Lindros to Retire, Is He a HOFer?

Eric Lindros is set to announce his retirement Thursday, which has raised the question of whether or not he is good enough to be in the Hall of Fame. The debate has become heated, with pro-Lindros vouchers claiming that his stats are better than Cam Neely's, who is in the Hall of Fame. I hope he doesn't get in for one main reason, respect. I have very little respect for Mr. Lindros, and I believe that people in the Hall of Fame should be the most revered and respected in the game of hockey. Eric Lindros doesn't fit the bill.

Eric Lindros was a great player in his prime, and did some good work for the players' association, but is that really enough to get him into the hall? It's not just the way he treated the people of Quebec, it's mainly about the image for me. If Lindros was a model captain and a well respected player, that may have put him over the top like it did with Neely, but he wasn't. He was great in his time, but did nothing else to help the way people viewed him. Image is a key factor in getting into the hall of fame, and it's not a factor that bodes well for him.

Does he deserve to become a HOFer? No way. Will he become one? That's another story. If I was in charge you know what the answer would be, but unfortunately I'm not, so don't rule it out. For the integrity of the Hall of Fame I hope they do not allow Eric Lindros to become a member, they should instead induct a deserving non-member such as Pavel Bure, or Glenn Anderson. It will be an interesting situation when it comes around, but we don't have to worry about it for a few years, so lets just let it go for now...