The Nordiques Pierre Page with Lindros at the 1991 NHL Draft
Lindros, perhaps the most hyped and anticipated player since Wayne Gretzky or perhaps even Bobby Orr, had already led the Oshawa Generals of the OHL to the 1990 Memorial Cup championship with 45 points in 21 playoff games, scored 149 points in 57 games for the Generals to lead the league in scoring in 1991 and was named the league MVP and the CHL Player of the Year.
Lindros with the Oshawa Generals
While Lindros was tearing up Canadian junior hockey, the Quebec Nordiques were the doormats of the NHL, having finished last overall in 1988-89 with 61 points, suffered through a dreadful 1989-90 season during which they scored a mere 31 points before "improving" to 46 points in 1990-91 but still finishing with the worst record in the NHL, earning the right to select first overall for the third consecutive year.
Having already refused to report to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in junior hockey, Lindros again made his wishes known that he had no intention of playing for the Nordiques due to several factors that did not meet his or his agent's satisfaction, including limited marketing potential, high tax rates in Quebec and the difficulties associated with playing in the exclusively French speaking Quebec City.
With both sides at a standoff, the stubborn Nordiques selected him with the first overall pick in the 1991 draft anyway. The even more stubborn Lindros wasted no time in snubbing the Nordiques by refusing to wear the club's jersey for photos.
Lindros refusing to wear a Nordiques jersey at the draft
Undaunted, the Nordiques president Marcel Aubut announced that they would build the team around Lindros and refused to trade him, claiming he would not have a career in the NHL as long as he held out. Meanwhile, Lindros kept himself quite busy has he played for Team Canada in the 1991 Canada Cup, then briefly returned to the Generals for 13 games prior to joining the Canadian National Team for 24 games of their schedule, participated in the 1992 World Junior Tournament followed by playing for Canada in the 1992 Winter Olympics, so there was no shortage of places for him to play during his unprecedented standoff with the Nordiques despite their 10-year, $50 million contract offer.
Lindros skating for Canada during his year long holdout
Eventually, after his year long holdout, the Nordiques relented and traded Lindros at the draft in 1992. The problem was, they agreed to trade him on June 20, 1992 to both the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers in separate deals!
Eventually the NHL arbitrator would rule in favor of the Flyers on June 30th and with that, it was the Flyers who sent a King's Ransom to the Nordiques in the form of Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci, Ron Hextall, Steve Duchesne, Chris Simon, Kerry Huffman, two first-round draft choices (one of which was used to select Jocelyn Thibault while the other was traded away) plus $15 million!
The trade would send the Nordiques franchise on the road to the Stanley Cup, which they would win in 1996 as the Colorado Avalanche in their first season after their relocation to Denver, Colorado.
Today's featured jersey is a 1991-92 Quebec Nordiques team issued Eric Lindros jersey made for Lindros to wear in his anticipated rookie season of 1991-92 with the Nordiques, which went unworn as Lindros made good on his threats to not play for the Nordiques and instead, would embark on a schedule of games with primarily the Canadian National Team until the Nordiques traded him to the Philadelphia Flyers in time for the 1992-93 season.
The 1991-92 season was the first one where the Nordiques changed from one color heat sealed white numbers to two color sewn on twill numbers, white now outlined in red.
Bonus Jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1990-91 Oshawa Generals Eric Lindros jersey as worn the season in which Lindros scored 149 points in 57 games just prior to his being drafted first overall by the Quebec Nordiques.
The 1991-92 season was the first one where the Nordiques changed from one color heat sealed white numbers to two color sewn on twill numbers, white now outlined in red.
Extra bonus jersey:Today's extra bonus jersey is a 1991-92 Canada National Team Eric Lindros jersey as used in the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France while Lindros was refusing to play for the Nordiques in Quebec.
This jersey has all the graphics dye-sublimated onto the jersey and features the unusual white nameplate with red letters on a red jersey.
Today's first video is the Nordiques following through on their promise to take Lindros first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft.
Here is a report on Lindros refusing to play for the Nordiques prior to the draft.
