Bert Lindsay

Hockey families are legendary throughout the NHL - the Howes, Richards, Hulls, Sutters, Stastnys......the list goes on and on. However few people realize that Ted Lindsay's father appeared in the NHL some 20 years before Ted was terrorizing NHL defensemen.

Ted of course is considered to be one of the greatest players to ever appear in the NHL. Bert Lindsay however had a forgetable NHL career as he tended net with two weak teams in the NHL's first two years.
Lindsay entered the NHL as a member of the Montreal Wanderers. The Wanderers only played 6 games that year before folding after their arena suspiciously burned down. Bert was 1-3 in 4 games with the Wanderers.

In fact Bert is the answer to a popular trivia question as he is the only goaltender in Montreal Wanderers NHL history to earn a win.

The next season the Toronto Arenas signed up for Lindsay's services as Hap Holmes left the team to join the PCHA. Bert went 5-11 in 16 games and was lit up with 83 goals against. It turned out to be Bert's final season of hockey at any major level.

While Bert's NHL career wasn't anything to get too excited about, Bert enjoyed a good pre-NHL career, although he never really planned to really play hockey for anything more than recreation. He did just that, playing strong hockey on the Ontario senior hockey circuit with the Renfrew Creamery Kings.

Things changed by 1909 though. He was asked to help an Edmonton based amateur team in an unsuccessful challenge for the Stanley Cup against the Montreal Wanderers.

After that experience it was announced that the Renfrew area would be granted a franchise in the brand new professional league to be called the National Hockey Association. So when the Renfrew team offered Lindsay good money to play hockey for a living, he jumped at it. He played from 1909 through 1911 with the Renfrew Creamery Kings/Millionaires.

The 1911-12 season, Bert jumped at the opportunity to play professional out west in the PCHA, specifically with the Victoria Aristocrats. He enjoyed his best years as a pro in Victoria, twice leading the league in wins and won the PCHA title in both 1913 and 1914, but never played for the Stanley Cup.

After a disappointing 1915 season, Lindsay returned to the NHA, this time with the Montreal Wanderers where he played for two years in the NHA before the Association became known as the NHL in 1917.

Including NHA, NHL and PCHA totals, Bert had 68 wins and 81 losses with 1 tie and 2 shutouts. He had a 5.72 GAA in the NHL and a career 5.32 GAA outside of it.

Bert Lindsay wasn't one of the greatest goalies of all time, but he was a underrated, good goalie in his day.