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Red Kelly |
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Born: 1927
Birth Place: Simcoe, Ontario
Position: Left Wing
First Season: 1947 - 48
Last Season: 1966 - 67
Jersey Number: 20
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Biography |
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Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly was born in Simcoe, Ontario, in 1927. He attended St. Michael's College where he played hockey and became a championship boxer. In 1947, at just twenty years of age, Kelly was told by a scout from the Maple Leafs that he wouldn't last 20 games in the NHL. The Red Wings felt otherwise, promoting Kelly directly from his college team to the Detroit Red Wings. His solid build and surprising mobility made him an ideal fit for the up-and-coming Red Wings. With superstars Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay and Sid Abel, the Red Wings were quickly establishing themselves as a powerhouse.
The Red Wings put Kelly's skill to immediate use as a defenseman and even played him at left wing when injury demanded it or added muscle was needed on offense. Kelly's puck-carrying ability opened the scoring lanes by providing a fast-paced transition game that his teammates were able to capitalize on. In 1950, Kelly started receiving recognition for his high level of play and received enough All-Star votes to make the second team. That same year, the wings won the Stanley Cup, a feat they would accomplish three more times over the next five years.
On a team full of future hall-of-fame players, Kelly was still able to standout. As a member of the Red Wings, he was selected to eight consecutive All-Star games, won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the outstanding defender of the league in 1954, and was named team captain in 1956. And, despite his boxing background, Kelly kept fisticuffs out of his game. In fact, his mild demeanor on the ice earned him the Lady Byng trophy four times in his career.
Kelly's career took a twist during the 1958-59 season when he broke his ankle. Upper management decided to keep the injury a secret and despite Kelly agreed to play through the pain. Unfortunately, the injury slowed his game and his public popularity started to wane. Midway through the next season, a reporter asked him what had caused his poor play the previous season. Red responded, "Don't know. Might have been the ankle." When the Red Wings General Manager, Jack Adams, learned of this, he immediately traded Kelly to the New York Rangers. Instead of accepting the trade, Kelly opted to retire.
Just as it appeared that Kelly's great career was going to be cut short, Maple Leafs head coach Punch Imlach stepped in and acquired his playing rights. Red was still bitter about being overlooked by the Maple Leafs early in his career and through his career he had developed a great dislike for the Maple Leaf Gardens. Despite these negatives, Imlach and Kelly came to an agreement that would result in a total rebirth of Red's career.
Instead of playing defense for the Maple Leafs, Kelly was switched to center. The move was surprising, but Toronto fans loved it, and rightfully so. Kelly and the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup four times over the next eight seasons. This made Kelly the only player to ever win the Stanley Cup eight times without playing for the Canadiens. Kelly became so popular among Toronto fans, he was elected to Canadian Parliament where he served from 1962 - 1965.
After Toronto won the Stanley Cup in 1967, the team allowed Kelly to get drafted by the expansion Los Angeles Kings, where he became their head coach. He amazingly led them to the playoffs his first two years as a coach. He then went on to coach the Pittsburgh Penguins for three seasons and the Toronto Maple Leafs for four seasons. In his nine year coaching career he made the playoffs eight times, but was never able to capture another Stanly Cup.
Red Kelly proved to be one of the best and most versatile hockey players of his era. He played in 1,316 regular season games where he scored 281 goals and had 542 assists. He also played in 164 playoff games where he scored 33 goals, had 59 assists and won 8 Stanley Cup Titles. As a coach, he compiled a 261-311-128 record and took his teams to the playoffs 8 out of the 9 years he coached. Red Kelly was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1969. In 1998, he was ranked number 22 on The Hockey News list of 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
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| Games and Awards |
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1954 - James Norris Memorial Trophy
1951, 1953, 1954, 1961 - Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957 - First All-Star Team Defense
1950, 1956 - Second All-Star Team Defense
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| Seasonal Statistics |
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