What is the Ted Lindsay Award?

The Ted Lindsay Award is an annual award given to the “most outstanding player” in the National Hockey League (NHL) as voted by the members of the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA). The award was first presented in 1971, and it is named after Ted Lindsay, a former professional hockey player who was known for his skill and tenacity on the ice.

Prior to being renamed in 2010 to honor Lindsay, the award was known as the Lester B. Pearson Award. It was renamed to honor Lindsay in recognition of his contributions to the game of hockey, including his advocacy for the rights of players and his efforts to establish the NHL Players’ Association.

The Ted Lindsay Award is one of the most prestigious awards in the NHL, and it is often considered one of the “big three” awards along with the Hart Memorial Trophy (given to the league’s most valuable player) and the Art Ross Trophy (given to the league’s leading scorer).

1971: Phil Esposito
1972: Jean Ratelle
1973: Phil Esposito

1974: Bobby Clarke
1975: Bobby Orr
1976: Guy Lafleur

1977: Guy Lafleur
1978: Guy Lafleur
1979: Marcel Dionne

1980: Marcel Dionne
1981: Mike Liut
1982: Wayne Gretzky

1983: Wayne Gretzky
1984: Wayne Gretzky
1985: Wayne Gretzky

1986: Mario Lemieux
1987: Wayne Gretzky
1988: Mario Lemieux

1989: Steve Yzerman
1990: Mark Messier
1991: Brett Hull

1992: Mark Messier
1993: Mario Lemieux
1994: Sergei Fedorov

1995: Eric Lindros
1996: Mario Lemieux

1997: Dominik Hasek

1998: Dominik Hasek

1999: Jaromir Jagr
2000: Jaromir Jagr

2001: Joe Sakic
2002: Jarome Iginla
2003: Markus Naslund

2004: Martin St. Louis
2005: Award not presented (due to NHL lockout)
2006: Jaromir Jagr

2007: Sidney Crosby
2008: Alexander Ovechkin
2009: Alexander Ovechkin

2010: Alexander Ovechkin
2011: Daniel Sedin
2012: Evgeni Malkin

2013: Sidney Crosby
2014: Sidney Crosby
2015: Carey Price

2016: Patrick Kane
2017: Connor McDavid
2018: Connor McDavid

2019: Nikita Kucherov
2020: Leon Draisaitl
2021: Connor McDavid

2022: Connor McDavid

Note that the award was renamed the Ted Lindsay Award in 2010.

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