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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