The Lindsay Award: Really a "Most Outstanding Player" Award? 43.5% of Scoring Champs Did Not Win It.

[Blade Paradigm]

With the current season winding down and so much discussion brewing about Connor McDavid's qualification for the Hart Trophy, many have stated their belief that he should win the Ted Lindsay Award as the league's Most Outstanding Player as voted by the NHLPA.

While, in theory, there is a distinction between the Ted Lindsay Award's "Most Outstanding Player" definition and the Hart Memorial Trophy's "Most Valuable Player" definition, the two awards' results records have seldom been compared directly with one another. One would assume that the Ted Lindsay Award would place less emphasis on team success than the Hart Trophy, but their records are actually strikingly similar to the point where one might question whether the Lindsay Award is merely the NHLPA's version of the Hart Memorial Trophy, the award for the Most Valuable Player.

I originally intended to include this in the thread about the Art Ross' correlation with one's candidacy for the Hart Memorial Trophy, but realized that this discussion should revolve around a different focal point: whether the Ted Lindsay Award is really a Most Outstanding Player award, and what its value is relative to the Hart Memorial Trophy.

One would assume that the Art Ross Trophy winner should be the favorite to win the Most Outstanding Player Award regardless of their team's place in the NHL standings and their level of team success. However, the figures do not corroborate this belief.

The Lester B. Pearson Award was introduced in 1970-71. It was renamed the Ted Lindsay Award in 2010.

Here are the Art Ross Trophy winners since 1970-71 who did not win the Lester B. Pearson / Ted Lindsay Award:

2014-15: Benn (lost to Price)
2012-13: St. Louis (lost to Crosby)
2009-10: Henrik Sedin (lost to Ovechkin)
2008-09: Malkin (lost to Ovechkin)
2005-06: Thornton (lost to Jagr)
2002-03: Forsberg (lost to Naslund)
2000-01: Jagr (lost to Sakic)
1997-98: Jagr (lost to Hasek)
1996-97: Lemieux (lost to Hasek)
1994-95: Jagr (lost to Lindros)
1993-94: Gretzky (lost to Fedorov)
1991-92: Lemieux (lost to Messier)
1990-91: Gretzky (lost to Hull)
1989-90: Gretzky (lost to Messier)
1988-89: Lemieux (lost to Yzerman)
1985-86: Gretzky (lost to Lemieux)
1980-81: Gretzky (lost to Mike Liut)
1978-79: Trottier (lost to Dionne)
1973-74: Esposito (lost to Clarke)
1971-72: Esposito (lost to Ratelle)

In 46 seasons, 20 Art Ross Trophy winners did not win the Lester B. Pearson Award. That's 43.5% of all scoring champions since the Pearson/Lindsay Award was introduced. Due to the lack of official disclosure about finalists and awards voting, we can not examine the correlation on a wider scope.

We can compare this to the Art Ross Trophy's correlation with Hart Trophy wins.

Here are the Art Ross Trophy winners of the past 46 seasons who did not win the Hart Trophy:

2014-15: Benn (lost to Price)
2012-13: St. Louis (lost to Ovechkin)
2010-11: Daniel Sedin (lost to Perry)
2008-09: Malkin (lost to Ovechkin)
2001-02: Iginla (lost to Theodore)
2000-01: Jagr (lost to Sakic)
1999-00: Jagr (lost to Pronger)
1997-98: Jagr (lost to Hasek)
1996-97: Lemieux (lost to Hasek)
1994-95: Jagr (lost to Lindros)
1993-94: Gretzky (lost to Fedorov)
1991-92: Lemieux (lost to Messier)
1990-91: Gretzky (lost to Hull)
1989-90: Gretzky (lost to Messier)
1998-89: Lemieux (lost to Gretzky)
1979-80: Dionne (lost to Gretzky)
1975-76: Lafleur (lost to Clarke)
1974-75: Orr (lost to Clarke)
1972-73: Esposito (lost to Clarke)
1971-72: Esposito (lost to Orr)
1970-71: Esposito (lost to Orr)

In total, 21 Art Ross Trophy winners of the past 46 seasons did not win the Hart Trophy. That equates to 45.7%.

Between these two lists, 13 Art Ross Trophy winners won neither the Hart Trophy nor the Lester B. Pearson Award. Of the 46 seasons in which both trophies have existed, 28.6% of Art Ross Trophy winners won neither trophy in their respective scoring title seasons.

2014-15: Benn
2012-13: St. Louis
2008-09: Malkin
2000-01: Jagr
1997-98: Jagr
1996-97: Lemieux
1994-95: Jagr
1993-94: Gretzky
1991-92: Lemieux
1990-91: Gretzky
1989-90: Gretzky
1988-89: Lemieux
1971-72: Esposito

People often consider the Pearson/Lindsay Award to be a "Most Outstanding Player" trophy, as opposed to a "Most Valuable Player" trophy a la the Hart Trophy. However, both seem to place a very nearly-identical value on scoring championships.

