The Collision Course: A Generational Talent and a Franchise on the Brink

The 1991 National Hockey League Entry Draft was destined to be more than a procedural selection of amateur talent. It marked an inflection point in the league’s history. At its center was a player of almost mythical hype. A franchise teetered on the brink of collapse. Eric Lindros was a physical specimen with unparalleled skill. He was not just a prospect. He was “The Next One,” the consensus first-overall pick. Eric was anointed as the heir apparent to Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. His destination seemed preordained. The Quebec Nordiques had secured the top pick for an unprecedented third consecutive year. They achieved this by virtue of their profound on-ice failures. 

This impending union was not merely a story of a struggling team pinning its hopes on a savior. It was a perfect storm. There was a convergence of cultural friction, economic disparity, and institutional weakness. Each of these factors would expose every fault line in the pre-lockout NHL. The conflict that ensued was not an accident but an outcome virtually guaranteed by the league’s own structural framework. The draft system was designed to funnel the most valuable assets to the most desperate teams. It was set to collide with the burgeoning era of player empowerment. This era was embodied by a young man who understood his own leverage better than any prospect before him. 

The saga of Eric Lindros and the Quebec Nordiques became a microcosm of a league in transition. It was a business and labor case study that laid bare the systemic issues plaguing the NHL. These issues included the absence of a salary cap and revenue sharing. The financial state of its Canadian franchises was perilous due to battling a weak dollar. Additionally, the most critical transactions were handled in an informal, “gentleman’s agreement” nature. The drama that unfolded over the next year was significant. The public refusal, the year-long holdout, the chaotic double-trade, and the unprecedented arbitration shaped the future of three franchises. This drama also spurred fundamental changes to the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement and its economic model. Its legacy continues to resonate in the league today.  

The Prodigy and the Precipice

The Making of “The Next One”

Before his name became synonymous with controversy, Eric Lindros was a phenomenon. Standing at a towering 6 feet 4 inches and weighing 240 pounds, he was both powerful and skilled. He was a fearsome combination of brute force and sublime skill. As a power forward, he could skate like a smaller man. He also possessed a devastatingly hard and quick wrist shot. He was, as Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke noted, ready for the NHL at the age of sixteen. His dominance in the junior ranks was absolute. Lindros played for the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He had a highly decorated junior career. His achievements were exceptional and highly acclaimed. In the 1990-91 season, he was an offensive juggernaut. He scored 71 goals and provided 78 assists. This amounted to 149 points in just 57 games. That year, he swept the league’s major awards. He won the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the top scorer. He claimed the Red Tilson Trophy as MVP. He also earned the CHL Player of the Year award and the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award. A year earlier, he led the Generals to a Memorial Cup championship. This victory in 1990 marked the pinnacle of Canadian junior hockey.  

His prowess extended well beyond the OHL. Lindros became a fixture for Team Canada, representing his country with distinction on the international stage. He won gold medals at the World Junior Championships in 1990 and 1991. His 31 career points in the tournament stood as the Canadian record for over three decades. This record was surpassed in 2023. Impressively, he earned a spot on the 1991 Canada Cup team. This accomplishment occurred before he was ever drafted into the NHL. As an 18-year-old amateur, he played alongside established NHL superstars. He contributed three goals and two assists. He also delivered punishing body checks for the victorious Canadian squad. He was not just a prospect; he was already a proven commodity against the world’s best.  

Critically, Lindros and his family had already demonstrated a willingness to wield their considerable leverage. When he was first eligible for the OHL draft, he was selected by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Lindros refused to report to the team. He cited a desire to play closer to his home in the Greater Toronto Area. He did not want to move north. This unprecedented move by a 16-year-old forced a trade to the Oshawa Generals. This action led the OHL to change its rules to allow players to play closer to home. This early episode was a clear signal of intent, a foreshadowing of the larger battle to come. It established a pattern of behavior. If the situation was not to his liking, Eric Lindros was ready to defy convention and force a change.  

