Ted Lindsay

Lore & Background

Lindsay was born in Renfrew, Ontario. His father, Bert Lindsay, had been a professional player himself, playing goaltender for the Renfrew Millionaires, Victoria Aristocrats, and Toronto Arenas. Lindsay played amateur hockey in Kirkland Lake before joining the St. Michael's Majors in Toronto. In 1944 he played for the Memorial Cup champion Oshawa Generals.

Lindsay's performance in the Ontario Hockey Association Junior A League earned him an invitation to try out with the Detroit Red Wings and he made his big league debut in 1944 at the age of 19. Lindsay played only one game in the AHL, with the Indianapolis Capitals, during the 1944–45 AHL season. Having played amateur in Toronto, yet playing for Detroit, earned him the enmity of Toronto's owner Conn Smythe with whom he would feud for the length of his career.

Playing left wing with centre Sid Abel and right winger Gordie Howe, on what the media and fans dubbed the "Production Line", Lindsay became one of the NHL's premier players. Although small in stature, he was a fierce competitor who earned the nickname "Terrible Ted" for his toughness. His rough play caused the NHL to develop penalties for 'elbowing' and 'kneeing'. In the 1949–50 season, he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer with 78 points and his team won the Stanley Cup.

Over the next five years, he helped Detroit win three more championships and appeared with Howe on the cover of a March 1957 Sports Illustrated issue. Lindsay was the first player to lift the Stanley Cup and skate it around the rink, starting the tradition.

Reader's Guide

Lindsay attended the annual pension plan meeting as the representative of the Red Wings players, where he found that the plan was kept secret. Later that year when he attended a promotion with football and baseball players, he found out that conditions in the other sports' pro leagues were much better. He was introduced to the lawyers for the players of the other leagues and became convinced that only through an association could the players' conditions be improved.

At a time when teams owned their players for their entire careers, the players began demanding such basics as a minimum salary and a properly funded pension plan. While team owners were getting rich, players were earning a pittance and many needed summer jobs to make a living. Superstars in the 1950s earned less than $25,000 a year. Lindsay and star defenceman Doug Harvey of the Montreal Canadiens led a small group to organize the first National Hockey League Players' Association.

In secret, all of the players at the time were contacted and asked for their support to form an "association", not a "union". Support was nearly unanimous. Lindsay worked doggedly for the cause and many fellow players who supported the association were benched or sent to obscurity in the minor leagues. He and Harvey then became convinced that only a union could win the demands, and set up a schedule to get players' support on record to be certified as a union.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings were targeted for certification votes. Despite Toronto's Conn Smythe's efforts, the Toronto Maple Leafs players unanimously voted to organize. Next was the turn of Detroit to organize, and the Norrises would fight back. Lindsay, one of the league's top players, was first stripped of his captaincy, then was traded to the struggling Chicago Black Hawks.

Jack Adams then planted rumors about Lindsay and false defamatory comments by him against his old team in the press, and showed a fake contract to the press, showing an inflated annual salary. The ruse worked and the Red Wings players rejected the union. Harvey suffered a similar fate, being traded from Montreal to the New York Rangers. Lindsay initiated an anti-trust lawsuit against the league, alleging a monopoly since 1926.

The Production Line and On-Ice Dominance

Lindsay formed the 'Production Line' with Sid Abel and Gordie Howe, becoming one of the NHL's premier players. Known as 'Terrible Ted,' his toughness caused the league to introduce penalties for elbowing and kneeling. He won the Art Ross Trophy in 1950 with 78 points and led Detroit to four Stanley Cups. In March 1957, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated alongside Gordie Howe. Lindsay was also the first player to lift the Stanley Cup and skate it around the rink, starting a tradition that continues today.

The Fight for Player Rights

Lindsay led an effort to organize the NHL Players' Association in the late 1950s after discovering players earned less than $25,000 a year while owners profited from sold-out arenas. He and Doug Harvey organized nearly unanimous support among players. When they pushed for certification, management retaliated: Lindsay was stripped of his captaincy and traded to Chicago, while others were benched or sent to the minors. Jack Adams spread false rumors and showed a fake inflated contract to discredit the movement. Though the 1958 union failed, an out-of-court settlement in February 1958 granted many demands, including a $7000 minimum wage and increased pension benefits.

A Career Defined by Conflict

Lindsay's career was marked by a feud with Toronto owner Conn Smythe. Playing amateur hockey in Toronto before joining Detroit earned him Smythe's enmity, which lasted his entire career. The conflict intensified when Lindsay led the union movement. Owners targeted him to break the association, leading to his trade to Chicago and a smear campaign by Red Wings management. Despite these challenges, Lindsay initiated an anti-trust lawsuit alleging a monopoly since 1926. The players had a strong case involving the Norris syndicate's hidden revenues and Frank Calder's past actions. Although a union was not formed in 1958, a permanent one would be established in 1967.

Life After the Skates

After retiring from playing, Lindsay worked as a sports broadcaster on NBC before becoming general manager of the Red Wings. He also served as head coach for the Hillsdale College Chargers from 1976 to 1977 and coached the Red Wings for a time. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation produced the movie 'Net Worth' in 1995, depicting his battle to create the NHLPA based on the book of the same name.