Hextall Slashes Lindros

Sooner or later, it’s going to occur to the Flyers to keep goalie Ron Hextall well away from the franchise player, Eric Lindros.

In yet another peculiar accident Sunday - this one after practice, as players were stretching - Hextall slashed Lindros on the head with a skate. It took 20 stitches to close the cut on the right side of Lindros’ forehead.

The injury will not affect Lindros’ playing status.

“I told him, the next time I hurt him, I’m going to hang them up,” Hextall said about 20 minutes after the accident, not sure whether to laugh or cry.

A dying breed

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Chris Chelios signed a 3-year contract extension worth $3.5 million a year. Had Chelios played out his contract, he would have been the guy to reset the entire market for defensemen. But Chelios grew up in Chicago and set his priorities thusly.