Lindsay Eastwood (born January 14, 1997) is a retired Canadian ice hockey defender, having played for the Toronto Six in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) from 2020 to 2023. The Syracuse Orange all-time leader in goals scored among defenders, she scored the first goal in Six history.[1][2] She was a member of the Six roster that won the 2023 Isobel Cup championship, representing the last championship team of the PHF.[3]

Lindsay Eastwood
Born (1997-01-14) January 14, 1997 (age 27)
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Toronto Six
Syracuse Orange
National team  Canada
Playing career 2015–2023
Medal record
World U18 Championships
Silver medal – second place 2015 United States

Playing career edit

Born and raised in Kanata, Ontario, Eastwood began playing hockey at the age of six. She played junior hockey for the Nepean Wildcats in the Provincial Women's Hockey League (PWHL), serving as team captain and finishing as one of the top five all-time league scorers among defenceman.[4][5]

She would go on to play NCAA Division I women's ice hockey for the Syracuse Orange of College Hockey America, putting up 75 points in 135 games.[6] She was forced to sit out her first year at the university after being diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome, an autoimmune disorder.[7] In that season, she began training as a rower, but was able to return to hockey for the 2016–17 season.[8] In 2018, she was named Syracuse captain, and led the team to victory at the 2019 CHA Women's Ice Hockey Tournament, the programme's first ever conference championship win.[9] In her final university season, she won the CHA Best Defenseman Award and the Doris R. Soladay Award, setting a programme record for most career goals by a defenceman.[10][11]

Professional edit

In June 2020, she signed her first professional contract with the Toronto Six, the first Canadian expansion team in the NWHL.[12][13] She scored her first professional goal against Amanda Leveille in the second game of the 2020–21 NWHL season, the first goal in the Six franchise history.[14] The assists on Eastwood's historic goal were credited to Emma Woods and Shiann Darkangelo.[15] Following three seasons with the Six, during which she was named a league all-star in 2022 and won the Isobel Cup in 2023, Eastwood announced her retirement from professional hockey and joined the Kitchener Rangers as their Manager of Communications and Team Services.[16][3]

International career edit

Eastwood played for Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship, joining a team that included future NWHLers Carly Jackson, Alyson Matteau, and future Toronto Six teammate Sarah-Ève Coutu-Godbout, in addition to future Canadian women's national team players Sarah Potomak and Micah Hart, and many other standout players. The team won silver after falling in the gold medal game to Team USA in overtime.[17]

Style of play edit

Mostly described as a more offensive defender, Eastwood has been noted for her size, reach, and the strength of her shot.[18] She has stated that "my speed is one of my biggest insecurities as a player."[19]

Personal life edit

Eastwood holds two degrees from Syracuse University, a bachelor's in communication and rhetorical studies from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and a master's degree in television, radio and film from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.[20][21] She covered the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs as a correspondent for the Tampa Bay Times and will be covering her experiences inside the 2020–21 NWHL COVID-19 bubble season for Sportsnet.[22][23]

Her uncle, Mike Eastwood, played over 700 game in the men's National Hockey League in the 1990s and early 2000s.[24]

Career Statistics edit

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2015-16 Syracuse University NCAA
2016-17 Syracuse University NCAA 34 2 8 10 16
2017-18 Syracuse University NCAA 36 4 19 23 30
2018-19 Syracuse University NCAA 33 9 5 14 26
2019-20 Syracuse University NCAA 33 8 20 28 26
2020-21 Toronto Six NWHL 6 1 5 6 4 1 0 0 0 0
2021-22 Toronto Six PHF 20 3 11 14 16 1 0 0 0 0
2022-23 Toronto Six PHF 24 0 8 8 24 4 0 2 2 2
NWHL/PHF totals 50 4 24 28 44 6 0 2 2 2

References edit

  1. ^ Fundaro, Gabriella (February 26, 2020). "Lindsay Eastwood's Syracuse career defined by appreciation for every shift". At Even Strength. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  2. ^ Morrison, Holly (October 19, 2022). "The Six honour history at Hall of Fame". The Ice Garden. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Kennedy, Ian (August 10, 2023). "Lindsay Eastwood Retires To Join OHL Rangers' Staff". The Hockey News. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  4. ^ Staffieri, Mark (September 11, 2015). "Lindsay Eastwood Ready for Next Stage of Hockey Career with the Syracuse Orange". Women's Hockey Life. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  5. ^ Staffieri, Mark (December 28, 2012). "Lindsay Eastwood a Strong Physical Presence with the PWHL's Nepean Wildcats". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  6. ^ Plouffe, Dan (December 17, 2018). "Eastwood pilots Ottawa-to-Orange NCAA women's hockey pipeline". SportsOttawa.ca. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  7. ^ Bailey, Stephen (March 5, 2019). "Years after medical scare, SU hockey player eager for playoffs". The Post-Standard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  8. ^ Langer, Tomer (December 10, 2016). "'Unexpected Miracle': Lindsay Eastwood overcomes a rare autoimmune disorder to come back on the ice". The Daily Orange. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  9. ^ "#44 Lindsay Eastwood". The Six Magazine. No. 1. December 10, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  10. ^ Fundaro, Gabriella (February 26, 2020). "Lindsay Eastwood's Syracuse career defined by appreciation for every shift". At Even Strength. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  11. ^ Fundaro, Gabriella (May 25, 2020). "Senior Standouts from the Class of 2020". The Ice Garden. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  12. ^ Shetty, Gaurav (June 11, 2020). "Defender Lindsay Eastwood signs with NWHL's Toronto Six". The Daily Orange. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  13. ^ Levine, Justin (June 13, 2020). "Toronto Six Agree To Deal With All-Star Defender Lindsay Eastwood". The Puck Authority. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  14. ^ Morrison, Holly (January 24, 2021). "The Six weekend in review: first games and first goals, but still no wins for Toronto". The Ice Garden. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  15. ^ "Away Whitecaps vs Home Toronto Jan 24, 2021 at 1:00pm EST at: Herb Brooks Arena - 6 – 5 FINAL SO". March 3, 2021. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  16. ^ Staffieri, Mark (February 3, 2022). "All-Star status latest accolade for Lindsay Eastwood". Women's Hockey Life. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  17. ^ "2015 Tournament Canada Roster - #4•D Lindsay Eastwood". Hockey Canada. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  18. ^ Murphy, Mike (January 22, 2021). "2021 NWHL Season Preview: Rookies to Watch". The Ice Garden. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  19. ^ Eastwood, Lindsay (January 25, 2021). "A view from the ice as the NWHL bubble season begins". Sportsnet. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  20. ^ "2019-20 Women's Ice Hockey Roster: 4 Lindsay Eastwood". Syracuse University Athletics. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  21. ^ Fundaro, Gabriella (March 10, 2020). "How NCAA women's hockey players are creating their own content". The Ice Garden. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  22. ^ Fundaro, Gabriella (August 21, 2020). "Eastwood learning the media ropes in the NHL Playoffs bubble". The Ice Garden. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  23. ^ Eastwood, Lindsay (January 19, 2021). "What it's like to prepare for the NWHL bubble season in Lake Placid". Sportsnet. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  24. ^ Charbonneau, Dave (January 26, 2021). "Ottawa woman makes hockey history in women's pro league". CTV news. Retrieved January 27, 2021.

External links edit