup, an Olympic gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games and a silver medal at the 1992 Albertville Olympics.