The Sporting News Tabs Lindros For Leading Flyers Into Postseason

Philadelphia Flyers center Eric Lindros was honored Tuesday as National Hockey League player of the year by The Sporting News.

Lindros had 29 goals and 41 assists in 46 games in helping the Flyers to first place in the Atlantic Division and their first trip to the playoffs in six years. He received 237 of 332 votes cast by his fellow players.

Peter Forsberg was selected rookie of the year. The Quebec Nordiques center had 15 goals and 35 assists.

The league’s coaches selected Quebec’s Marc Crawford as coach of the year after he led his team to a 30-13-5 record this year after a 34-42-8 record last season.

The top executive was Bobby Clarke, president and general manager of the Flyers. Clarke won the same award last year for putting together the expansion Florida Panthers.

The Boston Bruins have offered their vacant coaching job to former assistant coach Steve Kasper, 33, who has apparently accepted.

The Bruins called a news conference for Thursday “to introduce the coach” to replace Brian Sutter, who was fired after three seasons. The team negotiated exclusively with Kasper, who coached their American Hockey League affiliate in Providence, R.I.

Neither Kasper nor assistant general manager Mike O’Connell could be reached for comment. After meeting with O’Connell for 2 hours on Monday, Kasper said: “The job has been offered to me… . I’m very confident it will get done.”

Pittsburgh’s best defenseman, Ulf Samuelsson, still in pain with several badly bruised ribs, probably won’t play in either of the Penguins’ two Eastern Conference semifinals in New Jersey.