On this day, 27 years ago, the Florida Panthers traded fan favorite Bill Lindsay to the Calgary Flames, ending his seven-year run with the club, which drafted him in the 1993 Expansion Draft. Although Lindsay played several more seasons, he eventually returned to Florida, where he served as a radio commentator for more than a decade. Today, we look back at his tenure with the club and where he ranks today, almost three decades after he left.
Panthers select Lindsay from the Quebec Nordiques
Drafted in the fifth round (103rd overall) at the 1991 Draft, Lindsay made his NHL debut on Feb. 5, 1992. He played two seasons with the Nordiques, skating in 67 games, scoring six goals and 19 points. After the Panthers selected him in the Expansion Draft, he made their Opening Night roster and played in all 84 games of the 1993-94 season, scoring six goals and 12 points.
Over the next few seasons, Lindsay had his most productive NHL campaigns, including 1995-96, when he set a career high in goals (12) and points (34). He matched his 34-point total the following season and later reached 12 goals again in both 1997-98 and 1998-99. When he left the Panthers on Sept. 30, 1999, he had played in 443 games, scored 63 goals, and totaled 154 points.
At the time, Lindsay led Florida in games played and ranked third in goals and fourth in points.
In return, the Panthers acquired defenseman Todd Simpson, who had recorded 30 points in 214 NHL games. He played 107 games with his new team, tallying two goals and 11 points. Eventually, Simpson was dealt to the then-Phoenix Coyotes for a second-round pick in 2001, which became Igor Pohanka.
Lindsay returns to Florida and suffers a late-career injury
With the Flames, Lindsay only managed 33 points over 132 games before the Alberta-based team traded him to the San Jose Sharks in March 2001. His stint with the Sharks was brief, lasting just 16 games without a goal. Lindsay became a free agent in the summer of 2001 and returned home to Florida, where he experienced his greatest successes.
Unfortunately, his second tour with the Panthers was not as productive, with just four goals and 11 points over 63 games. His time with the organization ended when the Montreal Canadiens selected him off waivers on Mar. 19, 2002. Lindsay would skate with the Original Six franchise for 32 games over two seasons before signing with the Atlanta Thrashers for the 2003-04 season. His final NHL game was on Jan. 3, 2004, when he suffered a serious throat injury, bringing his North American hockey career to an end.
However, after the NHL lockout in 2004-05, Lindsay went to Germany to play two seasons with Kölner Haie and retired at the end of the 2006-07 season.
In retrospect, Lindsay was an important player in the early years of the Panthers organization. He’ll always be remembered for scoring the game-winning goal in Game 5 of the club’s opening-round series against the Boston Bruins on Apr. 27, 1996, clinching the franchise's first playoff series victory. During Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final that year, he skated in all 22 games and finished the postseason with 10 points. As mentioned, Lindsay eventually returned to the organization and became a longtime broadcaster and alumni ambassador for the club.
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