Throughout his storied career in the NHL, Ted Lindsay never backed down from a fight. Even if it happened to take place off the ice.

Lindsay was a scrappy left winger, considered one of the greatest players of all time for a career that spanned 17 seasons, most of them with Detroit. A member of the famed "Production Line" with Gordie Howe and Sid Abel, Lindsay was captain of the club that finished first every year from 1949 to 1955 and won four Stanley Cups during that time.

Yet for all his accomplishments as a player, he may be best remembered for what he did for players.

Lindsay was appointed to the board of the NHL Pension Society in 1952, and soon became frustrated by the refusal of owners to let players see the books of their own fund. At the time, the athletes were contributing 20 percent of their average $5,000 annual salary to the fund, while the NHL added $600 per man from the revenues of the All-Star Game, in which the players played without being compensated.

Five years later, Lindsay enlisted the support of Montreal Canadiens great Doug Harvey, and together they worked to create a player's association with representatives from each team. They succeeded on February 11, 1957. Lindsay became president of the new union, and a day later, held a press conference in New York to announce the news to the world.

Detroit owner Jack Adams was livid, and immediately sought retribution. Lindsay was stripped of his captaincy and publicly chastised, and after the season, he was shipped off to Chicago along with Glenn Hall.

Lindsay continued to fight from the Windy City, filing an antitrust suit against the owners later that year. But when Howe and Red Kelly withdrew their support, the lawsuit fell apart and the player's association was dead.

It would take until 1967 for another player's association to be formed. That one still exists today and it has changed the dynamics for players, many of whom earn several millions of dollars a year for their services.

Lindsay played three seasons with the Blackhawks, and then came out of retirement in 1964 for a final year with Detroit. He never reaped the benefits of a player's association, but by firing the first real salvo in the war between players and owners during the week of Feb. 7 -13, he ensured that his impact on the game would never be forgotten.

February 7

Darryl Sittler had a great week in one game.

Darryl Sittler was a junior star who struggled to live up to expectations until the 1972-73 season, his third as a Toronto Maple Leaf. Sittler blossomed that season, and three years later, he was rewarded with the captaincy of the storied team. He responded by becoming the first player in team history to tally 100 points, and in one playoff game, he scored five goals. But his most memorable game of the season came on this date in 1976 when Sittler notched six goals and four assists against Boston, for an NHL record 10 points in one game.

February 8

Scotty Bowman's record will likely never be broken.(AP)

Someone at the All-Star Game last week asked Scotty Bowman how it felt to be coaching in a fifth decade. He responded by saying, "old," but it was clear that he was feeling pretty good. And why not? Bowman has been behind the benches of five teams since 1967 and has won eight Stanley Cups. He has also won more games than anyone else and on this date in 1997, he posted the 1,000th regular-season victory of his career. No other coach has reached the 800-win plateau.

February 9

Hart Trophy

On this date in 1924, the NHL created its first individual award, the Hart Trophy. Donated by Dr. David A. Hart, the trophy was to be given to the played judged to be the most valuable to his team. Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators was the first winner of the award that year, despite the fact that he did not finish in the top 10 among scorers. The original trophy was retired to the Hall of Fame in 1960 and replaced by the Hart Memorial Trophy.

February 10

Jeff Reese was an offensive-type goaltender.(Allsport)

Jeff Reese had a rather unspectacular career in the NHL, playing 172 games over 10 seasons with five teams. He retired last season and is now a goaltending consultant with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but his name is in the NHL record books, and will likely remain there forever. On this date in 1993, Reese was in goal for Calgary as the Flames pasted the San Jose Sharks 13-1. Reese obviously didn't have many shots to look at, so he helped his team by assisting on three goals, the most ever in one contest by a netminder.

February 11

Gordie Howe played on four Stanley Cup winners in Detroit.(Allsport)

Gordie Howe played 33 seasons as a professional, beginning with Detroit in 1946 and ending with Hartford in 1980. He scored more than 800 goals during that span , so it's probably pretty hard for him to remember many of them from his early days. However this date in 1950 should stand out for Howe since he scored the first of his 19 career hat tricks, leading the Red Wings to a 9-4 win over Boston.

February 12

Punch Broadbent scored 25 times during his streak.(AP)

Harry "Punch" Broadbent was one of the NHL's elite scorers during its early days, and led the league with 32 goals during the 1921-22 season as a member of the Ottawa Senators. During that standout campaign, Broadbent scored goals in 16 consecutive games, a record that still stands today. Broadbent scored a total of 122 goals in 303 games over his 10-year career, a pretty impressive total for those days. The sign of things to come for Ottawa came on this date in 1919, when Broadbent scored the first goal of his career, helping Ottawa down the Montreal Canadiens 7-0.

February 13

Toe Blake was a true Canadien at heart.

Looking to win a second straight Stanley Cup, the Montreal Maroons acquired star goaltender Lorne Chabot from the Montreal Canadiens on this date in 1936. The trade sent three players to the Canadiens, including one unheralded youngster named Hector "Toe" Blake. Chabot couldn't win a Stanley Cup in 1936 for the Maroons and was sold after the season. The Maroons played one more season and then went bankrupt. Blake, meanwhile, won the league's scoring title and MVP for the Habs in 1939. He remained with the organization until 1968, playing on three Stanley Cup winners and coaching eight more.

Historical photos courtesy of hockeyonline.com