Nicholas got his first wish–Lindros welcomed him to a Canadian Olympic team practice and presented him with an autographed hockey stick. But the Toronto teen is still smarting from his own disappointment last year when, as top pick in the NHL draft, he was selected by the Quebec Nordiques. Lindros didn’t want to spend his career in a provincial backwater, especially one that is talking about secession. So he refused to sign. “There are a lot of places I’m willing to play,” Eric says. “There’s just one where I won’t.” Sitting out the NHL season made Lindros available for Canada’s Olympic team, which hasn’t won a gold since 1952 or a medal of any kind since a bronze in 1968.
At 6 feet 5 and 225 pounds, Lindros plays a physical game. That style may hamper him in France, where the large Olympic rink requires speed more than strength and refs frown on fierce body checks. By the time Lindros returns from France, he hopes Quebec will have traded their rights to him. Regardless, he has no regrets. “It’s really fun to be part of the Olympics,” he says. “Of course, winning would be the best fun of all.
