Pelle Lindbergh

Per- Eric "Pelle " Lindbergh ( born May 24, 1959 in Stockholm, † November 10, 1985 in Stratford, New Jersey) was a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League.

Career

His first major appearance was Pelle Lindbergh in 1974 in the TV Puck tournament, a junior ice hockey tournament, which was broadcast on Swedish television, and where selected teams of Swedish regions competed against each other. Lindbergh went to for the defending Stockholm and failed already in the first round. At the tournament also later NHL stars such as Mats Näslund participated.

The following year, it was much better for the selection of Stockholm. In the semifinals they defeated Medelpad with 5-1 and in the finals they beat Gastrikland with the same result and won the tournament. Pelle Lindbergh was voted the tournament 's best goalkeeper of the TV - Puck.

From 1975 he played in the Swedish junior league for Hammerby IF. In 1978, he won the Swedish national team silver medal at the Junior World Championships and the following year bronze. In addition, in 1979 he was honored as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

In the same year he played his first games in the Elitserien with the professionals from AIK Solna. His good performances in the league and international junior tournaments meant that he was 35 is selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 1979 by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round at position - of all things from the team that had played his idol Bernie Parent for the years to come. But he remained another year in Sweden.

The first really big highlight was waiting for him at the Olympic Winter Games in 1980, when he won the bronze medal with the Swedish team. A short time later, he received his first contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Along with countryman and friend Thomas Eriksson he joined the Flyers.

In training camp, Lindbergh could not qualify for the NHL team and had to the Maine Mariners, the farm team of the Flyers in the AHL. But there he blossomed and reached with the team the final championship, the Calder Cup. There they had indeed after six games to make do with the title of vice - champion, but Pelle Lindbergh was rewarded for his strong performances. He received the Red Garrett Award as best rookie, the Hap Holmes Award as the best goalkeeper and the Les Cunningham Award as the most valuable player in the AHL.

Part of the 1981/82 season he spent with the Flyers in the NHL and coached there under his great idol Bernie Parent, who was now Goalkeeping coach. On 31 October 1981 he made ​​his debut for the Flyers against the Buffalo Sabres, but the game ended in defeat and for Per- Eric Lindbergh in the hospital because he had been drinking during the game enough. So he always took a water bottle with the ice, he lay down on his target. That was not the rule, however, is taken for granted today. This was followed by seven more missions for the farm team, he played 25 times in the season.

From the 1982/83 season he was an integral squad of Philadelphia Flyers and received his first invitation to the same NHL All-Star Game. 1983/84 it was not optimal for Lindbergh. He did not have the power, which he expected of himself and was sent for a short time even to the Springfield Indians, the new farm team the Flyers in the AHL, so he got playing time and did not have to sit on the bench of the Flyers.

His big year was Pelle Lindbergh in 1984/85. The Flyers got with a new coach Mike Keenan, who chose Lindbergh as number 1. He did not disappoint and finished the regular season with 40 wins in 65 games and led the Flyers in the playoffs. There, the team struggled round to round and was finally in the final of the Stanley Cup, where they met defending champion Edmonton Oilers with superstar Wayne Gretzky. After five games, the Flyers were defeated, but the season was still a very positive outcome for Lindbergh because he received the Vezina Trophy as the best goalkeeper in the NHL. He was the first European to win the trophy.

At the beginning of the 1985/86 season the Flyers were the strongest team and put a series of ten consecutive wins out. On the evening of November 9, 1985, the players celebrate in the cabin the good start to the season with a few beers, because the next day for the first time this season was no training. His family was visiting in Philadelphia and Lindbergh went home to sleep off because they wanted to leave the next day together to Atlantic City. When his family was in bed, phoned a few teammates to celebrate a little bit. Lindbergh went to midnight with his new Porsche for training hall of the Flyers, where his teammates were waiting. It was celebrated until the early morning hours and at five clock, the players made again on the way home. As passengers he had taken Edward Thomas Parvin and his girlfriend Kathy McNeal. Approximately at 5:40 clock he lost control of his car and slammed into a wall.

He and his two passengers were immediately taken to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Stratford. A few hours later Pelle Lindbergh was declared brain dead. They had detected an alcohol level of 1.7 parts per thousand with him. Parvin and McNeal survived.

Pelle Lindbergh was buried in a cemetery in the south of Stockholm.

Since his death, no player of the Philadelphia Flyers has the number 31 by Pelle Lindbergh worn more. In his honor, the Philadelphia Flyers have created a trophy named Pelle Lindbergh Memorial, which is awarded annually to the player who has improved the most.

Awards and achievements

NHL stats

GAA = Gegentordurschnitt; W = Win; L = Losses; T = Draw

640730
de