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]
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 OrangeofCollege 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]
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]
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]
Canada
