He was elected president of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association in 1957, and served in that role for 18 years until 1975. During this time, the national team placed fourth in the 1962 Ice Hockey World Championships which also determined the 1962 European Ice Hockey Championship. Finland completed the event as the second-best European team overall, earning the European silver medal. He was successful in having the 1965 World Ice Hockey Championships awarded by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to Tampere, and served as chairman of its planning committee. The 1965 event was the first time Finland hosted the Ice Hockey World Championships. This led to an era of growth, with more indoor rinks being built in Finland. Finland later hosted the 1974 Ice Hockey World Championships, with Lindblad helping coordinate the event as well. Also in 1974, Finland won a silver medal at the 1974 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. In his last year as president, the Finnish Elite League was founded, which later became known as Liiga.