| | PHILADELPHIA -- The last thing Eric Lindros needs is another headache, but he got one Monday.
The Philadelphia Flyers replaced Lindros as captain, denying the move had anything to do with his criticism of the team in treating his latest concussion.
Eric Desjardins will succeed Lindros, who had been captain since
1994. The Flyers say the move is permanent.
"The group of players we have playing felt they needed a
captain," Flyers president and general manager Bob Clarke said.
"It has nothing to do with Lindros.
|  | | The captain's "C" no longer fits Flyers center Eric Lindros. |
"He's not here, he's not playing. We're trying to prepare to be
the best team we can in the playoffs, and our team felt it needed a
captain."
Lindros is expected to miss the rest of the regular season and
the first round of the playoffs. The star center was injured March
4 against Boston, the fourth concussion of his career.
His relationship with the Flyers worsened last week when he criticized the team's medical staff for not recognizing his symptoms and allowing him to play four games after he was injured.
"It's fair to say when a guy like Lindros comes out and
criticizes the doctors and trainers, he's thinking of himself and
not the team," Clarke said. "We're trying to do what's right for
the team."
One of the most imposing players in the NHL at 6-foot-4 and 238
pounds, Lindros -- third on the Flyers in scoring with 27 goals and 32 assists -- also has proven to be one of the most brittle.
He was limited to 55 games this season due to concussions,
post-traumatic migraine headaches, back spasms, a bruised left
hand and a viral infection.
A six-time All-Star, Lindros also missed the final seven games
last season and all six playoff contests after suffering a
collapsed lung on April 1 in Nashville.
He has missed at least nine games in each of the past four
seasons, sitting out the first 23 contests in 1996-97 with a
groin ailment. Two seasons ago, Lindros sat out 18 games due to
post-concussion syndrome.
Clarke also said Sunday the team "absolutely" will make a qualifying offer to Lindros, who is finishing up the final year of a $8.5 million contract.
The qualifying offer would prevent Lindros from becoming an unrestricted free agent. As a restricted free agent, the Flyers would receive five first-round picks if he signs elsewhere.
On Sunday, Clarke had said the team would not appoint an interim
captain in the absence of Lindros, who will be sidelined four to six weeks.
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Lindros' statement
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Eric Lindros, rehabilitating in Toronto, issued a statement Monday
night in which he wished new captain Eric Desjardins well.
"It was a role I took very seriously. I put a lot of effort
into supporting teammates in decisions of management. It was a role I felt I was honored to have and wished to continue," Lindros
said. "I'd like to wish our new captain Rico (Desjardins) the best
and look forward of course to the day when I am healthy and will
come back to contribute to our team's upcoming challenge of this
year's playoffs."
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Several veteran players met with Clarke on Monday and suggested
it would be a good idea to have a captain in place with the Stanley
Cup playoffs starting in about two weeks.
Desjardins, the 12th captain in the team's 33-year history, is only the second defenseman to hold the post. He joins a list that includes Clarke and teammate Rick Tocchet.
Desjardins, Mark Recchi and John LeClair had been serving as alternate
captains.
Recchi and LeClair, who will continue in their roles, endorsed Desjardins. Interim coach Craig Ramsay also said Desjardins was the best candidate for the position.
" 'Rammer' (Ramsay) and I had talked about it the last few days
and thought that there had been enough distractions around here,"
Clarke said after Monday's practice. "We thought it would be
better to leave things the way they were."
Desjardins, 30, has been a Flyer since February 1995, when he
was acquired in a trade along with LeClair from Montreal for
Recchi. In career scoring by a Flyers defenseman, Desjardins is
second only to Mark Howe.
Everybody in our organization knows how good he is, how important he is to a team and what a good person he is," said Clarke. "He has great hockey intelligence and instincts. He's very competitive."
Desjardins is fifth among NHL defensemen with 50 points and 37 assists and is tied for eighth with 13 goals. He is eighth overall in average ice time per game at 27:14 and leads the team with a plus-17.
"He's an ideal candidate to be a captain," Ramsay said. "He's
a leader on the ice, a top quality person. He seemed like a natural
selection."
Desjardins said the team needed a change.
"It's a great opportunity for me, the first time I'll be a
captain in this league," he said. "When you're picked to be a
captain, you think of all the responsibilities. I think I'll be up
to it."
Veteran players wanted to put more emphasis on the appointment
of Desjardins than the demotion of Lindros.
"I think it's a great honor," LeClair said. "He's
well-respected in this room and he's a leader of the guys we have
in here right now."
"He's been a great leader of this team for a long time," Keith
Jones said. "There was no one here more deserving. He leads by
example, knows the right time to say something. We wanted to make
sure we were established in our leadership roles."
All of the controversy surrounding Lindros has come while cancer-stricken coach Roger Neilson recovers from a stem-cell transplant.
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Lindros to miss 4-6 weeks with more serious concussion
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Bob Clarke says Eric Lindros shouldn't be captain.
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Eric Lindros says he's disappointed.
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Dr. Stephen Silberstein comments on Lindros' ailment.
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