The State of the Quebec Nordiques

While Lindros was ascending to hockey royalty, the Quebec Nordiques were languishing in the NHL’s dungeon. The franchise was defined by on-ice futility. It finished dead last in the league for three consecutive seasons before the 1991 draft. In the two seasons immediately prior, they had managed a combined total of just 28 wins. Their 1990-91 campaign was a particularly bleak affair, ending with a record of 16 wins, 50 losses, and 14 ties. This prolonged misery brought a paradoxical reward during the pre-lottery draft era. The team acquired a treasure trove of high draft picks. The Nordiques had used their top selections in 1989 and 1990 to draft future Hall of Famer Mats Sundin. They also used a top selection to draft powerful winger Owen Nolan. These players were added to a roster that already featured a burgeoning superstar in Joe Sakic. Sakic had exploded for 109 points in the dismal 1990-91 season.  

This accumulation of high-end talent was the organization’s only glimmer of hope. At the same time, it was buckling under severe economic pressure. Quebec City was the NHL’s smallest market, a significant disadvantage in a league without meaningful revenue sharing. The team played its home games in the Colisée de Québec. It was an outdated arena with a low seating capacity of just over 15,000. This limited ticket revenue. The most crippling factor, however, was financial. Like all Canadian-based teams of the era, the Nordiques faced an economic challenge. They collected their revenues in a declining Canadian dollar. However, they had to pay escalating player salaries in the much stronger American dollar. This structural disadvantage was unsustainable. Team owner Marcel Aubut had even made a plea for a government bailout. The plea was ultimately rejected. This rejection cast a long shadow over the franchise’s long-term viability in Quebec.  

In this context, the 1991 first-overall pick was more than just a chance to add another player. For the Nordiques, drafting Eric Lindros represented a potential solution to all their problems. He was the generational talent who could transform their collection of promising young players into a competitive force. More importantly, he was a marketing phenomenon. He could re-energize a weary fanbase. He could fill the Colisée and generate the revenue desperately needed to keep the franchise afloat. He was, in their eyes, the one player who could save professional hockey in Quebec City. This desperation set the stage for them to make the pick, no matter the warnings.

The Standoff (1991-1992)

The Draft Day Refusal

The collision had been building for months. It finally occurred on June 22, 1991, at the NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo. The Lindros camp was led by his parents Bonnie and Carl. Their agent, Rick Curran, was also involved. They had made their position unequivocally clear in the weeks leading up to the event. Eric would not play for the Quebec Nordiques. They had explicitly warned the organization not to select him.  

The Nordiques, however, were undeterred. Armed with the first-overall pick, General Manager Pierre Pagé faced immense pressure to land the franchise-altering talent. He stepped to the podium and made the inevitable announcement. Pagé had reportedly called Lindros a “6-foot-5 Wayne Gretzky.” He made the selection, gambling that the young star would eventually relent. What followed became one of the most iconic and controversial moments in draft history. When Lindros was called to the stage, he walked past the Nordiques officials. He refused to put on the team’s jersey. He also refused to wear the cap for the traditional photo opportunity. It was a quiet but powerful act of defiance, a public confirmation that the warnings were not a negotiating ploy. The battle lines had been drawn on the draft floor, in front of the entire hockey world. 

A War of Words and Wills: Deconstructing the “Why”

In the immediate aftermath of the draft, the public narrative surrounding Lindros’s refusal quickly solidified. It painted him as an arrogant and entitled athlete. The reasons widely circulated in the media focused on his desire to play in a large, English-speaking market. He wanted to maximize his endorsement potential. He was unwilling to embrace Quebec’s Francophone culture. He also showed disdain for joining a team with a “lack of a winning spirit”. In Quebec, this was widely interpreted as an affront to the province and its culture. Fans reacted with anger. They famously donned diapers at games to mock Lindros’s perceived petulance.  

However, as years passed, a different, more personal motivation came to the forefront. Lindros and his representatives have consistently maintained their standpoint. They have emphasized that the decision was not about language, culture, or market size. Instead, it was rooted in a profound and personal distrust of Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut. Lindros himself has spoken of getting a bad “vibe” from Aubut in meetings and hearing about his questionable business reputation. His legal counsel, Gord Kirke, stated plainly that the allegations of Lindros being “anti-Quebec” were “absolutely false”. He explained that the issue “had more to do with the management of the team”. 

