04/19/24
March 04, 2019
Detroit Red Wings' Ted Lindsay dies: A badass on ice, a gentleman off: On the ice, Lindsay was cocky and abrasive and would do anything to win. He was a highly unusual player in the post-World War II National Hockey League, a brainy boat-rocker who repeatedly challenged the conservative league establishment. Those qualities — plus his enormous talent — made him one of the most memorable and controversial players in NHL history and a fan favorite for decades in metro Detroit, where he lived for more than 70 years.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 11:11 AM - 5 comments
One of the most important players in NHL history. Rest in peace, Mr. Lindsay.
posted by tommybiden at 06:55 PM on March 04, 2019
5'8", 165 lbs!! I have 20 lbs on him in his prime! I'm not old enough to have watched Lindsay play, and know him only as a member of the legendary Production Line. But to be his size--even in the 50's--and lead the league in penalty minutes and have a reputation as a tough guy, well, that just boggles the mind. By today's standards, he's tiny. Even by the standards of those days, he was pretty small.
Rest in Peace to a legend of the game. Go hit Mr. Hockey for a game winner on that great big rink in the sky.
posted by tahoemoj at 07:33 PM on March 04, 2019
a reputation as a tough guy
Think of Brad Marchand with better skills. He could handle himself pretty well when the gloves and sticks were on the ice, but I remember one incident when the Bruins' Fernie Flaman, one of the top pugilists in the NHL in the 1950s took umbrage at Lindsay, dropped the gloves, and went after him. Lindsay took off toward the end of the rink with Flaman in hot pursuit. One of the Garden Bull Gang, not wishing to be a witness to manslaughter, opened the Zamboni door and allowed Lindsay to escape. This was on the TV news film of the times; I really wish that video tape had been in broad use at the time.
posted by Howard_T at 05:42 PM on March 05, 2019
Think of Brad Marchand with better skills.
and less of a taste for human sweat/flesh, I imagine.
posted by tahoemoj at 12:24 PM on March 06, 2019
I am old enough to have seen him play, both in person and on TV. He was one of those players whom you hated, but had he been on your team you would have loved.