The Phantom Call

Gather ‘round, hockey fans, because today—February 27, 2025—marks 31 years and change since one of the wildest trades in NHL history went down. I’m talking about June 30, 1992, when the Quebec Nordiques shipped Eric Lindros to the Philadelphia Flyers in a deal so massive it took a lawyer, a five-day hearing, and a pile of cash to sort out. This wasn’t just a trade; it was a soap opera with slapshots. So, let’s lace up our skates and take a snarky stroll down memory lane, shall we?

The Setup: Lindros Says “Non” to Quebec

Picture this: It’s 1991, and Eric Lindros—6’4”, 230 pounds of teenage hockey beef—is the consensus first-overall pick. The Quebec Nordiques, a team so bad they’d won just 28 games over two seasons, snag him. But Lindros, dubbed “The Next One” (because Gretzky and Lemieux weren’t enough), pulls a diva move and says, “Nah, I’m not playing for you French-Canadian losers.” Speculation swirled—was it the language barrier? The small market? The fact that owner Marcel Aubut was a walking caricature? Lindros later claimed it was just Aubut’s vibe that rubbed him wrong. Whatever the reason, he sat out a whole year, played junior hockey, and even nabbed a silver medal at the 1992 Olympics while Quebec sulked.

Fast forward to June 20, 1992, draft day in Montreal. The Nordiques, tired of Lindros’s holdout tantrum, decide to cash in. But here’s where it gets hilarious—Aubut, in a fit of greed or genius (you decide), verbally agrees to trade Lindros to two teams: the Flyers and the New York Rangers. Yes, folks, he double-booked the biggest prospect in hockey history like a shady Airbnb host. The Flyers offered a king’s ransom; the Rangers countered with their own treasure chest. Chaos ensued. The NHL, scratching its head, called in arbitrator Larry Bertuzzi (no relation to Todd, thank goodness) to untangle this mess.

The Trade: A Haul That Could Buy a Small Country

After five days of hearings, 400 pages of notes, and 11 witnesses—including Lindros, probably smirking the whole time—Bertuzzi ruled on June 30, 1992, that the Flyers had dibs, thanks to a phone call confirming Lindros would actually play for them. The final trade? Buckle up:

• To Philadelphia: Eric Lindros, the hulking golden boy.
• To Quebec: Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Steve Duchesne, Mike Ricci, Kerry Huffman, Chris Simon, a 1993 first-round pick (Jocelyn Thibault), a 1994 first-round pick (later became Nolan Baumgartner via trade), and—wait for it—$15 million in cold, hard cash.

That’s six players, two picks, and enough money to fund a mid-tier sitcom. The Nordiques basically turned Lindros into a roster makeover and a down payment on a Denver relocation (more on that later).

The Nordiques’ New Toys: Who Actually Panned Out?

Let’s spotlight a few of the lucky ducks who went to Quebec and made something of themselves:

• Peter Forsberg: Oh, you know, just a future Hall of Famer. “Foppa” became the crown jewel of this deal after the Nordiques moved to Colorado and became the Avalanche in 1995. He racked up 885 points in 708 games, won two Stanley Cups (1996, 2001), and basically made Philly fans weep into their cheesesteaks for decades. Nice one, Flyers.
• Mike Ricci: This mullet-sporting grinder stuck around long enough to play 78 games for Quebec in 1992-93, scoring 78 points. He was part of the 1996 Cup win with Colorado before bouncing around the league, finishing with 516 points in 1,099 games. Not a superstar, but a solid “hey, I remember that guy” career.
• Ron Hextall: The fiery goalie didn’t love leaving Philly—legend has it he nearly burned down the locker room on his way out. He played 93 games for Quebec, posting a .901 save percentage (decent for the era), before getting flipped to the Islanders in 1993. Fun fact: his trade tree later helped Colorado land Patrick Roy, who won them that ‘96 Cup. Hextall? Still a legend, just not in Quebec.
• Chris Simon: The “future considerations” guy didn’t arrive until later, but he chipped in for the 1996 Avalanche title. A tough-as-nails enforcer, Simon played 792 NHL games, racking up 1,824 penalty minutes and a Cup ring. Not bad for a trade footnote.

The rest? Duchesne was a solid defenseman (82 points in ’92-93), Huffman was a depth guy, and Thibault had a respectable career (239 wins). But let’s be real—Forsberg alone made this deal a Nordiques/Avalanche jackpot.

Lindros in Philly: Big Hype, Bigger Headaches

Lindros hit the ice for the Flyers in 1992-93 and lived up to the billing—41 goals as a rookie, a Hart Trophy in 1995, and a Stanley Cup Final run in 1997 (spoiler: they got swept by Detroit). He was a freight train with hands, averaging 1.35 points per game in Philly. But concussions—most famously from Scott Stevens’s 2000 playoff hit—derailed him. He finished with 659 points in 486 Flyers games, but no Cup. Meanwhile, Forsberg was hoisting hardware in Colorado. Ouch.

Today’s Equivalent: What Would It Take?

Now, let’s speculate: what kind of trade package would match this haul in 2025? A Lindros-level prospect today—think a Connor Bedard or a hypothetical “Next McDavid”—would demand the moon. Here’s a snarky stab at it:

• The Star: A top-5 pick who’s already a proven game-changer, like Bedard (if Chicago ever gave up on him, ha!).
• The Haul: Two elite young players (say, Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon from Colorado—good luck prying them loose), a top-tier goalie (Andrei Vasilevskiy?), a couple of solid roster guys (think Zach Hyman and Ryan McDonagh), two first-round picks, and—since cash isn’t allowed anymore—maybe a private jet for the GM’s ego.
• The Drama: The kid refuses to play for, let’s say, Arizona (sorry, Utah), forcing a bidding war between Tampa Bay and Toronto, with Gary Bettman FaceTiming an arbitrator on live TV.

Would it happen? Probably not—modern GMs are too cap-savvy, and the CBA bans cash dumps. But if Bedard pulled a Lindros and sat out, you’d see teams offering their firstborns and a Zamboni.

The Legacy: A Trade That Keeps on Giving

Thirty-one years later, the Lindros trade is still the gold standard for blockbuster deals. The Nordiques turned a pouty prospect into a dynasty foundation—Colorado’s 1996 and 2001 Cups owe a hat tip to Forsberg and Co. The Flyers got their superstar, but the “what if” of keeping Forsberg stings like a slapshot to the groin. And Aubut? He’s probably still laughing somewhere, counting his $15 million.

So here’s to you, Eric Lindros trade—proof that hockey can be as absurd as it is awesome. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to imagine Forsberg in orange and black while crying into my Molson. Cheers!