This claim was substantiated by one of the most respected figures in Quebec hockey history, Guy Lafleur. Lafleur attended meetings between the Lindros family and the Nordiques. He reportedly looked directly at Aubut. Lafleur said, “Marcel, it’s not about Quebec… He doesn’t want to play for you”. The most damaging allegation emerged later. During a meeting, Aubut made an offensive comment in French about Eric’s mother, Bonnie. He didn’t realize she was bilingual and understood every word. The animosity was so deep. Lindros said he would have refused to play for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. He would have refused had Aubut been the owner. This personal conflict was largely hidden from the public at the time. It was the true engine of the holdout. Meanwhile, the media and the team focused on the more culturally and financially charged narratives. The Lindros camp did not make this the central public argument from the beginning. Their failure allowed their opponents to frame the debate. This strategy cost Lindros dearly in the court of public opinion.  

The Year in Limbo (1991-92)

True to his word, Lindros did not report to Quebec. Instead of beginning his NHL career, he started a unique “holdout tour.” This tour only served to amplify his value. It increased the pressure on the Nordiques. He returned to the Oshawa Generals for a brief but dominant 13-game stint, tallying an incredible 31 points.  

His decision to play for Team Canada on the international stage, however, was a strategic masterstroke. By not sitting out the year entirely, he avoided any questions about his conditioning or commitment. He competed against the world’s best. This systematically dismantled any argument that his talent was unproven at the highest levels. He played in the 1991 Canada Cup against NHL professionals. He was a key member of Canada’s silver medal-winning team at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. There, he scored 11 points in eight games.  

This year in limbo was a high-stakes poker game. Lindros believed that his performance on the world stage would significantly boost his trade value. He thought this would compel the Nordiques to trade him. The Nordiques, meanwhile, held firm, hoping the allure of the NHL would eventually break his resolve. They reportedly tabled a massive 10-year, $50 million contract offer in March 1992, which Lindros rejected. By the time the 1992 NHL draft approached, Quebec’s position had become untenable. Lindros had warned that he would re-enter the draft in 1993 if he wasn’t traded. This would leave the Nordiques with nothing to show for their first-overall pick. His value was at its absolute peak. Quebec’s hand was finally forced. They announced they were officially open to trade offers. This set the stage for one of the most chaotic and consequential transaction sagas in sports history.  

The Trade That Shook the League

The 80-Minute Fiasco

On the morning of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, June 20, the year-long standoff reached its frenzied and bizarre climax. Quebec Nordiques President Marcel Aubut, finally ready to cash in his prized asset, engaged in frantic negotiations with multiple teams. At approximately 10:30 AM, he reached a verbal agreement with Philadelphia Flyers General Manager Russ Farwell. The deal was contingent on one final condition: Lindros had to agree to play in Philadelphia.  

What happened next would become the central point of contention in the entire affair. Aubut granted Farwell permission to call Lindros directly. Farwell made the call and received the assurance he needed: Lindros would accept a trade to the Flyers. In the world of handshake agreements that governed the NHL at the time, the Flyers believed they had their man. However, within a mere 80 minutes, Aubut had second thoughts. After receiving an even more enticing offer from the New York Rangers, he made a  

second verbal agreement, this time with Rangers GM Neil Smith. Suddenly, two of the NHL’s marquee franchises believed they had traded for Eric Lindros. The Nordiques had dealt their superstar twice, plunging the league into unprecedented chaos.  

The King’s Ransoms

The dueling offers represented two of the largest proposed trade packages in league history. This was a testament to the immense value Lindros commanded. Both the Flyers and Rangers were prepared to mortgage a significant portion of their future to acquire him. The competing offers laid bare the desperation of teams to land a generational talent.

Table 1: The Lindros Sweepstakes: Flyers vs. Rangers (June 1992)

Asset Type	Philadelphia Flyers’ Offer (Awarded)	New York Rangers’ Offer (Voided)
Key Players/Prospects	Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Mike Ricci, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Chris Simon	Alexei Kovalev, Tony Amonte, Doug Weight, John Vanbiesbrouck, James Patrick, Sergei Nemchinov
Draft Picks	1st Round Pick (1993), 1st Round Pick (1994)	Three 1st Round Picks
Cash	$15 Million	$12 Million

The Flyers’ package was built around a mix of established veterans and elite prospects. It included their fiery starting goaltender, Ron Hextall. Another key player was a solid offensive defenseman in Steve Duchesne. They also had a tough, two-way center in Mike Ricci. Most crucially, they held the rights to a Swedish prospect named Peter Forsberg. He was considered one of the best young players outside the NHL. The Rangers’ offer featured skilled forwards Alexei Kovalev, Tony Amonte, and Doug Weight. It also included veteran goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck. Defenseman James Patrick was another key part of the offer. Both deals included multiple first-round draft picks and a massive infusion of cash, highlighting the financial desperation of the Nordiques.  

