Lindros Replaced As Captain

March 17, 2000 / 12:32 AM EST / CBS/AP

The Philadelphia Flyers replaced Eric Lindros as captain Monday, 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.

"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, the fourth concussion of his career.

"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."

Lindros, rehabilitating in Toronto, did not return telephone calls.

On Sunday, Clarke had said the team would not appoint an interim captain in the absence of Lindros. He is sidelined four to six weeks.

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 is the 12th captain in the team's 33-year history and only the second defenseman to hold the post.

He, Mark Recchi and John LeClair had been serving as alternate captains. Recchi and LeClair 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.

"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 youre 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."