Player Biography: "Terrible" Ted Lindsay

[ScottM]

 

                A nickname can tell you a lot about a hockey player. Often, it will reveal much about his playing style. Such is the case with Robert Blake Theodore Lindsay, better known as “Terrible” Ted Lindsay. Lindsay stood only 5’8”, and weighed in at just over 163 pounds, but his presence on the ice was far bigger than his figure.

 

                Lindsay was a scrappy player who wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves with players much bigger than himself. During his 17-year NHL career, he surpassed the century mark in penalty minutes 10 times. The tenacity on the ice earned him the moniker “Terrible Ted.” He was also sometimes referred to as “Scarface” thanks to the numerous cuts and scars he received over his career. Lindsay once set that he lost track of the number of stitches he received at 400.

 

                Ted was born on July 29, 1925 in Renfrew, Ontario. His father, Bert, was also a professional hockey player, minding the nets for the Renfrew Millionaires, Victoria Aristocrats, and Toronto Arenas during his career.

 

                Ted played amateur hockey in Kirkland Lake and Toronto. While playing for the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors in 1944, he played for the Memorial Cup against the Oshawa Generals and attracted the attention of the Detroit Red Wings, who invited him to try out for the team. After one game with the Indianapolis Capitals in the 1944-45 season, the 19-year-old Lindsay made his NHL debut with the Red Wings. The fact that Lindsay wasn’t noticed by the Maple Leafs’ scouts while he was playing juniors in Toronto irked the Leafs’ owner Conn Smythe, with whom Lindsay would feud for the entirety of his career.

 

                Lindsay was average in his first two NHL seasons, but that would change drastically in the 1946-47 season. He was moved to a line with Gordie Howe and Sid Abel which would be dubbed the “Production Line” in 1948. This line would go on to be one of the most famous offensive trios in the history of the league. In the 1949-50 season, Ted would win the Art Ross trophy, and his line-mates would finish second and third in the league in scoring. The Red Wings would win the Stanley Cup that season, marking the first of four times that Lindsay would have his name engraved on the coveted silver trophy.

 

                The 1949-50 season wasn’t the only season that would see the dynamic trio of Lindsay, Howe, and Abel make their mark on the game. They would also finish 1-2-3 in scoring in 1952, 1954, and 1955. Lindsay would replace his line-mate Able as the Red Wings’ captain in the 1952-53 season, and led the team to two Stanley Cup titles during his tenure as captain.

 

                Despite his status of team captain and his unquestioned ability on the ice, Lindsay’s relationship with Red Wings general manager Jack Adams was strained at best. For the final three years of his first stint with the Red Wings, the two never so much as spoke to one another. The relationship soured further in 1957 when Lindsay made arguably his biggest (though at the time controversial) impact on the game.

 

                Lindsay was instrumental in the creation of the National Hockey League Players Association. In an era where superstars were paid less than $25,000 and nothing to fall back on after retirement, the long term financial security of players was far from guaranteed. Additionally, the league refused to release pension plan information, which disgusted many players. As a result, a group of players led by Lindsay and Canadiens defenseman Doug Harvey began an effort to for a players association. When asked about the creation of the association, Lindsay quipped, “Actually, we don't have many grievances. We just felt we should have an organization of this kind.”

 

                This first attempt at the creation of a players association would be short-lived. Team owners would use strong arm tactics to discourage players from signing on. Jack Adams was successful in dissuading most Red Wings players from signing on after launching a smear campaign against Lindsay. Lindsay, who was third on the league’s all-time scoring list at the time was traded to the Black Hawks in a move that was viewed as nothing more than a punishment by many observers in spite of the fact that he was coming off of his best individual season.

 

                While the first attempt at the creation of a players association would fail, it would pave the way for the current NHLPA which was formed in 1967. In recognition of his contribution, the trophy that the NHLPA gives to the league MVP as voted by the players was named the Ted Lindsay Award in 2010.

 

                After his trade to the Black Hawks, “Terrible” Ted would play a major role in the resurgence of the struggling Chicago club. After three seasons with the Black Hawks, Lindsay would retire. However, he continued to play hockey to keep in shape, and would frequently practice with the Red Wings.

 

                Four years after his retirement, Lindsay was convinced to make a comeback by former line mate and now head coach and general manager of the Red Wings, Sid Abel. When he made his return to the Wings, Lindsay said, “I just had the desire to wind up my career with the Red Wings. I liked playing in Chicago, and I gave them everything I had, but I knew in my heart I was a Red Wing.” In the 1964-65 season, the Red Wings would finish first in the league for the first time since Lindsay had departed the team. The Red Wings didn’t have enough room to protect Lindsay for the 1965 interleague draft, so he and Abel devised a plan which would “hide” Lindsay on the retired list only to have him return for a farewell season. However, learning of the scheme, Maple Leafs owner Stafford Smythe convinced the league to block it, effectively making Lindsay’s retirement permanent.

 

                A man of small stature but big heart, “Terrible” Ted Lindsay made a major impact on the game of hockey. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966.

