Red Kelly (ice hockey player)

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Flag of Canada (1921–1957) .svg  Red Kelly Ice hockey player
Hockey Hall of Fame , 1969
Red Kelly (ice hockey player)
Date of birth July 9, 1927
place of birth Simcoe , Ontario , Canada
date of death 2nd May 2019
Place of death Toronto , Ontario , Canada
size 183 cm
Weight 88 kg
position Defender / Center
number # 4
Shot hand Left
Career stations
1944-1945 St. Michael's Buzzers
1945-1947 Toronto St. Michael's Majors
1947-1960 Detroit Red Wings
1960-1967 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly , CM (born July 9, 1927 in Simcoe , Ontario ; † May 2, 2019 in Toronto , Ontario) was a Canadian ice hockey player , coach and official who, during his active career between 1945 and 1967 has played 1480 games for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League, mainly on the position of defender . Kelly was one of the best players in his position during his time as an active player in the 1950s and 1960s and is considered one of the first offensive defenders ever. During his 20 seasons in the NHL, he won the Stanley Cup eight times - four each with the Red Wings and Maple Leafs. In addition, Kelly was the first ever winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 1954 , which has since honored the league's best defender. He also received the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy four times and was appointed to one of the two NHL All-Star Teams eight times in a row between 1950 and 1957 . In 1969 he was in the Fame Hockey Hall of recorded while the player's shirt number 4 in both the Maple Leafs as well as the Red Wings blocked is.

Career

Kelly on a trading card as a Detroit Red Wings player (1958)

As a player

Kelly, known as "Red" because of his red hair , played in the NHL for 20 years, from 1947 to 1967. His first club in the NHL were the Detroit Red Wings , to which he had switched directly from St. Michael's College in Toronto . The defender was known for his clever and fair checking and unique puck handling. Between 1951 and 1954 he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy three times , making him the only defender to have won the trophy multiple times. Already during this time he played as a striker from time to time when his team was handicapped by injuries.

In 1960 there was a dispute between him and the management of the Red Wings, of which he was captain from 1956 to 1958, because they had publicly criticized his game. However, he played, and only the club bosses knew, with a broken foot. He was then to be transferred to the New York Rangers in exchange for Bill Gadsby and Eddie Shack . But just one day later Kelly announced his resignation and the move was invalid.

The coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs , Punch Imlach , wanted to bring him to Toronto. Kelly didn't want to play at first because a Toronto talent scout had prophesied to him as a youth player that he would not play more than 20 NHL games. In the end, however, the change took place and “Red” became a valuable striker at his long-term favorite club. Together with Frank Mahovlich , he formed an excellent tandem. In 1967 he ended his career as a Stanley Cup winner after his team had defeated the Montréal Canadiens with Jean Béliveau in the final series . Overall, he won the Stanley Cup eight times, four times each with Detroit and Toronto.

In 1969 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto for his sporting achievements . In 2001 he was accepted as a member of the Order of Canada . In October 2016 , the Toronto Maple Leafs banned jersey number 4 before the Detroit Red Wings did the same in February 2019. This made him only the eighth player in NHL history whose jersey number is no longer awarded by two teams.

Red Kelly passed away on the morning of May 2, 2019 at the age of 91 in Toronto.

As a trainer

His coaching career began with the Los Angeles Kings , whom he coached from 1967 to 1969. He was then for four years, from 1969 to 1973, coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins , before returning to the Maple Leafs in Toronto, which he coached from 1973 to 1977.

As a politician

His great popularity helped him move into the Canadian Parliament in 1962 . He represented the district of York West for three years until he decided to concentrate completely on ice hockey again.

Achievements and Awards

Others

  • 2001 Induction into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
  • 2016 jersey number 4 blocked by the Toronto Maple Leafs
  • 2019 jersey number 4 blocked by the Detroit Red Wings

