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Monday, July 23, 2001
Lindros needs NHL deal to make roster
Associated Press
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TORONTO -- Eric Lindros, who hasn't played in the NHL since
May 2000, said Monday he has been invited to Canada's pre-Olympic
camp.
"I'm really excited about it," said Lindros, a restricted free
agent who is waiting to be traded by the Philadelphia Flyers.
Lindros has been without a contract since the end of the 2000
season.
Olympic team executive director Wayne Gretzky has already said
that if Lindros is not back playing in the NHL this fall he won't
be among the players selected for the final 23-man roster in
December.
The latest selections will be officially announced Tuesday.
All Canada is doing by inviting Lindros to the September camp in
Calgary, Alberta, is taking a closer look at him.
"In a perfect world, I'd get traded tomorrow," said Lindros,
whose rights are owned by the Flyers for three more years. "I'm
still hopeful something will happen soon."
Lindros was captain of Canada's 1998 Olympic team that placed
fourth in Nagano, Japan.
"It was a great experience in Nagano, but it left a sour taste
in all our mouths," he said. "I want to be there again and help
us win gold this time."
The 28-year-old Lindros hasn't played since a check from New
Jersey's Scott Stevens gave him his sixth career concussion 14
months ago.
After being cleared to resume skating in November, Lindros said
he only wanted to play in Toronto. In February, a trade between
Toronto and Philadelphia fell through at the last minute, adding
another chapter to the feud between the Lindros family and the
Flyers.
The Maple Leafs and Flyers discussed a deal for Lindros again
before the NHL's trade deadline on March 13, but couldn't complete
it.
Three days before then, Lindros expanded his list to Detroit,
Washington and St. Louis. The Blues flew Lindros to St. Louis on
the eve of the deadline, but ended up trading with Phoenix for
Keith Tkachuk.
The New York Rangers were added last month after Philadelphia
signed free-agent center Jeremy Roenick. Clarke was reportedly no
longer interested in center Petr Nedved -- the player GM Glen Sather
apparently included in any package for Lindros.
Lindros has 290 goals and 369 assists in 486 games in eight
seasons with the Flyers. He sat out last season after rejecting an
$8.5-million qualifying offer last summer because of a contentious
relationship with Clarke.
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