 

Further reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Lindsay

http://redwingslegends.blogspot.com/2007/10/ted-lindsay.html

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p196607&type=Player&page=bio&list=

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/l/lindste01.html

[fan4ever]

@ScottM

 

Nice write up!!!!

[WingNut722]

@ScottM

 

Outstanding column!  I'm hoping this won't be the last!  Great reading!

[ScottM]

Thanks for the kind words. I do plan to keep doing these. I've been learning a lot from them, and to be honest, I just enjoy writing them. I don't know if I'll get another one done tonight or not. If I don't it'll probably be Thursday night, but keep an eye out for it.

[yave1964]

Anyone wanting a good read should try Net Worth by David Cruise about the failed attempts to get a union going, and the sabotage by the owners and by Eagleson along the way. Dont read it if you want to think of the game as pure and perfect, it shows all the nasty vitrol of the owners and their agents, particularly against Lindsay and Doug Harvey int he first failed attempt to gain representation for the players.

 

 Thanks for the read Scott, keep them coming!

[blocker]

Don't remember the years, but there was a period in which Ted Lindsay got paid more than Gordie Howe.  That was before agents, and Lindsay brought his belligerence to the bargaining table.  Jack Adams took advantage of Howe's gullible nature, but Lindsay was harder to placate.   Adams screwed his players, as did the other owners. 

[ScottM]

Don't remember the years, but there was a period in which Ted Lindsay got paid more than Gordie Howe.  That was before agents, and Lindsay brought his belligerence to the bargaining table.  Jack Adams took advantage of Howe's gullible nature, but Lindsay was harder to placate.   Adams screwed his players, as did the other owners. 

 

As I've said before, I'm still early in my historical study, but from everything I've read about Adams, calling him a piece of work would be a major understatement.

[jammer2]

@ScottM  I had the honour of meeting Ted decades back at a old timers game at Windsor Arena. They stuck the poor guys in the worst dressing room in the whole arena....they actually had to walk up a flight of stairs with their skates on, up and down for each intermission. Of course, it was all for charity and when I made the trip up the stairs (wondering aloud how the old timers made it up that very steep flight so many times), and there Ted was, sitting there scars and all, chatting it up with Red Kelly. They were both wonderful guys, talked some original six with them, the difference between today's game and the past etc....what a great moment. They both signed autograph's for me (among many others) and both were simply amazing down to earth guys. You don't understand the magnitude of his scars until you see them up close...he told me he would not trade one of them for anything, they were part of his journey, which stuck me as very wise words.

[ScottM]

@ScottM  I had the honour of meeting Ted decades back at a old timers game at Windsor Arena. They stuck the poor guys in the worst dressing room in the whole arena....they actually had to walk up a flight of stairs with their skates on, up and down for each intermission. Of course, it was all for charity and when I made the trip up the stairs (wondering aloud how the old timers made it up that very steep flight so many times), and there Ted was, sitting there scars and all, chatting it up with Red Kelly. They were both wonderful guys, talked some original six with them, the difference between today's game and the past etc....what a great moment. They both signed autograph's for me (among many others) and both were simply amazing down to earth guys. You don't understand the magnitude of his scars until you see them up close...he told me he would not trade one of them for anything, they were part of his journey, which stuck me as very wise words.

I love living in Mississippi, don't get me wrong, but I miss out on that kind of thing here. I wish I had those kinds of opportunities. The quote from Lindsay that you gave sums him up well. He was once asked if he had any regrets and he said he wouldn't do anything differently. I can only hope that I can live out my life with such a clear conscience.

[blocker]

but from everything I've read about Adams, calling him a piece of work would be a major understatement.

 

Gordie Howe married Colleen at about the same time that Gordie realized he was being underpaid.  She became his agent later, and then did all the negotiating for him, Marty and Mark.  From everything I've read, she was a very nice person, but a pretty good bargainer.. 

[jammer2]

@blocker  Coleen Howe R.I.P.   the true leader of the worlds most important hockey family. So sad Gordie had to go on without her.

[JR Ewing]

-Lindsay played every shift of every game with hate and intensity. Honestly, I don't know how he did it, as most players just can't maintain that sort of intensity. He did, even after his comeback, and he was so sore he had to crawl out of bed. By game time, he was his old self.

-Another cool thing (among the many) about Lindsay: when he found out his HHOF induction was to be a stag event, he wouldn't go if his wife wasn't allowed to attend.

[ScottM]

-Another cool thing (among the many) about Lindsay: when he found out his HHOF induction was to be a stag event, he wouldn't go if his wife wasn't allowed to attend.

 

Didn't they change that rule because of that specific event?

[JR Ewing]

Didn't they change that rule because of that specific event?

 

I'm pretty sure they did. You can't really have HOF ceremonies where the entrants don't show up out of respect for the fact that their wives aren't allowed to attend.

[OccamsRazor]

@ScottM

 

Very good read my man. You put together some good reads as good as i've seen from many professional writers.

[ScottM]

@ScottM

 

Very good read my man. You put together some good reads as good as i've seen from many professional writers.

 

Thanks a lot for the kind words. Hopefully, one day that's just what I'll be.

[hf101]

Great read as usual Scott.

 

I came across these Biography Videos, thought I'd add Lindsay's.