Ted Lindsay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ted Lindsay
Lindsay in 2011
Born	(1925-07-29)July 29, 1925 Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
Died	March 4, 2019(2019-03-04) (aged 93) Oakland, Michigan, U.S.
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	163 lb (74 kg; 11 st 9 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Detroit Red Wings Chicago Black Hawks
Playing career	1944–1960 1964–1965

Ted Lindsay (born Robert Blake Theodore Lindsay; July 29, 1925 – March 4, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played as a forward for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Lindsay scored over 800 points in his amazing career and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He won the Art Ross Trophy in 1950 and helped his team win the Stanley Cup four times. People often called him "Terrible Ted" because he played so tough.

He was also a leader off the ice. In the 1950s, he helped start the first group for hockey players to get better rights, called the Players' Association. This action led to him being traded to Chicago. In 2017, Ted Lindsay was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players ever.

Ted Lindsay's Hockey Career

Ted Lindsay was born in Renfrew, Ontario, Canada. His father, Bert Lindsay, was also a professional hockey player. Ted played amateur hockey before joining the St. Michael's Majors in Toronto. In 1944, he played for the Memorial Cup champion Oshawa Generals.

Ted's great playing in junior hockey earned him a chance to try out for the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL. He made his debut in 1944 when he was just 19 years old.

Ted played left wing with Sid Abel and Gordie Howe on a famous line called the "Production Line." This line became one of the best in the NHL. Even though Ted was not a very big player, he was a fierce competitor. He earned his nickname "Terrible Ted" because he played so tough. His rough style of play even led the NHL to create new penalties for hitting with elbows and knees.

In the 1949–50 season, Ted won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer with 78 points. His team, the Red Wings, also won the Stanley Cup that year. Over the next five years, he helped Detroit win three more championships. Ted Lindsay was the first player to pick up the Stanley Cup and skate it around the rink, starting a tradition that continues today!

Fighting for Players' Rights

In 1957, Ted Lindsay learned that hockey players had much worse conditions than athletes in other sports. He found out that the pension plan for players was a secret. He realized that players needed to work together to improve their lives.

At that time, teams basically "owned" their players for their entire careers. Players wanted basic things like a minimum salary and a proper pension plan. While team owners were making a lot of money, players earned very little. Many even needed summer jobs to make enough money to live.

Ted Lindsay and star player Doug Harvey from the Montreal Canadiens led a small group to try and organize the first National Hockey League Players' Association. They secretly contacted all the players, asking for support to form an "association." Almost everyone agreed to support it.

Ted worked very hard for this cause. Many players who supported the association were punished by their teams. They were benched or sent to play in the minor leagues. Ted and Doug then believed that only a "union" could truly win their demands.

When asked about forming the NHLPA, Ted Lindsay said, "Actually, we don't have many grievances. We just felt we should have an organization of this kind." But the team owners did not like this idea. Ted Lindsay, who was one of the league's best players, was first removed as captain. Then, he was traded to the struggling Chicago Black Hawks as punishment.

Ted Lindsay started a lawsuit against the league, saying they had a monopoly. The players had a strong case. To avoid a big court battle, the NHL agreed to most of the players' demands in February 1958. They agreed to things like:

• A minimum wage of $7,000.
• More money for pension benefits.
• Better health benefits.
• A limit on how many exhibition games players had to play.
• Players could decide if they were healthy enough to play after an injury.

Even though a full union wasn't formed right away, Ted Lindsay's actions paved the way for a permanent union to be created in 1967. Because of his important role in starting the Players' Association, a special award was later renamed the Ted Lindsay Award in his honor. This award goes to the NHL's most outstanding player each year. There was even a movie made in 1995 called Net Worth about Ted's fight to create the NHL Players' Association.

Ted played for Chicago for three years before retiring in 1960. Four years later, at 39 years old, he was convinced to come back and play for the Red Wings again by his former linemate, Sid Abel, who was then the coach. He played one more season, helping Detroit win their first regular season championship in seven years.

Life After Playing Hockey

Lindsay's #7 banner hanging in Joe Louis Arena

In his career, Ted Lindsay played 1,068 regular season games. He scored 379 goals and had 472 assists, for a total of 851 points. He also played in 133 playoff games, scoring 47 goals and 96 points. He was chosen for the NHL All-Star Team many times.

In 1966, Ted was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. However, he refused to go to the ceremony at first because only men were allowed. He wanted to bring his wife and children. The rules were changed the next year, allowing women to attend. On November 10, 1991, the Detroit Red Wings honored Ted by retiring his jersey number, #7. In 1998, he was ranked number 21 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

After his playing career, Ted Lindsay also worked as a TV commentator for NHL games. His face showed the many cuts and stitches he got during his tough playing days.

In 1977, Ted became the general manager of the Red Wings. He helped the team improve and make the playoffs. He was even named the NHL's executive of the year. For a short time, he also coached the team.

Ted Lindsay was an "Honored Member" of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association. He worked hard to raise money for children's charities in the Detroit area. In 2008, a statue of Ted Lindsay was placed at Joe Louis Arena to honor his career.

The Ted Lindsay Foundation was started in 2001 to help find a cure for autism. As of 2019, the foundation has raised over $3.4 million for autism research and supports families affected by autism.

On April 29, 2010, the NHL Players' Association announced that the Lester B. Pearson Award would be renamed the Ted Lindsay Award. This was to honor his skill, toughness, leadership, and his big role in starting the first Players' Association.

Ted Lindsay was also inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. He passed away on March 4, 2019, at his home in Michigan.

The Red Wings remembered Ted during their game on March 7, 2019. Every seat had a special number 7 on it to honor him. A public viewing was also held at Little Caesars Arena for fans to pay their respects.

Career Statistics

* Stanley Cup Champion.

Awards and Honours

• NHL First All-Star Team (1948, 1950–1954, 1956, 1957)
• NHL Second All-Star Team (1949)
• NHL All-Star Game (1947–1957)
• Art Ross Trophy winner (1950)
• Memorial Cup winner (1944)
• Four-time Stanley Cup champion (1950, 1952, 1954, 1955)
• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966
• Inducted into the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2002
• Detroit Red Wings #7 retired on November 10, 1991
• The Hockey News Executive of the Year (1977)
• In January 2017, Lindsay was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

NHL Coaching Record

See also

In Spanish: Ted Lindsay para niños

• Captain (ice hockey)
• List of ice hockey line nicknames
• Production line (hockey)
• List of NHL players with 1000 games played