Lindros happy to be playing in Toronto

ATLANTA -- A couple of hours before the game, clad in T-shirt, shorts and sneakers, Eric Lindros grabs a baseball glove and heads into a chilly, barren hallway beneath Philips Arena for a little catch.

But this is merely a diversion.

For as long as Lindros can remember, he wanted to play hockey for one of the NHL's most storied franchises. He wanted to don that fabled blue sweater with Canada's national icon plastered across the front. He wanted to follow in the skateprints of Frank Mahovlich, Dave Keon and Darryl Sittler.

"His goal wasn't to play in the NHL," teammate Ken Klee said. "His goal was to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs."

Finally, a dozen seasons into a pro career that hasn't quite fulfilled what was expected from "The Next One," after suffering through eight concussions and leaving behind bruised feelings and failed hopes in at least four cities, No. 88 is where he always longed to be: home.

"It feels good to be back," Lindros said. "It feels good to be in the home dressing room."

One gets the feeling he was merely a visitor during eight seasons in Philadelphia and three more with the New York Rangers, even during his reign as one of the league's top players (he won the Hart Trophy as MVP in 1995, then scored a career-high 115 points for the Flyers the following season).

Lindros was born in London, Ontario, and moved to Toronto when he was 8. These days, he lives about 10 minutes from the Air Canada Centre, home of the Maple Leafs.

"I'm fired up about it," Lindros said. "I grew up in the Toronto area. I know the history of these guys. It's a big help to have my family close by. It's home."

Lindros is off to a good start in reviving his career, scoring 10 goals and adding 10 assists in his first 27 games. Eight of those goals came in the third period. He played especially well in the early going while Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin was injured.

Said Matt Stajan, another of the team's centers: "Adding him to our hockey club meant a lot."

Strange career

The Maple Leafs know they're not getting the 6-foot-4, 240-pound brute who once dominated games with both his physical presence and brilliant skills.

Lindros began making headlines at age 16 by refusing to report to a junior-league team in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The situation repeated itself in 1991, when Lindros was taken first overall in the NHL draft but wouldn't play for the Quebec Nordiques, forcing a trade to Philadelphia.

Lindros was named MVP in just his third year.

But something happened on the way to the Hall of Fame.

Lindros was plagued by concussions, never playing more than 73 games with the Flyers. He missed an entire season recovering from head injuries after a check in Game 7 of the 2000 Eastern Conference finals.

He wound up being sent to the Rangers in 2001 for three players and a draft pick.

He scored 37 goals his first season but never led New York to the playoffs. He slumped to 19 goals the following year, then managed only 10 in his last season with the Rangers, playing only 39 games because of a shoulder injury.

After getting a full year to recover during the lockout, Lindros signed a one-year deal with Toronto for $1.55 million.