Career statistics

Regular season Play-offs
season team league Sp T V Pt SM Sp T V Pt SM
1944/45 Toronto St. Michael's Majors OHA 1 0 0 0 0 - - - - -
1945/46 Toronto St. Michael's Majors OHA 26th 13 11 24 18th 11 1 0 1 7th
1946/47 Toronto St. Michael's Majors OHA 30th 8th 24 32 11 9 3 3 6th 9
1947 Toronto St. Michael's Majors Memorial Cup 9 5 5 10 2
1947/48 Detroit Red Wings NHL 60 6th 14th 20th 13 10 3 2 5 2
1948/49 Detroit Red Wings NHL 59 5 11 16 10 11 1 1 2 6th
1949/50 Detroit Red Wings NHL 70 15th 25th 40 9 14th 1 3 4th 2
1950/51 Detroit Red Wings NHL 70 17th 37 54 24 6th 0 1 1 0
1951/52 Detroit Red Wings NHL 67 16 31 47 16 5 1 0 1 0
1952/53 Detroit Red Wings NHL 70 19th 27 46 8th 6th 0 4th 4th 0
1953/54 Detroit Red Wings NHL 62 16 33 49 18th 12 5 1 6th 4th
1954/55 Detroit Red Wings NHL 70 15th 30th 45 28 11 2 4th 6th 17th
1955/56 Detroit Red Wings NHL 70 16 34 50 39 10 2 4th 6th 2
1956/57 Detroit Red Wings NHL 70 10 25th 35 18th 5 1 0 1 0
1957/58 Detroit Red Wings NHL 61 13 18th 31 26th 4th 0 1 1 2
1958/59 Detroit Red Wings NHL 67 8th 13 21st 34 - - - - -
1959/60 Detroit Red Wings NHL 50 6th 12 18th 10 - - - - -
1959/60 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 18th 6th 5 11 8th 10 3 8th 11 2
1960/61 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 64 20th 50 70 12 2 1 0 1 0
1961/62 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 58 22nd 27 49 6th 12 4th 6th 10 0
1962/63 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 66 20th 40 60 8th 10 2 6th 8th 6th
1963/64 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 11 34 45 16 14th 4th 9 13 4th
1964/65 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 18th 28 46 8th 6th 3 2 5 2
1965/66 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 63 8th 24 32 12 4th 0 2 2 0
1966/67 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 61 14th 24 38 4th 12 0 5 5 2
OHA total 57 21st 35 56 29 20th 4th 3 7th 16
NHL overall 1316 281 542 823 327 164 33 59 92 51

( Legend for player statistics: Sp or GP = games played; T or G = goals scored; V or A = assists scored ; Pkt or Pts = scorer points scored ; SM or PIM = penalty minutes received ; +/− = plus / minus balance; PP = overpaid goals scored ; SH = underpaid goals scored ; GW = winning goals scored; 1  play-downs / relegation )

NHL coaching statistics

Regular season Playoffs
season team league Sp S. N U Pt space Sp S. N result
1967/68 Los Angeles Kings NHL 74 31 33 10 72 2nd, western 7th 3 4th Loss in the playoff quarterfinals
1968/69 Los Angeles Kings NHL 76 24 42 10 58 4th, western 11 4th 7th Loss in the playoff semifinals
1969/70 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 76 26th 38 12 64 2nd, western 10 6th 4th Loss in the playoff semifinals
1970/71 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 78 21st 37 20th 62 6th, western - - - not qualified
1971/72 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 78 26th 38 14th 66 4th, western 4th 0 4th Loss in the playoff quarterfinals
1972/73 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 42 17th 19th 6th (40) 5th, western Dismissed during the season
1973/74 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 78 35 27 16 86 4th, Eastern 4th 0 4th Loss in the playoff quarterfinals
1974/75 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 80 31 33 16 78 3rd, Adams 7th 2 5 Loss in the playoff quarterfinals
1975/76 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 80 34 31 15th 83 3rd, Adams 10 5 5 Loss in the playoff quarterfinals
1976/77 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 80 33 32 15th 81 3rd, Adams 9 4th 5 Loss in the playoff quarterfinals
NHL overall 742 278 330 134 690 0 division title 62 24 38 0 Stanley Cups

( Legend for coach statistics: Sp or GC = total games; W or S = wins scored; L or N = losses scored; T or U = draws scored; OTL or OTN = losses scored after overtime or shootout ; Pts or Pkt = points scored ; Pts% or Pkt% = point rate; Win% = win rate; result = round reached in the play-offs )

Web links

Commons : Red Kelly  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Kyle Kujawa: Statement from the Kelly family. nhl.com, May 2, 2019, accessed on May 2, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Kelly, Red
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kelly, Leonard Patrick (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian ice hockey player, coach and official
DATE OF BIRTH July 9, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Simcoe , Ontario , Canada
DATE OF DEATH 2nd May 2019