Pelle Lindbergh | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born |
, Sweden |
May 24, 1959||
Died | November 11, 1985 Somerdale, New Jersey, U.S. |
(aged 26)||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
Weight | 158 lb (72 kg; 11 st 4 lb) | ||
Position | Goaltender | ||
Caught | Left | ||
Played for |
SEL AIK IF AHL Maine Mariners Springfield Indians NHL Philadelphia Flyers |
||
National team | Sweden | ||
NHL Draft | 35th overall, 1979 Philadelphia Flyers |
||
Playing career | 1978–1985 |
Medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Representing Sweden | ||
Men's Ice Hockey | ||
Olympic Games | ||
1980 Lake Placid | Ice hockey | |
World Championships | ||
1979 Soviet Union | Ice Hockey | |
World Junior Championships | ||
1978 Canada | Ice Hockey |
Göran Per-Eric "Pelle" Lindbergh (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈpɛlɛ ˈlindbærj]; May 24, 1959 – November 11, 1985) was a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of five seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Having gained fame while playing for Hammarby in his youth, and while making his debut in the highest Swedish hockey league with AIK (Stockholm) leading him to the Swedish national team in the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, Lindbergh set his sights on the North American game. Lindbergh owns the distinction of being the goaltender on the only team that did not lose to the gold-medal-winning Team USA at the 1980 Olympics, as Team Sweden and Team USA played to a 2–2 tie in the first game of the tournament. After being drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft (second round, 35th overall), he started his North American career during the 1980–81 season by playing one and a half seasons for the Maine Mariners of the AHL before playing his first games for the Flyers in 1982. In 1983, he was named goalie of the NHL All-Rookie Team. He led the NHL with 40 victories during the 1984–85 season and won the Vezina Trophy, the first European goaltender to do so in NHL history. That same year, he was also named a First Team All-Star. Lindbergh was the first goalie to bring a water bottle on ice with him during NHL games. Lindbergh did this to combat severe dehydration he commonly suffered from. This practice first drew criticism from opponents and coaches alike, but is now the norm for NHL goaltenders.