Connor McDavid's Fifth Ted Lindsay Award Reflects a Career Defined by Excellence
Washington Capitals fall to Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., Feb. 2, 2022. (Photo by Brian Murphy, All-Pro Reels)
Written By Gina Anton
Connor McDavid has spent his entire hockey career creating unforgettable moments for his teammates. This time, however, the spotlight was entirely on him.
The Edmonton Oilers captain thought he was enjoying a routine afternoon at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ontario — nine holes with his wife, Lauren, followed by dinner. Instead, he found himself at the center of a carefully orchestrated surprise celebrating one of the most significant achievements of his remarkable career.
As McDavid and Lauren made their way toward the ninth hole, golf carts suddenly appeared behind them carrying familiar faces. His parents, Brian and Kelly; his brother, Cam, and his wife; and four childhood friends had all secretly gathered for the occasion. Then came the reveal: Brian McDavid stepped from his cart holding the Ted Lindsay Award.
“I was texting my buddies mid-round and they weren't texting me back," McDavid laughed afterward. "I thought that was a little bit odd.”
The award, presented annually to the NHL's most outstanding player as voted by fellow members of the NHL Players' Association, carried special meaning for the 29-year-old superstar.
“Such a special way to do it with family here, friends, hometown buddies that I don't get to spend too much time with," McDavid said. "Definitely means a lot.”
It was the fifth Ted Lindsay Award of McDavid's career, placing him in exclusive company. Only Wayne Gretzky has won the honor five times. For McDavid's family, the significance of that accomplishment is difficult to fully comprehend.
The people waiting for him beside the ninth hole didn't need a trophy to know where this journey was headed. They had seen it years earlier on rinks scattered across the Greater Toronto Area, when a young McDavid was turning ordinary youth hockey games into something worth talking about long after the final buzzer.
During the 2011–12 season with the Toronto Marlboros U16 AAA team, he amassed a staggering 209 points in 88 games, numbers that seemed almost impossible at the time. What followed wasn't a breakthrough so much as a continuation of what those closest to him had already witnessed.
His next stop was the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters, where the prodigy quickly justified the exceptional-player status that allowed him to enter major junior hockey a year early. As a 15-year-old rookie in 2012–13, he scored 66 points in 63 games. The following season, he exploded for 99 points in just 56 games before elevating his play even further in 2014–15, recording 120 points in 47 contests while serving as team captain.
The stage grew larger, but the results rarely changed. McDavid starred internationally for Canada at multiple levels, including the World Junior Championship, where he helped lead the nation to a gold medal in 2015.
By the time the Oilers selected him first overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, expectations were immense. For most players, they might have felt overwhelming. For McDavid, they became the starting point.
Despite missing time due to injury during his rookie season, he recorded 48 points in 45 games. One year later, he collected 100 points and led Edmonton back to the playoffs, beginning a run that has reshaped the NHL record book.
McDavid has captured three Hart Trophies as league MVP, six Art Ross Trophies as the NHL's scoring leader, the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as goal-scoring champion, and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. During his extraordinary 2022–23 campaign, he achieved the rare accomplishment of winning the Hart, Art Ross, Rocket Richard, and Ted Lindsay awards in the same season.
Even after a decade of redefining what excellence looks like in the NHL, McDavid's latest season still managed to raise the bar.
McDavid led the NHL with 138 points, scoring 48 goals and adding 90 assists. He also put together a 20-game point streak from Dec. 4 through Jan. 13 that yielded 46 points and once again reminded the hockey world that there is no player capable of controlling a game quite like him.
Along the way, he reached two more historic milestones: his 400th NHL goal and his 1,200th career point. No player has accumulated more points than McDavid since entering the league in 2015–16.
“This award, coming from the guys that you play against every single night and battle against every single night and to have them recognize me for an award like this means so much.” McDavid said.
What began as a quiet afternoon on a golf course became a reminder of just how extraordinary McDavid's journey has been. The childhood friends who once watched him dominate local rinks were now there to witness him join Wayne Gretzky as the only five-time winner of the Ted Lindsay Award.
