What makes Ted Lindsay one of the most iconic players in NHL history was his willingness to play much bigger than his size. And as the legend turns 100 years old here on July 29th, 2025, let's look back at what made Lindsay such a force on the ice.
Lindsay, virtually a shoo-in for my recent Top 25 Red Wings list, played in an era of hardly any helmets, primitive padding, and a lot of body checking between the 1944-45 season and 1959-60/1964-65. And he amassed an incredible 1,068 games played despite his generously-listed 5'8, 163-lb frame.
For context, the NHL and safety were strangers in those days with only nominal measures, and that's what made Ted's game so courageous during those earlier years of the league. Someone with such a small size wasn't supposed to last in pro hockey, but he did. For 16 seasons with the Red Wings, and later the Black Hawks, before he came back to Detroit for his age-39 campaign in 1964-65.
Ted Lindsay never let his small size limit his tenacious approach to the game
We all start following and researching hockey at different points, and back when I first heard about Lindsay, I was shocked to see accounts that he had one ferocious side to his game. I mean, yeah, players over six feet tall and nearing 200 lbs would knock opponents around. But Lindsay?
Yeah, it's true. Lindsay was an absolute force on the ice, and opponents needed to think twice before crossing him. That made him a true power forward, and an outlier since, even these days, you think of most power forwards boasting larger frames than what Lindsay had.
But, his game wasn't all ferocious, as he was one heck of a player in the offensive zone when called upon. In those 1,068 games, he scored 379 goals and amassed 851 points, meaning that, in today's 82-game standard, you can adjust his annual totals to 29.1 goals per season to go with an average of 65.3 points.
Lindsay's the kind of player NHL fans will remember for another 100 years
Lindsay also spent time with the Chicago Black Hawks in what was a blockbuster deal for the era, though his role in helping found the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) likely had something to do with that. Unfazed, Lindsay still put up good numbers in the Windy City in the 1958-59 season following a so-so 1957-58 campaign, with 58 points and 22 goals in 70 games.
Still, he made a triumphant return to Detroit for the 1964-65 season when the Hawks traded him back to Hockeytown for cash, playing in 69 games during his age-39 campaign and notching 14 goals and 28 points. He may've slown down some, but Lindsay nonetheless proved he could still play.
All of that said, from his contributions to the Detroit Red Wings and later, the Black Hawks, and the fact he stayed close to the NHL for the decades following his retirement, it's no wonder he'll be a staple forever not only in Red Wings, but NHL history.
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