Lindros honoured by Hall of Fame induction
Former NHLer and Oshawa General Eric Lindros is among the group set to be inducted into the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame this May.
By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express
It’s all great memories when Eric Lindros thinks back on Oshawa.
A member of the Oshawa Generals from 1990 to 1992, he was instrumental in the team’s 1990 Memorial Cup victory, and despite only a brief stint in the city during his teenage years, Lindros will soon be enshrined in the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame.
“It’s an honour to be inducted. We had a wonderful time here for a number of years,” Lindros tells The Oshawa Express.
Lindros, who went on to spend more than a decade in the NHL with the Philidelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs, is joined by Olympic gold medal gymnast Elena Davydov, former motocross star Ron Keys, badminton player Peter Stephenson and the late sports broadcaster Gord Garrison as part of the hall of fame’s 2016 inductees.
Thinking back on his time in Oshawa, Lindros says there are lots of things that stand out, but one in particular more than others.
“Winning, that sums it up,” he says with a laugh. “I think back to having great teammates, my billets…great coaching staff and wonderful fans to go and play in front of. We really had a rowdy crew in the old Civic and it was a lot of fun to be playing in front of them.”
Lindros would rack up an impressive 180 goals and 20 assists in 157 games as a Gen.
Lindros is the rare exception in the 2016 inductees, as he only spent a brief period living in Oshawa.
Davydova, who won a gold medal in gymnastics at the 1980 Olympics, has lived in Oshawa since 1991 and owns Gemini Gymnastics.
Keys spent the majority of his racing career living in Oshawa, which would include a five-year stint as the Canadian national champion from 1969 to 1973.
Stephenson has been dedicated to the sport of badminton for decades as both player and coach. Born in Oshawa, he now lives in Whitby.
Garrison is a familiar voice for any old-time fans of the Oshawa Generals, serving as the broadcaster from 1948 to the 1960s. He lived in Oshawa from 1948 until his death in 2009.
The new members will officially be inducted in a ceremony on May 25 at the General Motors Centre.