Arbitration and the Critical Phone Call

With two teams claiming the same player, the Flyers filed a formal grievance with the NHL. The league found itself in uncharted territory. It took the extraordinary step of appointing an independent arbitrator. They selected Toronto-based lawyer Larry Bertuzzi to resolve the dispute. The situation exposed just how informal the league’s transaction rules were. Bertuzzi asked the NHL for its written policies on what constituted a trade. He received a single sheet of paper. It contained just two lines. It stated that disputes would be settled by the league president or an arbitrator. 

Bertuzzi conducted an exhaustive five-day hearing. He pored over more than 400 pages of handwritten notes. He also listened to testimony from 11 witnesses, including Lindros, Aubut, Farwell, and Smith. The Flyers’ legal counsel, Phil Weinberg, argued that under objective contract law, a deal is formed through offer. Then, a counteroffer is made. Finally, acceptance completes the process. He claimed that giving Farwell the phone number to reach Lindros was a final act by Aubut. This act signified acceptance. This action formed a binding contract, regardless of what Aubut may have subjectively thought afterward. The Rangers and Nordiques countered that no deal was official until it was formally registered with the league office.  

On June 30, 1992, Bertuzzi issued his landmark ruling: the trade to the Philadelphia Flyers was valid and enforceable. The decision hinged on a single, crucial action. Bertuzzi determined that the phone call between Russ Farwell and Eric Lindros was the “critical” moment. Marcel Aubut authorized this call. It consummated the deal. That call, which occurred roughly 80 minutes before the Rangers finalized their agreement, was the point of no return. The handshake deal with Philadelphia was upheld.  

The fallout from this farcical episode was immediate and lasting. NHL President Gil Stein made an announcement that changed how trades are finalized. As of August 1, 1992, all trades must be confirmed with the league’s central office. This confirmation is required by all involved parties before a trade is considered final. The chaos of the Lindros affair gave birth to the modern system of the “trade call.” This system is now a standard procedure in today’s NHL. The saga forced the league to professionalize its most fundamental business practices.  

Divergent Dynasties: The Aftermath

The arbitrator’s ruling was not an end but a beginning. It set in motion a chain of events that dramatically altered the fortunes of three franchises. It created a dynasty for one. It revitalized another. It inadvertently saved a third from its own blockbuster ambitions. The Lindros trade challenges the very definition of “winning” a deal. It proves that the team that acquires the superstar is not always the ultimate victor.

The Legion of Doom and the Rebirth of the Flyers

For the Philadelphia Flyers, Eric Lindros’s arrival was nothing short of a franchise resuscitation. The team had been mired in a five-year playoff drought, their longest in history, and had faded from relevance. Lindros changed that overnight. His signing to a massive five-year, $24 million contract ignited a firestorm of excitement. Ticket sales surged. The renewed interest in the team was a critical financial catalyst. This enabled the securing of funding for a new, state-of-the-art arena. The arena would open in 1996 as the CoreStates Center (now Wells Fargo Center).  

On the ice, his impact was immediate and immense. In his rookie season of 1992-93, he scored 41 goals in just 61 games. During the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, he dominated hockey. He won both the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP. He also received the Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player, as voted by his peers. He became the captain of the fearsome “Legion of Doom” line. He was flanked by John LeClair and Mikael Renberg. This trio terrorized the league with its combination of size, power, and scoring touch.  

