Lidster was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the seventh round, 133rd overall, of the 1980 NHL entry draft.

He made his NHL debut with the Canucks near the end of the 1983–84 season, and became a reliable presence on the Vancouver blue line until he was traded to the New York Rangers prior to the 1993–94 NHL season.

After a brief stint with the St. Louis Blues, he was re-acquired by the Rangers in 1995–96, and played three more seasons for them before signing with the Dallas Stars in early 1999.

He served as an assistant coach for the Canada women's national team that won gold medals in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

As part of the IIHF Ambassador and Mentor Program, Lidster was a Hockey Canada coaching mentor that travelled to Bratislava, Slovakia to participate in the 2011 IIHF High Performance Women's Camp on July 4–12.