The Ted Lindsay Award formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award is presented annually in the National Hockey League to the most outstanding player for the regular season. The award was renamed in 2010 after the legendary player Ted Lindsay who played in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks.
This award is different from the Hart Memorial Trophy which is presented by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The Ted Lindsay Award is voted on by the members of the National Hockey League Players' Association. The unique voting system makes it different from any other individual award in the NHL.
Ted Lindsay Award Winners List-
The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, has a rich history in the National Hockey League. The trophy was introduced in the 1970-1971 season and it was named after Lester B. Pearson, then prime minister of Canada and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
The award was initially presented by the members of the NHLPA to the most outstanding player in the league. However, in 2010, it was decided to rename the award after the legendary player Ted Lindsay to honour the legacy of the Hall of Fame forward.
Since its introduction, many players have received this award, adding value to the rich history of the trophy. The first winner of the prestigious trophy was Phil Esposito, a Boston Bruins forward, in 1971. The current holder of the award is Connor McDavid from the Edmonton Oilers, who won it in 2023.
Here is the Ted Lindsay Award winners list.
| Season | Winner | Team | Position | Win # |
| As Lester B. Pearson Award | ||||
| 1970–71 | Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | C | 1 |
| 1971–72 | Jean Ratelle | New York Rangers | C | 1 |
| 1972–73 | Bobby Clarke | Philadelphia Flyers | C | 1 |
| 1973–74 | Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | C | 2 |
| 1974–75 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | D | 1 |
| 1975–76 | Guy Lafleur | Montreal Canadiens | RW | 1 |
| 1976–77 | Guy Lafleur | Montreal Canadiens | RW | 2 |
| 1977–78 | Guy Lafleur | Montreal Canadiens | RW | 3 |
| 1978–79 | Marcel Dionne | Los Angeles Kings | C | 1 |
| 1979–80 | Marcel Dionne | Los Angeles Kings | C | 2 |
| 1980–81 | Mike Liut | St. Louis Blues | G | 1 |
| 1981–82 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | C | 1 |
| 1982–83 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | C | 2 |
| 1983–84 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | C | 3 |
| 1984–85 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | C | 4 |
| 1985–86 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 1 |
| 1986–87 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | C | 5 |
| 1987–88 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 2 |
| 1988–89 | Steve Yzerman | Detroit Red Wings | C | 1 |
| 1989–90 | Mark Messier | Edmonton Oilers | C | 1 |
| 1990–91 | Brett Hull | St. Louis Blues | RW | 1 |
| 1991–92 | Mark Messier | New York Rangers | C | 2 |
| 1992–93 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 3 |
| 1993–94 | Sergei Fedorov | Detroit Red Wings | C | 1 |
| 1994–95 | Eric Lindros | Philadelphia Flyers | C | 1 |
| 1995–96 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 4 |
| 1996–97 | Dominik Hasek | Buffalo Sabres | G | 1 |
| 1997–98 | Dominik Hasek | Buffalo Sabres | G | 2 |
| 1998–99 | Jaromir Jagr | Pittsburgh Penguins | RW | 1 |
| 1999–00 | Jaromir Jagr | Pittsburgh Penguins | RW | 2 |
| 2000–01 | Joe Sakic | Colorado Avalanche | C | 1 |
| 2001–02 | Jarome Iginla | Calgary Flames | RW | 1 |
| 2002–03 | Markus Naslund | Vancouver Canucks | LW | 1 |
| 2003–04 | Martin St. Louis | Tampa Bay Lightning | RW | 1 |
| 2004–05 | Season cancelled due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout | |||
| 2005–06 | Jaromir Jagr | New York Rangers | RW | 3 |
| 2006–07 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 1 |
| 2007–08 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | LW | 1 |
| 2008–09 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | LW | 2 |
| As Ted Lindsay Award | ||||
| 2009–10 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | LW | 3 |
| 2010–11 | Daniel Sedin | Vancouver Canucks | LW | 1 |
| 2011–12 | Evgeni Malkin | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 1 |
| 2012–13 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 2 |
| 2013–14 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 3 |
| 2014–15 | Carey Price | Montreal Canadiens | G | 1 |
| 2015–16 | Patrick Kane | Chicago Blackhawks | RW | 1 |
| 2016–17 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | C | 1 |
| 2017–18 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | C | 2 |
| 2018–19 | Nikita Kucherov | Tampa Bay Lightning | RW | 1 |
| 2019–20 | Leon Draisaitl | Edmonton Oilers | C | 1 |
| 2020–21 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | C | 3 |
| 2021–22 | Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs | C | 1 |
| 2022–23 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | C | 4 |
Players With The Most Ted Lindsay Awards
Over the years, the Ted Lindsay award has become the symbol of respect the fellow players give to each other in the form of votes. The trophy reflects a player’s contribution to his team. Many players have claimed the trophy multiple times throughout their careers, including Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Connor McDavid.
A list of players who have won the Ted Lindsay Award multiple times is given below.
| Player | Teams | Number of Awards |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 5 |
| Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4 |
| Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 4 |
| Guy Lafleur | Montreal Canadiens | 3 |
| Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | 3 |
| Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | 3 |
FAQ's On List of NHL Ted Lindsay Award Winners
A. Wayne Gretzky won five Ted Lindsay Awards during his illustrious career, which is also the most by any individual.
A. The Ted Lindsay Award formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award is presented annually in the NHL to the most outstanding player in the regular season.
A. The Ted Lindsay award is chosen by members of the NHL’s Players' Association while the Hart is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
A. Connor McDavid has won the Ted Lindsay Award four times till now in his career. He is also the current holder of the award.
A. Ted Lindsay was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks during 1944-1965. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966.
