The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is a National Hockey League award given annually to the most outstanding player during the regular season. The trophy is unique in that fellow NHL players determine the winner. The trophy’s sister would be the Hart Trophy, voted on by Professional Hockey Writers Association members and handed to the league’s MVP at the season’s end. They are virtually the same prize, just voted on by different entities. It is common for the winner of one trophy to be the winner of the other.
The NHL Players’ Association first introduced the award on March 10, 1971. NHLPA executive director Alan Eagleson announced that “The winner will be decided by a secret ballot among all of the association members,” “The plaque will go to the player that has contributed the most to hockey.” Originally the trophy was named after Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.
The Trophy
On April 29, 2010, the National Hockey League Players Association announced that the trophy would be rebranded as the Ted Lindsay Award in honor of Detroit Red Wings Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay. Lindsay was instrumental in establishing the Players’ Association. He displayed a high level of skill, integrity, perseverance, and leadership, the qualities that the trophy represents.
Conclusion
Ted Lindsay was only 5 ft 8 in and 163 lbs, but what he lacked in physical size, he more than made up for in determination, integrity, and raw passion for hockey. Not only was he a ferocious competitor on the ice, but he also carried that same spirit off the ice.
Lindsay was a member of four Stanley Cup teams in Detroit (1950, 1952, 1954, 1955). He began his NHL career in 1944 with the Red Wings and played 13 seasons for them before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks and fellow Hall of Famer Glenn Hall in 1957. Lindsay would play for three years in the windy city before retiring in 1960. The trade to Chicago left a void in Lindsay as he had hoped to finish his professional career in Detroit. Still, because of his relentless pursuit of establishing a players union, he had an acrimonious relationship with Red Wings management.
Four years after retiring from hockey, Lindsay was brought back into the Detroit organization when former player-coach Sid Abel convinced Lindsay to come back for a final season with the Red Wings.
Lindsay earned the nickname “Terrible” for the take-no-prisoners style of play he employed. He was a fierce competitor, scoring over 800 points, winning the Art Ross Trophy in 1950 and four Stanley Cups. He was inducted into the Hockey Hal of Fame in 1966 but refused to attend the ceremony as the league would not allow wives and children to attend. The following year the league changed the rules. On November 10, 1991, the Detroit Red Wings retired his No. 7. In 1998, he was ranked number 21 on The Hockey News‘ list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
Lindsay was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
Terrible Ted Lindsay was an honorable man and ferocious competitor. He stood up for what he felt was right and was prepared to pay the consequences for it. The world needs more Ted Lindsay’s. One of Lindsay’s more memorable on-ice incidents was in January 1951 when he clashed with longtime rival Bill Ezinicki of the Boston Bruins. The two combatants were one and two in league penalty minutes the year before.
The confrontation began with shoving, then quickly escalated to stick-swinging at each other’s heads before a minute-long slugfest ensued. The fight ended with Ezinicki charging Lindsay from behind. Terrible Ted turned to face Ezinicki and, with one punch, sent Ezinicki to the ice knocking him out. Ezinicki had a broken nose and a lost tooth and needed 19 stitches to close the wound on his face. Lindsay had a bloodied hand and five stitches for his part.
Lindsay is remembered as the first player to raise the Stanley Cup over his head upon winning the Stanley Cup in 1950 after defeating the New York Rangers in double overtime of game seven. He spontaneously raised the iconic trophy over his head and skated around the ice, showing it to all the fans.
Ted Lindsay died on March 4, 2019, at his home in Oakland, Michigan.
Winners
| C | Centre | D | Defense | RW | Right Wing | LW | Left Wing | G | Goaltender |
The player is still active in the NHL. Eligible players not yet elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The player is still active in the NHL.
Eligible players not yet elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame
Inactive player not yet eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame. (Ted Lindsay Award)
| Season | Winner | Team | Position | Win # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As Lester B. Pearson Award | ||||
| 1970–71 | Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | C | 1 |
| 1971–72 | Jean Ratelle | New York Rangers | C | 1 |
| 1972–73 | Bobby Clarke | Philadelphia Flyers | C | 1 |
| 1973–74 | Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | C | 2 |
| 1974–75 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | D | 1 |
| 1975–76 | Guy Lafleur | Montreal Canadiens | RW | 1 |
| 1976–77 | Guy Lafleur | Montreal Canadiens | RW | 2 |
| 1977–78 | Guy Lafleur | Montreal Canadiens | RW | 3 |
| 1978–79 | Marcel Dionne | Los Angeles Kings | C | 1 |
| 1979–80 | Marcel Dionne | Los Angeles Kings | C | 2 |
| 1980–81 | Mike Liut | St. Louis Blues | G | 1 |
| 1981–82 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | C | 1 |
| 1982–83 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | C | 2 |
| 1983–84 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | C | 3 |
| 1984–85 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | C | 4 |
| 1985–86 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 1 |
| 1986–87 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | C | 5 |
| 1987–88 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 2 |
| 1988–89 | Steve Yzerman | Detroit Red Wings | C | 1 |
| 1989–90 | Mark Messier | Edmonton Oilers | C | 1 |
| 1990–91 | Brett Hull | St. Louis Blues | RW | 1 |
| 1991–92 | Mark Messier | New York Rangers | C | 2 |
| 1992–93 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 3 |
| 1993–94 | Sergei Fedorov | Detroit Red Wings | C | 1 |
| 1994–95 | Eric Lindros | Philadelphia Flyers | C | 1 |
| 1995–96 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 4 |
| 1996–97 | Dominik Hasek | Buffalo Sabres | G | 1 |
| 1997–98 | Dominik Hasek | Buffalo Sabres | G | 2 |
| 1998–99 | Jaromir Jagr | Pittsburgh Penguins | RW | 1 |
| 1999–2000 | Jaromir Jagr | Pittsburgh Penguins | RW | 2 |
| 2000–01 | Joe Sakic | Colorado Avalanche | C | 1 |
| 2001–02 | Jarome Iginla | Calgary Flames | RW | 1 |
| 2002–03 | Markus Naslund | Vancouver Canucks | LW | 1 |
| 2003–04 | Martin St. Louis | Tampa Bay Lightning | RW | 1 |
| 2004–05 | Not awarded due to the league’s lockout | |||
| 2005–06 | Jaromir Jagr | New York Rangers | RW | 3 |
| 2006–07 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 1 |
| 2007–08 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | LW | 1 |
| 2008–09 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | LW | 2 |
| As Ted Lindsay Award | ||||
| 2009–10 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | LW | 3 |
| 2010–11 | Daniel Sedin | Vancouver Canucks | LW | 1 |
| 2011–12 | Evgeni Malkin | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 1 |
| 2012–13 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 2 |
| 2013–14 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 3 |
| 2014–15 | Carey Price | Montreal Canadiens | G | 1 |
| 2015–16 | Patrick Kane | Chicago Blackhawks | RW | 1 |
| 2016–17 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | C | 1 |
| 2017–18 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | C | 2 |
| 2018–19 | Nikita Kucherov | Tampa Bay Lightning | RW | 1 |
| 2019–20 | Leon Draisaitl | Edmonton Oilers | C | 1 |
| 2020–21 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | C | 3 |
| 2021–22 | Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs | C | 1 |
Keep Your Stick on the Ice.
As a long-time Boston Bruin season ticket holder back in the 60s, I am absolutely flabbergasted that the NHL
has a major trophy named after terrible Ted Lindsay! As my uncle would say, he was a dirty player who started alterations,” grin him to death”!he would say, A marginal player who happened to organize a union that had nothing to do with anything! What happened to Bill Masterton?