In a news release Thursday announcing the death of Leonard "Red" Kelly, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman remembered the Hall of Famer as "a man whose hockey career is so storied and distinguished that it may never be duplicated."
Hyperbole for the sake of the recently passed? Hardly, as a quick glance through Kelly's resume shows.
The 91-year-old played in the NHL from 1947-67, spending his first 13 seasons as a defenseman with the Red Wings and his last eight at center for the Maple Leafs. He won eight Stanley Cups — four with each team — the most for any player not to have spent time with the Canadiens. During his time with the Leafs, he served two terms as a member of Canada's Parliament, representing a suburban Toronto district in the House of Commons from 1962-65.
He went straight from the ice to the bench for the expansion Los Angeles Kings in 1967-68, leading them to a second-place finish in their first season and another playoff appearance the following year before moving on to coach the Penguins for four seasons and the Leafs for four.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969 and had his No. 4 retired by the Maple Leafs in 2016 and the Red Wings this year.
The entire Toronto Maple Leafs organization is deeply saddened today to learn of the passing of Red Kelly.
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 2, 2019
A family man and a fierce competitor, Red played eight seasons with the Leafs and won four Stanley Cups in Toronto.
Statement: https://t.co/glokStLM8T pic.twitter.com/JeMP07PkxL
Three months after that jersey retirement ceremony in Detroit, Kelly died Thursday morning in Toronto at age 91.
“Red Kelly was one of the most dominant players in the history of the game,” Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman said in a release. “He truly redefined how people viewed the defense position, and how it was played for decades to come. Being a former captain of the Red Wings during an era that featured numerous Hall of Famers demonstrates how well-respected he was within the organization, which is a sentiment that I know is still true today. Red was a great man and the hockey world will sorely miss him. The Red Wings organization would like to offer its deepest sympathies to Red’s friends and family.”
The Maple Leafs noted Kelly's unusual transition from Norris Trophy-winning defenseman to forward, where he became Toronto's top playoff scorer in the 1960s. Kelly also won the Lady Byng trophy for gentlemanly conduct four times and was beloved as an ambassador for the game in his later years.
"For those of us who were lucky enough to have known or encountered Red, we will all miss his sharp mind and keen intellect," said Leafs president Brendan Shanahan. "He was a gentle man but a fierce competitor. Above all, he was a family man, and he will be missed by his hockey family. Our deepest sympathies go out to Andra, their children, grandchildren and the entire Kelly family."
