Fumble: Lindros penalizes players and fans with his silence

As a player, Eric Lindros was not everyone’s cup of tea. His refusal in 1991 to play by the established rules of the NHL entry draft created no small controversy. And arguably, he never quite lived up to his sky-high expectations, although he was among the league’s most dominant players for the better part of fifteen years. However, as the NHLPA’s first independent ombudsman he seemed to be taking on a truly worthy service to the game of hockey. His job was to be a court of last resort for players who felt ill-used – and a de facto check and balance on both the league and its players’ union. Along with the arrival of Paul Kelly as the NHLPA’s new President, Lindros’ appointment was supposed to signal a fresh start. Or not. Lindros abruptly quit his post earlier this week after months of rumoured tension with Kelly. According to leaks and rumours, Lindros was reportedly doing his job too well and the NHLPA President objected. So why fumble Lindros for taking a principled stand in defence of his own independence? Because we don’t know if that’s what really went down. We don’t honestly know if Kelly was interfering inappropriately or if it was just a personality conflict. We don’t know because Lindros has decided to remain stoically silent. Say what you will for keeping your dirty laundry out of the living room, if Lindros was exercising truly sound communications judgment, he would be sharing his side of things. When hockey fans are left to wonder what the real story is, when others might fill the air with phony versions to suit their own ends and when the NHLPA is still battling to restore the integrity of its brand, Lindros would be well advised to speak up and speak out. After all, he wasn’t shy when it came to saying “Non” to Nordiques fans.