Damian Lillard last season after four of the teams starters left in

TORONTO -- Eric Lindros had just received his Hockey Hall of Fame ring and was feeling particularly buoyant.Check it out! he said, raising his left hand and shiny new ring to show to the television camera. Check it out!Lindros long Hall of Fame wait is over.Passed over six times for entry into the shrine, the now 43-year-old will finally get his plaque, honored along with Rogie Vachon, Sergei Makarov and the late Pat Quinn.Its just an honor, Lindros said Friday. Look at the names on the plaques. Just being in here. Jeez, its the cream of the crop. Its a real honor to be part of this.Living in the Toronto area with his wife and three kids, Lindros said hed driven by the Hall numerous times and visited occasionally for charity events. But hed yet to take a serious walk through the place. He will now, and what hell see is his face right there among the greats.For years after his career ended in 2007, the argument against Lindros entering the Hall was two-fold. For one, he played only 760 regular- season games in a career cut short from concussions. He also failed to win a Stanley Cup, swept in the 1997 final by the Detroit Red Wings while still a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.When healthy he was a truly dominant force, a rare combination of size, skill, and power. He was the kind of player the game had never seen and probably hasnt since. Lindros finished with 372 goals and 865 points, tucked inside the top 20 in points per-game (1.14). He also was a six-time All-Star and won the Hart Trophy as league MVP as a 22-year-old in 1995 after posting 29 goals and 70 points in 46 games.Lindros was the No. 1 overall pick of the Quebec Nordiques in 1991, but refused to play there. He was eventually dealt to the Flyers in a swap that included another future Hall of Famer, Peter Forsberg.Lindros said he was well aware of the Hall of Fames annual summer selection date for inductees, each year passing by without entry. Earlier this past summer he heard from a former New York Rangers staffer who wondered whether hed heard anything yet from the Hall about the class of 2016.No, Lindros replied.He did get the call from Hall chairman Lanny McDonald a short while later while driving north on Highway 11 in Ontario with his family.It truly is an honor, he said.It also took a while for Vachon, Makarov and Quinn to take their places in the Hall.A three-time Cup-winning goalie with the Montreal Canadiens who later starred for Los Angeles, Vachon last played in the NHL in 1982. Makarovs last NHL game came with the San Jose Sharks in 1997. He enjoyed his best years in Russia, leading the Soviet league in scoring for nine seasons.Quinn, who died two years ago, last coached in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers in 2010, one of his five stints as an NHL head coach. Perhaps his most notable hockey achievement came outside the league, guiding Canadas mens hockey team in 2002 to their first Olympic gold medal in 50 years.When McDonald called Vachon to tell him was finally in this past summer, Vachon replied: Im in what?It doesnt get any better than this, Vachon said Friday.The long wait was over for all.Take whatever path you want, Lindros said. Were here forever. All of us. Eddie Murray Dodgers Jersey .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. Don Sutton Jersey .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. https://www.cheapdodgersonline.com/1475h-gavin-lux-jersey-dodgers.html . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. Hideo Nomo Jersey . Siddikur, whose previous win on the circuit came in Brunei three years ago, finished his bogey-free round with a birdie on the 18th for a total of 17-under 199. Indias Shiv Chowrasia, who has finished runner-up in this tournament twice, was in second place after a 66. Orel Hershiser Jersey .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Trail Blazers formally signed guard?C.J. McCollum?to a four-year contract extension Wednesday.The terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team, but as first reported Monday by The Vertical and confirmed by ESPNs Ramona Shelburne, it is worth $106 million.The extension, which takes effect after the upcoming season, will keep McCollum in Portland through the 2020-21 season.McCollum posted a photo of the signing on Instagram.Im ecstatic to be able to extend my career in Portland and grateful for the trust and the opportunity the organization has provided for me, he said in a statement. Since I arrived in Oregon Ive considered it home and look forward to building something special, not only on the court, but in the community as well.McCollum was named the NBAs 2016 Most Improved Player after averaging 20.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists during the regular season. He raised his scoring average by more than 14 points over the previous season.The 24-year-old guard became a starter in the Blazers backcourt with Damian Lillard last season after four of the teams starters left in the offseason.McCollum was the 10th overall selection in the 2013 NBA draft out of Lehigh. Hess averaged 12.dddddddddddd7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists over his three seasons in Portland.But last year he was given a chance to shine on one of the youngest rosters in the league. The Blazers were considered a team that was rebuilding but they overachieved, earning the fifth seed in the Western Conference and advancing to the second round of the playoffs.McCollum averaged 20.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the postseason.C.J. is a foundational player and an essential member of the core of this team, said Neil Olshey, the Blazers president of basketball operations. We are excited about his long term commitment to our organization.His 14-point improvement last season was the most since Tony Campbell improved from an average of 6.2 points to 23.2 points with Minnesota from the 1988-89 season to the 1989-90 season.McCollum also finished the regular season with 197 3-pointers to rank ninth in the league and fourth most for the Blazers in one season. He scored in double figures in 79 games.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. ' ' '