TORONTO – The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) today announced Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers has received the players’ vote for the 2019-20 Ted Lindsay Award (TLA). The TLA is presented annually “to the most outstanding player in the NHL,” as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA.
Draisaitl is the first German-born recipient in the history of the TLA. He receives the accolade as a first-time finalist for the TLA – the 49th season of the award. Forwards Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers also finished as finalists for this season’s TLA.
Draisaitl played in all 71 of Edmonton’s regular-season games as he helped lead the Oilers to the fifth-best points percentage in the Western Conference. The 24-year-old forward of Germany (Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia) led the NHL in points per game (1.55), assists (67), power-play points (44) and average ice time among forwards (22:37), while he tied for first in game-winning goals (10). Draisaitl topped all scorers with 110 points – the first German-born player to win the Art Ross Trophy. He also finished second in both even-strength points (66) and power-play goals (16), and he placed fourth in goals (43) on the season. Draisaitl becomes the third TLA recipient in four seasons for the Oilers, following teammate Connor McDavid’s back-to-back awards (2017-18, 2018-19).
The 2019-20 TLA recipient was unveiled this evening during “2020 NHL Awards presented by Las Vegas.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.