Ted Lindsay Award

Ted Lindsay Award
Award details
Sport Ice hockey
Given for National Hockey League's outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association
History
First award 1971–72 NHL season
Most recent Sidney Crosby

The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. It has been awarded 42 times to 24 different players since its beginnings in 1971. It is a companion to the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the League's Most Valuable Player, as judged by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.

The award was renamed for Detroit Red Wings great Ted Lindsay, officially announced on April 29, 2010.[1]

History

The award was first handed out at the conclusion of the 1970–71 NHL season. It was named in honour of Lester B. Pearson, who was Prime Minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968, the recipient of the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize, and a former player and coach for the University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's ice hockey team.[2]

On April 29, 2010, the National Hockey League Players' Association announced that the award would be reintroduced as the Ted Lindsay Award to honor Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay for his skill, tenacity, leadership, and role in establishing the original Players' Association.[1] The voting for the trophy is conducted at the end of the regular season by the members of the NHL Players Association.[2]

Wayne Gretzky won the award five times during his career. Members of the Pittsburgh Penguins have won the award the most number of times, with nine winners, followed by the Edmonton Oilers, with six winners.[2] The Lindsay Award is considered to be the companion of the Hart Memorial Trophy—fourteen players have won both trophies for the same season: Guy Lafleur (1976–77 and 1977–78), Wayne Gretzky (1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1986–87), Mario Lemieux (1987–88, 1992–93 and 1995–96), Mark Messier (1989–90 and 1991–92), Brett Hull (1990–91), Sergei Fedorov (1993–94), Eric Lindros (1994–95), Dominik Hasek (1996–97 and 1997–98), Jaromir Jagr (1998–99), Joe Sakic (2000–01), Martin St. Louis (2003–04), Sidney Crosby (2006–07)and(2013–14), Alexander Ovechkin (2007–08 and 2008–09) and Evgeni Malkin (2011–12).[3] Of those fourteen, only Lafleur, Gretzky, Lemieux, Jagr, St. Louis, Crosby, Ovechkin, and Malkin have also won the Art Ross Trophy for the same season and completed a Hart-Pearson-Art Ross sweep.[4] Of that list, only Ovechkin has also won the Rocket Richard Trophy for top goal scorer in the same year, completing what is to date the only Hart-Pearson-Art Ross-Richard sweep. However, it's worth noting that, had the Richard Trophy existed during the years they completed their Hart-Pearson-Art Ross sweeps, Lafleur would have achieved the four-award sweep once (1977–78), Lemieux would have done so twice (1987–88 and 1995–96), and Gretzky would have accomplished it five times (1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1986–87).

Winners

Mario Lemieux, four-time winner.
Jaromír Jágr, three-time winner.
Alex Ovechkin, three-time winner.
Dominik Hasek, two-time winner.
Positions key
C Centre D Defence RW Right Wing LW Left Wing G Goaltender
  Player is still active
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 Phil Esposito Boston Bruins C 2
1973–74 Bobby Clarke Philadelphia Flyers C 1
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 Ovechkin, AlexanderAlexander Ovechkin Washington Capitals LW 1
2008–09 Ovechkin, AlexanderAlexander Ovechkin Washington Capitals LW 2
As Ted Lindsay Award
2009–10 Ovechkin, AlexanderAlexander Ovechkin Washington Capitals LW 3
2010–11 Sedin, DanielDaniel Sedin Vancouver Canucks LW 1
2011–12 Malkin, EvgeniEvgeni Malkin Pittsburgh Penguins C 1
2012–13 Crosby, SidneySidney Crosby Pittsburgh Penguins C 2
2013–14 Crosby, SidneySidney Crosby Pittsburgh Penguins C 3

See also

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Canadian Press (2010-04-29). "NHLPA officially renames Pearson Award after Ted Lindsay". The Sports Network. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Lester B. Pearson Award history". Legendsofhockey.net. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  3. ↑ "Hart Memorial Trophy history". NHL.com. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  4. ↑ "NHL releases list of trophy finalists". Canadian Press. Retrieved 2007-08-18.