Ted Lindsay will forever be known as one of the great players to ever lace up the skates, and will also perhaps be just as well known for his work in helping to organize the NHL Players Association.
With 379 goals and 472 assists as well as four Stanley Cup wins during his NHL career, Lindsay was naturally a shoe-in for being named to the Hockey Hall of Fame, an honor that he earned on this day in 1966.
However, Lindsay declined to attend the ceremony. The reason why? His wife and children would not have been allowed to attend, since it was at the time a males-only affair.
And to nobody’s surprise, the rules were adjusted so that the next year, both genders were allowed to attend.
Lindsay was a trailblazer both on and off the ice, and we were fortunate to have him play in Detroit for so long!
