Pelle Lindbergh

**Pelle Lindbergh** (born Goran Per-Eric Lindbergh on May 24, 1959 in Stockholm, Sweden) was a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of five seasons in the NHL for the Philadelphia Flyers.

He died at the age of 26 in a single-car accident five months after leading the Flyers to the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals and winning the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender.

## Playing Career

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.

He 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), Lindbergh 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, leading 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. During that same year, he was also named a First Team All-Star.

Lindbergh was the first goaltender to bring a water bottle on ice with him during NHL games. He did this to combat severe dehydration he commonly suffered from.

This practice first drew criticism from opponents and coaches alike, but it is now the norm for NHL goaltenders.

## Accolades

* Named best goaltender at the European Junior Championships in 1976, and 1977.
* Selected to the WJC All-Star Team in 1978.
* Named best goaltender at the WJC in 1978.
* Selected to the Swedish World All-Star Team in 1979, 1980, and 1983.
* Selected to the AHL First All-Star Team in 1981.
* Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award winner in 1981 (shared with Robbie Moore).
* Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award winner in 1981.
* Les Cunningham Award winner in 1981.
* Selected to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1983.
* Selected to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1985.
* Vezina Trophy winner in 1985.
* Played in 1983, 1985 NHL All-Star Games.
* Selected to the 1986 NHL All-Star Game posthumously.

## Personal Life

### Death

In the early morning hours of Sunday, November 10, 1985, Lindbergh lost control of his customized Porsche 930 Turbo and struck a wall in front of a Somerdale, New Jersey elementary school, critically injuring himself and severely injuring his two passengers.

Although he was declared brain dead a few hours later, Lindbergh was kept on life support until his father arrived from Sweden late the next day and his parents gave their permission to terminate treatment.

He died on Monday, November 11, 1985 after a five-hour operation to harvest his heart and other organs for transplant.

At the time of the accident, Lindbergh had just left the Coliseum, the former practice center for the Flyers located in Voorhees Township where he was attending a team party. He was intoxicated at the time of the accident, with a blood alcohol level of .24%, well above New Jersey's legal limit (.10%) even at that time.

Lindbergh topped the fan voting for the 1986 NHL All-Star Game; it would mark the first time that a player was chosen posthumously for an all-star team in a major North American team sport. (Sean Taylor's selection to the 2008 Pro Bowl was the only other time this has happened).

Although Lindbergh's number 31 was never officially retired by the Flyers, no Flyer has worn the number 31 since his death.

Lindbergh is buried in Skogskyrkogården, a cemetery in southern Stockholm. Pelle Circle (a residential street in Far Northeast Philadelphia) was named in his honor when it was constructed in 1986.

The Philadelphia Flyers named a team award, the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy, in his honor. Since the 1993–94 season, it has been annually awarded to the most improved player on the team.