Here are the years when there were differences between the Hart and Pearson voting -- 16 total seasons out of 46 since 1970:

2012-13: Ovechkin (Hart) / Crosby (Lindsay)
2010-11: Perry (Hart) / Daniel Sedin (Lindsay)
2009-10: Henrik Sedin (Hart) / Ovechkin (Lindsay)
2005-06: Thornton (Hart) / Jagr (Pearson)
2002-03: Forsberg (Hart) / Naslund (Pearson)
2001-02: Theodore (Hart) / Iginla (Pearson)
1999-00: Pronger (Hart) / Jagr (Pearson)
1988-89: Gretzky (Hart) / Yzerman (Pearson)
1985-86: Gretzky (Hart) / Lemieux (Pearson)
1980-81: Gretzky (Hart) / Liut (Pearson)
1979-80: Gretzky (Hart) / Dionne (Pearson)
1978-79: Trottier (Hart) / Dionne (Pearson)
1975-76: Clarke (Hart) / Lafleur (Pearson)
1974-75: Clarke (Hart) / Orr (Pearson)
1971-72: Orr (Hart) / Ratelle (Pearson)
1970-71: Orr (Hart) / Esposito (Pearson)

30 times out of 46 seasons, the Hart and Pearson/Lindsay were awarded to the same player.

Is the Ted Lindsay Award, the "Most Outstanding Player Award as voted by members of the NHLPA," actually just an alternative Hart Trophy? The historical record shows that this is likely to be the case. One might even be skeptical of some of the voting decisions of the NHLPA, as the Pearson recipients are, in years when the recipients are different, sometimes less favorable than their Hart counterparts. I think that some of the recipients relative to their Hart Trophy counterparts are perceived to be a little bit suspect. The NHLPA may also favor alternative options (underdogs), such as during the Gretzky years in Edmonton. Whereas Gretzky won nine Hart Trophies between 1979 and 1989, he only won five Pearson Awards during that time. Another example is Steve Yzerman's Pearson Award in 1988-89: he scored 65 goals, 155 points that season; Mario Lemieux scored 85 goals, 199 points to lead the league in scoring. One could easily question the nature of the Ted Lindsay / Lester B. Pearson Award, as its stated definition does not entirely align with the historical record.

 

[canuckster19]

“Fans” here on HF tried having this argument back in 2010 trying to discredit Henrik Sedin winning the Hart saying Ovechkin had the obviously better season cause the players voted for him for the Lindsay. Then Daniel Sedin won the Lindsay the following season and the discussion was dropped.

 

[Troubadour]

Or maybe players themselves don't necessarily see the most outstanding player as the one who looks greatest on paper twenty years later.

 

[Legionnaire]

Are you trying to say that the players don't know better? Because that's not true you know.

 

[Woodrow]

The Lindsay has often been just a consolation prize with players trying to give recognition to someone who hasn't been raking up awards. They didn't want give Gretzky all the awards.

 

[Legionnaire]

The Lindsay has often been just a consolation prize with players trying to give recognition to someone who hasn't been raking up awards. They didn't want give Gretzky all the awards.

All ten years it has existed? Gretz won 5 Pearsons. Losing to Lemieux, Yzerman, Messier, Fedorov and Lindros who were all very deserving.

 

[Woodrow]

All ten years it has existed? Gretz won 5 Pearsons. Losing to Lemieux, Yzerman, Messier, Fedorov and Lindros who were all very deserving.

Gretzky didn't win the Pearson in the seasons in which in first beat the all time best scoring season and the season in which he put up the most points ever in a single season.

 

[acor]

HFB will try to rationalize it by saying that "players see more (than mere watchers)", or "players know better" but the truth is that players vote on reputation, same as soccer players in FIFA... The one who is seen as "the best player" any given year is most likely to win the Lindsay... Sometimes it gives better results than Hart Trophy, sometimes not...
This year McDavid should win both Hart and Lindsay... He will win the Lindsay (because he is considered best player), but likely won't win the Hart (bc his team drags him down). At the other hand, Ovechkin won Lindsay in 09-10, when he wasn' clear cut best player (unless we ignore "10" part of the season...). Both awards are inperfect...

 

[Troubadour]

Don't players vote a month before the reg season is over? It will most likely go to MacKinnon or Kucherov.

The notion that players don't consider their own firsthand experience when voting is pretty daring.

Lemieux over Gretzky when the latter amassed a million of assists probably meant there was nothing outstanding about Wayne recording crazy point totals anymore. Lemieux shocked them more, thus he stood out more.

 

[Legionnaire]

Gretzky didn't win the Pearson in the seasons in which in first beat the all time best scoring season and the season in which he put up the most points ever in a single season.

Okay. And Mario, on a team that was virtually devoid of talent other than himself wasn't worthy? Same with Yzerman.