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Detroit Red Wings are set to celebrate Red Kelly tonight

By Bob Heyrman

(Original Caption) This Quartet of Detroit Red Wings make merry in their dressing room after they scored the goals that sent the Maple Leafs down to a 5-4 defeat in overtime play. For the Detroiters it meant a 3-0 lead in the semifinals of the National Hockey League Playoffs. Left to right are Red Kelly, Ted Lindsay, Metro Prystiol and Gordie Howe.
(Original Caption) This Quartet of Detroit Red Wings make merry in their dressing room after they scored the goals that sent the Maple Leafs down to a 5-4 defeat in overtime play. For the Detroiters it meant a 3-0 lead in the semifinals of the National Hockey League Playoffs. Left to right are Red Kelly, Ted Lindsay, Metro Prystiol and Gordie Howe. /
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It comes on a perfect night in Detroit with the Toronto Maple Leafs in town.  Red Kelly will get his number 4 retired by the Detroit Red Wings tonight.

When the Detroit Red Wings management decided to retire the great Red Kelly‘s number they picked a perfect evening to do so.  Kelly already has his number represented in Toronto as well, so it is only fitting the Leafs are the Wings opponent tonight in Detroit.

Leonard (Red) Kelly was born in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada on July 9th, 1927.  Simcoe is about 2 hours from Toronto and about 3 hours from downtown Detroit.   He played for the Detroit Red Wings from 1947/48 until 1959/60.  Near the end of the 59/60 season, he joined the Leafs and concluded his career there.  He played in Toronto until 1966/67.

A fascinating fact about Red Kelly is during his time with the Detroit Red Wings he played defense. He didn’t just play defense, he excelled.  He won the Norris Trophy in 1954, which is awarded to the best defenceman in the league.  The same season he was runner-up for the Hart Trophy, assigned to the leagues MVP.  When he arrived in Toronto to play with the Leafs, he transitioned into a centerman.

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The Leafs took a Norris Trophy winner and turned him into an exceptionally talented checking center.  Kelly also won the Lady Bing Trophy three times, awarded to the most gentlemanly player in the league.

Kelly would dawn the “C” on his sweater for the Detroit Red Wings from 1956-58.  He would be succeeded by the legendary Gordie Howe as the Wings captain.  Kelly took over the role from Ted Lindsay when he was forced to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1957.

He was talented beyond his years, in an era where defenders struggled to score double digits goals, Kelly was able to average 16 a season during a seven-year span with the Wings.  He led all defenseman in goals and points for five straight seasons.

Red Kelly won eight Stanley Cup Championships, four with the Leafs as a forward and four with the Wings as a defender.  He’s won the most Stanley Cup titles in NHL history for a player that had never played for the Montreal Canadiens.

Kelly was named an NHL All-Star eight times throughout his career.  He was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969.  The hockey news ranked Kelly as the 22nd best player to ever play the game.

Kelly’s workhorse mentality described perfectly in an article published by NHL.com:

"Defensively, Kelly proved so exceptional that his coaches took advantage of his superb conditioning by giving him all the ice time he could handle. He recalled in “Legends of Hockey” that coach Tommy Ivan “used me as much as 55 minutes in a game in Detroit. The guys used to always say, ‘Red, you should say no. You’re going to wear out. You’ll never last.’ But I was always in great shape; I guess that helped keep me in great shape, and whenever you want me to go, I went.”"

You read that right, Tommy Ivan used Kelly 55 minutes TOI once in a game!  Before being with the Maple Leafs, Kelly was battling injury and rumors started to swirl about his skills diminishing, and others suggested he was washed up.  Kelly then expressed himself to a news reporter mentioning he had been injured.  This was a big no-no in the eyes of Detroit Red Wings General Manager Jack Adams. He preferred his players to be seen and not speak to media outlets about personal injuries and issues.

Adams immediately agreed to trade Kelly to the New York Rangers, Kelly failed to report and said he would rather retire.  He quickly, yet briefly acquired a job in Detroit with a tool company.  A day or two later the Toronto Maple Leafs came knocking and Red Kelly, a boy who grew up on a tobacco farm in Simcoe, Ontario would be able to fulfill a childhood dream, skate as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs primarily moved Kelly to the Center position to check the Montreal Canadians legendary center, Jean Beliveau.  It apparently worked as previously mentioned to the tune of four Cup Championships.

During his time with the Maple Leafs, Kelly was also a member of Parliment for the Canadian government, he served two terms while playing with the Leafs.  He would not seek re-election after his term ended in 1965; he chose to spend more time with his family instead.

At the conclusion of his playing career, the year after he retired as a player he decided to try his luck as a head coach.  He started with the LA Kings, Penguins and later the Leafs.  His coaching career was nowhere near as successful as his playing career.  After a 10-year coaching career, he ended with a below .500 record with a 278-330-134 record.

Kelly played 1316 career NHL games.  He recorded 281 goals, 542 assists totaling 823 career points.  In 164 career playoff games, Kelly notched 33 goals and added 59 helpers totaling 92 points.

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It’s only fitting the Detroit Red Wings finally honor Red Kelly as the Toronto Maple Leafs did in 2016.  Tonight is the night; number 4 will be suspended high above the ice of Little Caesars Arena for eternity alongside the other legendary Detroit Red Wings, where it should be.

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