Connor McDavid has won the 2021 Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award. The Lindsay Award is given annually to the NHL’s most outstanding player during the regular season. Unlike the majority of the league’s honours, the Lindsay Award is voted on by the NHLPA rather than the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. As a result, it is a unique display of respect from the players themselves. Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers was last year’s winner.
Congratulations to @cmcdavid97, who has been voted the 2020-21 #TedLindsayAward recipient by his NHLPA peers! #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/B5MhYE51pF
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) June 29, 2021
McDavid Wins Lindsay Award
McDavid is a two-time winner of the Lindsay Award, having earned the distinction in 2017 and 2018. The 24-year-old Edmonton Oilers centre made history this season, becoming just the ninth player to log 100 points in 53 games or fewer. In total, McDavid recorded 105 points through 56 regular-season games, earning him the Art Ross Trophy for leading the NHL in points. McDavid was also first in assists league-wide and second only to fellow Lindsay Award nominee Auston Matthews in goals.
McDavid also helped the Oilers achieve success in the regular season. Edmonton finished with a 35-19-2 record and a .643 points percentage. They clinched a playoff berth as the North Division’s second-place team. Overall, McDavid’s individual achievements, coupled with his contributions to the Oilers as a whole, make him a worthy winner of the Lindsay Award.
The finalists for the award were Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Crosby led the Penguins in points and helped his team achieve a first-place finish in the East Division. Matthews won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, awarded to the league’s best leading goal-scorer, with 41 goals in 52 games.
What This Means for the Future
The Lindsay Award is certainly an honour for McDavid. But as nice as individual awards are, the primary goal for any NHL player is his team’s success. It’s important to remember that regular-season performance does not necessarily translate to the postseason. After all, despite their individual excellence, none of this year’s finalists made it past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
However, on top of being extremely talented, McDavid is still a young player. He has plenty of time left in his career. Hopefully, he’ll one day achieve a deep playoff run – or perhaps win a championship. Regardless, if McDavid keeps performing the way he did during the 2020-21 regular season, he’ll be set up for even greater success in the future.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