Lindros had made the Flyers relevant again, a perennial contender. However, the ultimate prize remained elusive. He led Philadelphia to the 1997 Stanley Cup Final, but the team was swept by the powerhouse Detroit Red Wings. His tenure in Philadelphia, though brilliant, was ultimately defined by what could have been. A series of devastating concussions increasingly derailed his career. His relationship with the organization also deteriorated, particularly with GM Bobby Clarke. This led to a bitter and public feud. He sat out the entire 2000-01 season due to a contract dispute. During this time, he was traded to the Rangers. This trade ended one of the most tumultuous and exciting eras in Flyers history. The Flyers got their superstar, but they never got their Stanley Cup.  

From Nordiques to Avalanche Champions: The Trade Tree

The Flyers experienced a renaissance. Meanwhile, the Quebec Nordiques—and their eventual successors—embarked on a path to glory. This path was paved entirely with the assets from the Lindros trade. The deal is now widely regarded as one of the most lopsided in sports history. This is not because of the talent of the central player. It is because of the championships it yielded. The haul from Philadelphia provided the foundation for a dynasty.  

The trade tree that grew from the deal is a masterclass in asset management.

• Peter Forsberg evolved from a promising prospect into a Hall of Fame player. He became a dominant two-way force. Forsberg was a cornerstone of both Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup victories.
• The 1993 first-round pick was used to select goaltender Jocelyn Thibault. In 1995, Thibault was a crucial figure in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens. This trade brought legendary goaltender Patrick Roy to the franchise. Roy would backstop the team to both of its championships.  
• Mike Ricci was a vital role player on the 1996 Cup-winning team. He was later traded to San Jose. The trade resulted in a first-round pick that became Alex Tanguay. Tanguay was a key contributor to the 2001 Cup victory.  
• Ron Hextall was traded to the New York Islanders. The assets included Adam Deadmarsh. He was another crucial member of the 1996 championship team.  
• The 1994 first-round pick was traded. It eventually led to acquiring Claude Lemieux. Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1996.  

Ironically, the trade did not save the franchise in Quebec. The same economic pressures made the Nordiques so desperate for Lindros. These pressures ultimately forced their relocation to Denver in 1995. In Denver, they were rebranded as the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche won the 1996 Stanley Cup in their very first season in their new home. They were constructed almost entirely from the combined cores. These cores consisted of the pre-existing Nordiques players, such as Sakic and Nolan. They also included the Lindros trade assets, like Forsberg, Roy, Ricci, and Lemieux. They would do it again in 2001. The Nordiques had lost their superstar. Eventually, they lost their city. However, the organization he refused to play for had won the ultimate prize—twice.  

The Rangers’ Consolation Prize

For the New York Rangers, losing the Lindros arbitration was a bitter pill to swallow. They had come within 80 minutes of acquiring the most hyped prospect in a generation. Yet, in hindsight, this “loss” proved to be a monumental blessing in disguise.  

By failing to acquire Lindros, the Rangers were forced to keep the very players they had offered to Quebec. This core included burgeoning offensive talents. Key players were Alexei Kovalev and Tony Amonte. Most importantly, they had their starting goaltender—either John Vanbiesbrouck or a young Mike Richter. These players would have been shipped to Quebec. Instead, they remained in New York. They became instrumental pieces of the team’s historic 1993-94 season. Richter provided stellar goaltending. Kovalev emerged as a key secondary scorer. Led by Mark Messier, the Rangers went on to break their infamous 54-year championship drought. They captured the 1994 Stanley Cup. If the Lindros trade had been completed, the Rangers would have lost the depth. That very depth later carried them to the title. Losing the battle for Lindros allowed them to win the war.  

The Ripple Effect: A Changed NHL

The Eric Lindros saga was more than a dramatic chapter in the history of three hockey teams. It was a seismic event. It sent shockwaves through the entire league. Its legacy is etched into the NHL’s collective bargaining agreements, its financial structure, and the very nature of player-management relations. The conflict foreshadowed labor battles that would shape the next decade. These battles ultimately led to the creation of the modern, salary-capped NHL.

The New Era of Player Power

Eric Lindros’s successful defiance of the draft system marked a pivotal moment. It changed the evolution of player power in the NHL. He set a precedent in the OHL. His year-long holdout demonstrated that a top prospect with generational talent could bend a franchise. He made it clear that such talent could exert significant influence. His unwavering resolve made this possible. While holdouts were not new, the scale and success of Lindros’s standoff were unprecedented. He forced the hand of a desperate organization. He effectively chose his own destination. This was a significant departure from the league’s traditional, management-controlled power structure. 

