Ted Lindsay Award
NHL players vote for the league's most outstanding player.
The NHL Players’ Association votes each year to decide which player was the most outstanding during the regular season, and that player receives the Ted Lindsay Award. First given out after the 1970–71 season, the trophy was originally named for Lester B. Pearson, a former Canadian prime minister, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and University of Toronto hockey player and coach. In 2010, the award was renamed to honor Ted Lindsay, a Detroit Red Wings Hall of Famer recognized for his skill, toughness, leadership, and work in founding the original players’ union. The Lindsay Award is considered the companion to the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is chosen by hockey writers rather than players. Over 52 seasons in which both trophies have been awarded, the same player won both in a single year 35 times, accomplished by 22 different players. Among them, Connor McDavid and Wayne Gretzky each won the Lindsay five times, the most of any player. Edmonton Oilers players have taken the award 12 times, and Pittsburgh Penguins players have won it ten times. Only two goaltenders—Dominik Hašek and Carey Price—have ever won both the Hart and the Lindsay in the same season, and Bobby Orr remains the only defenseman to win the Lindsay, which he did in 1974–75 while also taking the Norris and Art Ross trophies. Thirteen players have completed a Hart-Lindsay-Art Ross sweep in the same year, including Phil Esposito, Guy Lafleur, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Jaromír Jágr, Martin St. Louis, Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Patrick Kane, Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, and Leon Draisaitl. Of those, Lafleur, Lemieux, Gretzky, Ovechkin, and McDavid also led the league in goals in their sweep seasons, though only Ovechkin and McDavid did so after the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy was introduced in 1998–99. Brett Hull, Ovechkin, and Auston Matthews led the league in goals during years they won the Hart and Lindsay but not the Art Ross.
Quick Facts
- Sport
- Ice hockey
- Givenfor
- National Hockey League's outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association
- First
- 1971–72 NHL season
- Firstwinner
- Phil Esposito
- Mostwins
- Wayne Gretzky & Connor McDavid (5)
- Mostrecent
- Connor McDavid / Edmonton Oilers
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The award was first handed out at the conclusion of the 1970–71 NHL season, named in honour of Lester B. Pearson, Prime Minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968, 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. On April 29, 2010, the NHL Players' Association announced 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. Voting is conducted at the end of the regular season by members of the NHL Players Association.
The Lindsay Award is considered the companion of the Hart Memorial Trophy; the trophies have been won by the same player for the same season 35 times by 22 players, including Bobby Clarke, Phil Esposito, Guy Lafleur, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, Brett Hull, Sergei Fedorov, Eric Lindros, Dominik Hasek, Jaromir Jagr, Joe Sakic, Martin St. Louis, Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Carey Price, Patrick Kane, Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, Leon Draisaitl, Auston Matthews, and Nathan MacKinnon. 13 of those players have also won the Art Ross Trophy for the same season a combined 23 times, completing a Hart-Pearson/Lindsay-Art Ross sweep. Hasek and Price are the only goaltenders to win the Hart and Pearson/Lindsay in the same year. Bobby Orr won the Norris, Pearson and Art Ross in 1974-75 and is the only defenceman to win the Pearson/Lindsay.
Reader's Guide
The Ted Lindsay Award holds significance as the only major NHL trophy voted on exclusively by the players themselves, making it a direct peer assessment of on-ice excellence. Its companion relationship with the Hart Memorial Trophy highlights a frequent but not absolute overlap between the players' choice for most outstanding and the writers' choice for most valuable. The award's history reflects a shift from honoring a Canadian prime minister to celebrating a player who helped found the NHL Players' Association, underscoring the union's role in the award's identity. The list of winners includes many of the league's greatest forwards, with only two goaltenders and one defenceman ever winning both the Hart and Lindsay in the same season. The frequent sweeps of the Hart, Lindsay, and Art Ross trophies by the same player in a season—accomplished 23 times by 13 players—demonstrate the award's alignment with scoring dominance, though goal-scoring leaders like Brett Hull, Alexander Ovechkin, and Auston Matthews have won the Hart and Lindsay without the Art Ross. The Edmonton Oilers' 12 wins and the Pittsburgh Penguins' 10 wins reflect the sustained excellence of players on those franchises.
Did You Know?
- The award was originally named after Lester B. Pearson, a former Prime Minister of Canada and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
- Connor McDavid and Wayne Gretzky have each won the award a record five times.
- Bobby Orr is the only defenceman to win the Pearson/Lindsay, doing so in 1974-75.
- Only two goaltenders—Dominik Hasek and Carey Price—have won the Hart and Pearson/Lindsay in the same year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ted Lindsay Award?
It is the NHL's regular-season MVP trophy, selected by a vote of the players themselves to recognize the most outstanding performer of the year. The award was first presented following the 1970–71 season.
Why was the Pearson Award renamed to the Ted Lindsay Award?
Originally named for Lester B. Pearson, the trophy was rebranded in 2010 to honor Ted Lindsay, a Detroit Red Wings Hall of Famer who helped establish the first NHL players' union. The change better reflected the award's roots in player-driven recognition.
Who has won the Ted Lindsay Award the most times?
Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid are tied at five wins each, the highest total in the award's history. As a franchise, the Edmonton Oilers have claimed the trophy a record 12 times.
How is the Ted Lindsay Award different from the Hart Trophy?
The Hart Trophy is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, whereas the Ted Lindsay is chosen exclusively by fellow NHL players. The two are widely regarded as the league's twin MVP honors, and the same player often takes home both in a given season.
Who was Ted Lindsay and why do players honor him with this award?
Ted Lindsay was a Detroit Red Wings Hall of Famer celebrated for his skill, toughness, and leadership on the ice. He also played a key role in founding the original NHL players' union, which is why the players' association chose to attach his name to their top individual honor.
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