Eric Lindros sells personal memorabilia through Classic Auctions
By Stephen Laroche | Beckett Hockey Editor
To many hockey card and memorabilia collectors, Eric Lindros is a name that ranks among the all-time greats in the hobby. A little over 25 years ago, he burst onto the scene as a highly-touted prospect and had a remarkable career that ultimately took him to induction in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Recently, Classic Auctions announced that Lindros would be selling off part of his collection of personal memorabilia in the company’s Winter 2017 auction. With over 50 lots that cover his evolution from youth star to NHL legend, there are some treasures which his fans are bound to appreciate. Beckett Hockey spoke with Lindros today and spoke with him about the reason why he has chosen to part with these items.
“Well, it was moving,” he laughed. “I’ve got a family. We’ve got three kids under three and we’re moving. There’s that and the Hall of Fame kind of brought on a few things when they ask you to donate some items that are personal to you that they keep at the Hall for display. I got looking at what I had and with the dust really that was on much of it, I just thought it would be a good time to set something up where someone could enjoy these items.”
Since there are so many unique items, the choice to get rid of some of them proved to be difficult.
“Well, there were a few things. Some of the equipment I really enjoyed. The skates. You can really see the transition of the skates as skates evolved. It got lighter, it got stronger. More support. There’s a bunch of equipment pieces. The shoulder pads, my God, they’re like football pads. Now, guys don’t wear that at all.”
When asked about what pieces of memorabilia he has chosen to keep, there was one very significant jersey that he is unlikely to ever part with.
“I kept the Nordiques sweater I received at the draft,” he revealed. “I’ve got a few things. Don’t get me wrong, I kept some for my kids. I wanted to keep some items to look back on and at how lucky I was, with the good fortune of playing with really good teammates and different situations throughout hockey.”
At the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, Lindros was selected first overall by the Quebec Nordiques. He did not put on the team’s jersey at that time and chose not to report to the club. A year later, he was traded away to the Philadelphia Flyers as part of a controversial blockbuster deal since a trade had also been arranged with the New
York Rangers. An arbitrator, Larry Bertuzzi, ruled that the trade with the Flyers was the valid deal, but tensions remained high whenever Philadelphia paid a visit to Quebec over the next three seasons.
A few days ago, though, Lindros made a television appearance on Radio Canada’s Tout le monde en parle to promote an upcoming documentary and made amends by finally putting the jersey on.
“It was a parting gift I got during a talk show that I did in Montreal last week. It was the sidekick of the lead interviewer said ‘I’ve got a little gift for you for coming on the show’ and it was a Nordiques jersey, so I just thought I’d throw it on!”
Lindros also noted what the plans are for some remaining pieces.
“I kept some stuff for my kids, that’s for sure. I just don’t have to have a big room where we keep stuff everywhere. That’s not the way we are and we just keep things quiet. We don’t have much hockey stuff around and it kind of leads to progress and life transitions and moving. It’s how life unfolds.”
One other item in the auction that collectors may recognize is the press conference jersey that Lindros wore after being acquired by the Flyers. It appeared on several cards during the 1992-93 season and he talked about the experience of visiting Philadelphia for the first time. It was also the first sweater he ever wore with the team.
“Well, I got off the plane and had never been to Philadelphia before in my life. It was a great big city. You’re just a kid. I was 19 years old and was nervous as heck at the press conference. You wanted to say the right things. You want to be on. You want to have some fun, but you have to acknowledge the situation. You’re in a new city. You want to make some friends. You want to meet your teammates. There are just so many things that are spinning in your head that all come in the moment you land in the city you’re going to play in.”
Lindros, who was such a major hobby star during the boom years, spoke about his own childhood card collection that he kept in the classic O-Pee-Chee card locker that could be ordered from the company.
“For sure. I had the O-Pee-Chee box, you know the one that opened the flap and it was 50/50 and you had the Norris Division. That’s what I had.”
Did he have any particular cards that stood out?
“It depended on the year, I guess. It depended on who was playing well and how the teams were doing. I always kept my Mark Messier cards. They were never part of a trade.”
Today, Lindros does not make many appearances on cards and appears to enjoy a quiet life with his family.
“None at all, and I actually don’t do public signings, outside of a few things here and there for reputable people. I try to keep it neat and tidy. That’s the process here, too, with Classic Auctions, and asking around and talking with some of the guys who have been part of the process and deal with Marc (Juteau) and with the job
that he did and how thorough he was. If you’re going to do it, do it with the best. That’s what we’ve got here as well.”
One of the items being sold is an enormous lot of 35,000 small sets featuring Lindros that was produced in conjunction with his book, Fire On Ice, that came out in 1991. Collectors could order the set as part of a mail-in promotion and it featured photos of him skating as a toddler, playing shinny with his brother, Brett, and posed in a locker room.
“I wasn’t on a pro contract, so no one had my rights and I did a deal with Score hockey cards. Dan Shedrick was the name of the fellow I did the deal with. We just put together a set and I think it was mail order. I still see them from time to time, but I hadn’t seen that many of them. They were in my parents’ attic.”
For many years, the multitude of sets were located in the attic of his parents’ house and were discovered when getting items together for Marc Juteau of Classic Auctions.
“Marc stood up in the attic and I was going up and down the ladder. You were having a coffee up there, weren’t you, Marc?”
“Yeah,” laughed Juteau. “With your Mom.”
“I was hoofing them down the ladder to the stairs,” Lindros continued. “My Dad was helping me get them to the front door. So, the two of us are getting a workout and
Marc and my Mom are just chatting away like birds up top!”
Having retired nearly a decade ago, Lindros has transitioned into life after the game and quickly spoke about what he is up to today.
“It starts with out three little ones. Carl, he’ll be three in June and our twins are 17 months. It all starts there and generally starts early every day. We’ve got some small interests around town. It seems to be going well. It’s not as fun as hockey,” he laughed. “I’ve been keeping busy and meeting new people and have some fun with it.”
Ultimately, what does Lindros hope that fans and collectors get out of purchasing his memorabilia?
“I just hope they have fun. I hope they have fun with them. It’s something tangible that you can have and I think every piece brings back a bit of memory and they’re all different – with the exception of 35,000 cards. It’s fun. It’s adult toys. It’s fun stuff… This is what this auction is about, too. Remembering great times. Each piece has its own little spot on the time clock and just the whole process of going through it was a lot of fun. It brought back great memories. That’s what collecting is about. I still have a Mark Messier stick that I got on my 16th birthday. I’m not ever going to let go of that. It’s things like that. It gives it an element of tangibility. It’s something that people can touch and grasp.”
Bidding for the Winter 2017 Classic Auction ends on March 7. A complete catalog can be found here.
Stephen Laroche is the editor of Beckett Hockey, Beckett Basketball, and Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazines. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at slaroche@beckett.com or follow him on Twitter @Stephen_Laroche.
