Mailed Out: February 24, 2014
Returned: March 24, 20014
Sent to his home - return #9
Detroit Red Wings legend Ted Lindsay sent back what is arguably the most personable return thus far. He signed my card that I had sent to him (it came back a tad bent in the right corner) with the year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, he included a pamphlet on his life, and charitable work, and he also included a little note to me! He told me that the Edmonton Flyers way before my time were the farm team and that a lot of players that developed in Edmonton ended up playing for Detroit. I included the last part where he wished me luck and signed off.
Lindsay got the nickname Terrible Ted because of his playing style; smaller than the average NHLer at the time he played a physical game, which led to the NHL having to adapt elbowing penalties. He has a laundry list of on ice accomplishments that include being part of multiple All Star teams, winning the Memorial Cup, winning the Stanley Cup four times, winning the Art Ross trophy in 1950, being inducted into both the Canadian Sports and Hockey Hall of Fames, and his number seven was retired by the Detroit Red Wings.
Lindsay has just as long of a list of off ice accomplishments in making changes. Doug Harvey of the Canadiens and him led the way forming the NHL Players Association after the league refused to release pension plan information to the players. This resulted in Lindsay being stripped of his captaincy, and he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. He retired after three years in Chicago to be with his family in Michigan, but at age 39 Sid Abel convinced him to make a comeback where he played just one season helping the Wings to another cup. He started the tradition of players raising the cup over their head and skating around the rink with it, he said he did this for fans to get a better look at it. The Lester B Pearson award was renamed after him in 2010, the award is handed out to the player who is voted most valuable to their team by the NHLPA. When he was inducted into the HHOF in 1966 he refused to attend because the induction ceremony was only open to men meaning that his family could not attend, the next year it was changed so that both sexes could attend.
A member of the Edmonton Oil Kings back to back Memorial Cup Champions back in the 60's MacGregor went undrafted and was secured by the Detroit Red Wings. He would appear in 54 games with the Red Wings farm club, the Edmonton Flyers before joining the big club for good. After ten seasons in Detroit MacGregor was dealt to the New York Rangers where he would put up another solid 3 seasons before leaving the NHL for his hometown WHA's Edmonton Oilers. After two seasons in Edmonton, and an appearance on Canada's 1974 Summit Series team he called it a career. After retiring MacGregor became an assistant general manager with the Edmonton Oilers, where he would have his name engraved on 5 Stanley Cups.
Drafted second overall by the Kings in 1986 Jimmy Carson would only put up 186 points over the next two seasons with the club before being dealt to Edmonton for Wayne Gretzky. Frustrated in Edmonton that he couldn't live up to the hype of being dubbed Gretzkys replacement Carson demanded a trade in 1989, he would be dealt to his hometown Detroit.
Mailed out: June 20, 2014
As Don Cherry would say, A good ol' Saskatchewan boy Tim Cheveldae! He started off in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades before being drafted by the Red Wings. He was often the whipping boy for the Red Wings post season failures as he always played strong during the regular season, but could never get the team deep in the playoffs. He also played for the Jets, and Bruins before finishing his career in the IHL. Cheveldae returned to Saskatoon to be an assistant coach for his former junior club for a couple seasons, since then he's been part of the Dundurn Fire Department.
Mailed out: February 18, 2014
