Lindros Joins Elite Club as MVP

Eric Lindros took his place among hockey’s elite Thursday when he was voted the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player.

“It’s a great honor to be here,” said Lindros, the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers. “It’s the elite of the elite.”

Lindros got 10 of 26 first-place votes in outpolling Pittsburgh right wing Jaromir Jagr and Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek.

Hasek had the consolation of being voted Vezina Trophy as best goalie for the second consecutive season on the strength of a 2.13 goals-against average and an 18-6-3 record. Jagr won the Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer.

Quebec, which will play in Denver next season, won two awards. Peter Forsberg won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year and Marc Crawford won the Adams Award as coach of the year. Paul Coffey of Detroit won the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman for the third time and Pittsburgh’s Ron Francis was honored as best defensive forward (Selke Trophy) and as the most gentlemanly player (Lady Byng Trophy).

Also announced were the post-season All-Star teams, as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Assn. Lindros was picked as the first-team center. He was joined on the forward line by Jagr at center and Flyer teammate John LeClair at left wing. Defensemen Coffey and Chicago’s Chris Chelios were named to the first team along with Hasek.

Winnipeg center Alexei Zhamnov was named to the second team. Joining him was teammate Keith Tkachuk at left wing and Calgary’s Theoren Fleury at right wing. Belfour, along with defensemen Ray Bourque of Boston and Larry Murphy of Pittsburgh, completed the squad.