Et Cetera

At 6 ft. 5 in. and 225 lbs., Eric Lindros shoots a puck like a cannon and hits opponents like a freight train. As such, the 19-year-old Canadian junior and Olympic star qualifies as a franchise player, which is how at least three National Hockey League teams have treated him since he was the No. 1 draft selection in 1991. But Lindros, from Ontario, refused to play for the team that picked him, the league-lagging Quebec Nordiques, triggering a legal brawl that pitted the Philadelphia Flyers against the New York Rangers. An arbitrator ruled Philadelphia the winner, but at a hefty price. The Flyers will have to give Quebec four strong players, including goaltender Ron Hextall, their top draft pick for 1993, and other considerations, one of which is $15 million.