Renberg thrilled to join his 'Legion of Doom' teammates

MIKAEL RENBERG stepped onto the ice and the "Legion of Doom" was together once more for the first time since 1997.

The thing is, Renberg wasn't planning on being in South Philadelphia last night. He received the Flyers' invitation for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for linemates Eric Lindros and John LeClair and decided he couldn't make it.

Like scores of other teammates and close friends, Renberg was busy. Living in his native Sweden, Renberg has two children, a job as a broadcaster on Swedish TV and is closing in on finishing a professional degree to become a physical therapist.

"But then Eric sent me an email and said he really wanted me to come," Renberg said. "I just couldn't say no then."

Renberg, 42, received an ovation and roar second only to last night's honorees as he presented Lindros and LeClair with their Hall of Fame busts at center ice.

"It was great," Renberg said. "It brings back a lot of memories. It was great for me to see them and see everyone - Eric [Desjardins], Shjon Podein. It was great playing here.

"I texted my mom and said I wish I was 15 years younger, so I could redo my career."

The "Legion of Doom," a nickname coined by minor league call-up Jim Montgomery after the popular WWF wrestling tag-team duo, was one of the most feared in hockey for a period of years.

Sure, they had Hart Trophy-winner Lindros and 50-goal scorer LeClair, but Renberg was often the overlooked member of the trio. Opposing defensemen often mentioned how physically draining it was to go up against the speedy Swede in the corners for three straight periods.

On most shifts, with those three players barreling down the ice, defenses were just lucky to ice the puck or shoot it out of play (without penalty then) to live for another shift.

"I think one thing that both 'E' and I appreciate more than a lot of people do is so many of the little things 'Renny' did that made everything so much easier for us," LeClair said. "There wasn't a guy that forechecked harder than 'Renny' that I have ever played with in my life. His passion for the game and how hard he went every shift and how when we were losing or we were needing a goal or something, he would get that game face on. He was as talented as anyone I ever played with."

In 201 regular-season games from 1995 through 1997, the "Legion of Doom" racked up 305 goals and 361 assists for 666 points.

In only 37 games during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, when Lindros won the Hart, they tallied an incredible 80 goals and 96 assists.

"Mikael was just as big a part of the line as Johnny or I was," Lindros said. "It took all three of us to do something. I certainly don't forget what Mikael Renberg was all about, that's for sure."

The "Legion of Doom" was disassembled in 1997, not long after the Flyers drowned in a sea of red in Detroit during the Stanley Cup finals, when he was traded to Tampa Bay for Chris Gratton. He was traded back to the Flyers in 1998-99, for the exact same deal, but the line was never reunited.

Keith Jones, Mark Recchi and Dainius Zubrus could never re-create the same magic as Renberg with Lindros and LeClair.

As with Lindros, Renberg's career was cut short by injury. He was diagnosed with a sports hernia in training camp one year, but somehow managed to play in the Opening Night lineup - before his abdominal muscle ended up completely tearing off the pubic bone.

Renberg left the NHL in 2004 at age 32. He continued playing in Sweden until 2009.

"One year when I was done playing, I did nothing - and I didn't like that," Renberg said. "I didn't know if it was Tuesday or Saturday half the time. So, I decided to get an education."

In 2 months, Renberg will become a physical therapist, where he will work in Stockholm. Television was only a part-time gig for him.

All these years later, it's hard to imagine the "Legion of Doom" lasted only parts of three seasons. It felt like so much longer. It is even more impressive, given the random nature of today's NHL lines and how quickly they are broken up during games and rough stretches.

The "Legion of Doom" defined much of Renberg's NHL career, even though he was a point-per-game rookie in 1993-94 before LeClair arrived via trade from Montreal. Years later, he has no illusions his name could have been on that banner last night with his linemates if his groin stayed intact.

"I'm really proud of my career. I had a good career, but I was not as good as John and Eric," Renberg said. "They were superstars. I'm happy with what I did, but I was not as good as them."

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