Ted Lindsay, an NHL icon and former Blackhawk, died Monday at the age of 93.
Nicknamed "Terrible Ted" because of his tough and dirty style of play, Lindsay won four Stanley Cups, played in 11 straight All-Star Games and was a four-time 30-goal scorer in the NHL. He spent 14 of his 17 seasons in Detroit and three in Chicago, where he accumulated 129 points (44 goals, 79 assists) in 206 games.
Lindsay came out of a four-year retirement to play in his 17th and final season in 1964-65 with the Red Wings. He finished his career with 851 points (379 goals, 472 assists) in 1,068 games, and was named one of the 100 NHL's greatest players in 2017.
The Lester B. Pearson Award, annually awarded to the most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by members of the NHL Players Association, was renamed the Ted Lindsay Award in 2009-10. Patrick Kane won the award in 2015-16 following an MVP season.
The Blackhawks released this statement:
The Chicago Blackhawks organization joins the Detroit Red Wings and entire National Hockey League community in mourning the loss of Hockey Hall of Famer, Ted Lindsay. As Ted suited up for both the Red Wings and Blackhawks, his illustrious playing career contributed greatly to a rivalry that has stood the test of time. The game lost an icon today, and his contributions to the sport far exceed his stellar play on the ice. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Lindsay family and all who mourn Ted’s passing.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released this statement on Monday:
NHL
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Blackhawks easily on your device.The National Hockey League mourns the passing and celebrates the incomparable life of the legendary Ted Lindsay. One of the game’s fiercest competitors during his 17-season NHL career, he was among its most beloved ambassadors throughout the more than five decades of service to hockey that followed his retirement. In Detroit, he was a civic icon.
What Lindsay lacked in physical stature, he possessed in intensity, desire and will to win. He played 1,068 NHL games for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, scoring 379 goals with 472 assists and 1,808 penalty minutes. He appeared in 11 All-Star Games and was named a First-Team All-Star eight times. He won the Art Ross Trophy as the League’s scoring leader in 1950 and, as a driving force on the dynastic Red Wings teams of the 1950s – including as the left wing on the famed Production Line – he won the Stanley Cup four times.
Named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966, he had his No. 7 retired by the Red Wings in 1991 and was named one of the NHL’s Top 100 Players during the League’s Centennial Celebration in 2017. As influential off the ice as he was on the ice, Lindsay was instrumental in the formation of the NHL Players’ Association. In 2010, NHL players displayed their reverence for him by renaming their annual award for the most outstanding player the Ted Lindsay Award.
There was no one quite like Ted Lindsay. We send our condolences to Ted’s children Blake, Lynn and Meredith, his stepdaughter Leslie, his six grandchildren and his three great grandchildren and join them in marveling at his incredible life.