Ted Lindsay died overnight at the age of 93, reportedly under hospice care. On the ice, he was fierce and relentless. Off the ice, he was a philanthropist and a gentleman. Here are some things you may not know about the Detroit Red Wings legend.

More:Detroit Red Wings legend Ted Lindsay dies at 93

The NHL players' MVP trophy is named after him

After retiring, Lindsay went on be a color analyst for NBC, and then spent three years as GM of the Wings in the late '70s coaching for past of two seasons. His No.7 was retired in 1991 and in 2010 the union renamed the Lester B. Pearson Award, given annually to the most outstanding player as voted on by the players, to the Ted Lindsay Award.

More:Ted Lindsay had rare mix of points, penalty minutes, even for Red Wings

He set the stage for the NHL players' union

Lindsay's on-ice excellence was matched by his off-ice commitment to improving the lot of his colleagues. His work toward organizing players was deeply unpopular with owners, and in 1957, he was stripped of his Detroit captaincy and traded to Chicago.

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After three seasons, Lindsay retired in 1960, his dream of a union unrealized. In 1964, Lindsay returned to play one more season with the Wings, enticed to do so by his old center, Sid Abel, who by then was coach and GM. At 39, Lindsay helped the Wings win their first regular-season title since he was traded. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966. The following year, the National Hockey League Players Association was formed.

More:Ted Lindsay had rare mix of points, penalty minutes, even for Red Wings

He started an autism foundation at Oakland

Lindsay's interest in autism was sparked nearly two decades ago, when he was working out with John Czarnecki, his physical therapist and trainer.

"The trainer had a young boy at the time. ... He mentioned to Ted that his kid was just diagnosed with autism," Lew LaPaugh, presdent of The Ted Lindsay Foundation, says. "Well, 18 years ago, we didn’t really know what autism was. Ted and Joanne looked it up in their dictionary and found out.

"Well, the next time he worked with the trainer, he said, 'We’d like to help Dominic. What can we do?' Because he knew the medical costs, and what have you, are pretty rough on a family."

The foundation has donated $3.4 million toward autism-related causes since the foundation was created. The latest:

It recently announced a $1 million donation to Oakland University's Center for Autism Outreach Services, or OUCARES, for programs for teens and young adults with autism.

More:Detroit Red Wings legend donates $1M to Oakland University

He was a badass player

Small in stature but big on heart, Lindsay became known as "Terrible Ted" for his hard-charging play and was the reason the league instituted penalties for elbowing and kneeing. He played left wing on the Production Line — matched with fellow legends Abel and Gordie Howe — and was the league's top scorer in 1949-50 with 78 points. He's sixth in goals in franchise history with 335 and fifth in penalty minutes, with 1,423. He received more than 600 stitches during his time as a player.

More:There was nothing Terrible about Ted Lindsay, except those deep scars

He started tradition of lifting Stanley Cup after winning the title

Lindsay's legacy also can be seen at the end of every season, as it was he who started the tradition of hoisting the Stanley Cup and skating it around the ice after the Red Wings won the Cup in overtime of Game 7 against the New York Rangers in 1950.

More:Ted Lindsay Award: Why NHL MVP is named after Detroit Red Wings great

Helene St. James and Kristen Jordan Shamus contributed to this story.

Contact Amy Huschka at ahuschka@freepress.com or follow her on Twitter: @aetmanshuschka.