Furthermore, the holdout gave him immense leverage in contract negotiations. Having paid a “king’s ransom” to acquire him, the Flyers had no choice but to meet his demands. The resulting five-year, $24 million contract had a base salary far exceeding that of most veterans. It immediately reset the market for elite players. This was especially true for unproven rookies. This sent a ripple effect across the league, contributing to a rapid escalation in player salaries. According to author Todd Denault, at the start of the 1989-90 season, only two NHL players earned seven-figure salaries. By the end of Lindros’s rookie season, that number had jumped to 44. Lindros had weaponized his talent and his holdout to fundamentally alter the league’s economic landscape.  

Rewriting the Rulebook: The CBA and Institutional Change

The consequences of the Lindros affair echoed directly into the NHL’s boardrooms. It influenced labor negotiations and served as a primary catalyst for sweeping institutional reforms.

• The 1994-95 Lockout and the Rookie Salary Cap: Lindros’s record-breaking rookie contract was a flashpoint for team owners. This was especially true for owners in smaller markets. They feared being priced out of contention. Owners perceived that salaries for unproven players were spiraling out of control. This perception was a major factor leading to the 1994-95 lockout. From that dispute, a Collective Bargaining Agreement emerged. It included the NHL’s first-ever rookie salary cap. This mechanism was designed to prevent another Lindros-style contract. It was also meant to impose cost certainty on entry-level deals.  
• Formalizing Trades: As previously noted, the “double deal” debacle exposed the absurdly informal nature of NHL trades. The arbitration process and its chaotic aftermath forced the league to abandon its handshake-deal system. They had to implement the formal trade call procedure through the NHL’s Central Registry. This change is a direct and lasting legacy of the affair.  
• The Ban on Cash in Trades: The $15 million cash component of the Lindros trade was a staggering sum. It highlighted the financial disparities between teams. This practice was officially outlawed in the 2005 CBA. The agreement banned the inclusion of cash as part of a player trade. This reform is directly traceable to the excesses of the Lindros deal.  

The entire saga was a preview of the larger labor war to come. It began with the economic pressures on Quebec. Then, there were escalating salaries and the fight for cost control. It was a major tremor. It foreshadowed the seismic 2004-05 lockout. This lockout wiped out an entire season. It also resulted in the hard salary cap system that governs the NHL today. 

The Human Toll and a Legacy of “What Ifs”

Beyond the contracts and the championships, the saga left an indelible mark on the man at its center. Eric Lindros produced a brilliant, Hall of Fame career, inducted in 2016 with his No. 88 jersey retired by the Flyers in 2018. His career points-per-game average of 1.14 is a testament to his dominance. Yet, his story is inescapably one of brilliance and brittleness. His physically punishing style of play took a toll. He suffered a series of devastating concussions. The most infamous one was from a clean but brutal hit by Scott Stevens in the 2000 playoffs. These injuries cut his prime short and forever altered his career trajectory.  

The story of Eric Lindros and the Quebec Nordiques is therefore destined to be remembered. It will be seen as a tapestry of tantalizing “what ifs.” What if he had played for the Nordiques? The core of Sakic, Sundin, Nolan, and Lindros was strong. Could he have saved the franchise in Quebec? Could he have brought a Stanley Cup to the city?. What if the Rangers had won the arbitration? Would they still have won in 1994?. And the most poignant question of all: what if Eric Lindros had remained healthy? Could he have become one of the undisputed greatest players of all time?

Conclusion

The saga of Eric Lindros and the Quebec Nordiques remains transformative in modern sports history. It is one of the most complex episodes. The narrative held everything. It showcased a prodigy of immense talent. It highlighted a franchise on life support. It featured a bold exercise of player power and a chaotic trade that reshaped the league. It created a dynasty in Colorado. It resurrected a storied franchise in Philadelphia. It inadvertently secured a championship for New York. More profoundly, it exposed the fundamental flaws of the old NHL. It also acted as a powerful catalyst for the creation of the new one. It is a story of what was. It is a story of what wasn’t. It is a story of what could have been. It is a story of how one player’s refusal to wear a jersey changed everything.