Red Kelly

Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use Canadian English Template:Infobox ice hockey player Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly Template:Postnominals (July 9, 1927 – May 2, 2019) was a Canadian professional hockey player and coach. Kelly won eight Stanley Cups, four each with Detroit and then Toronto. These cup victories are more than any other player who never played for the Montreal Canadiens. He was also one of the only two players to have never played for the Canadiens and to be part of two of the nine dynasties recognized by the National Hockey League (NHL) in its history. In 2017, Kelly was named one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” in history.

While still playing in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he also served as a Liberal Member of Parliament for the Toronto-area York West electoral district from 1962 to 1965. During that time, he also won two more Stanley Cups. Starting in 1967, he retired as a player to become the head coach of the expansion Los Angeles Kings. He would coach another ten years in the NHL, with a stop-over in Pittsburgh and ending with the Leafs in June 1977.

Early life

Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly was born on July 9,1927 in Simcoe, Ontario, to farmer Lawrence Daniel and housewife Mary Frances Kelly (née Owen).<ref name=Parliament '65> Template:Cite book</ref> Growing up in a rural area, he was known as "the red-headed kid" when he would get picked for teams based on his red hair and not by his name.<ref name = "Post Obituary"> Template:Cite news</ref> That is how he got the nickname "Red" and was most commonly known publicly by that name. He initially attended high school at Simcoe Composite School before attending Toronto's St. Michael's College high school.<ref name=Parliament '65/>

He grew up listening to Foster Hewitt's broadcasts of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey games, and was particularly inspired by the style of their hard-charging defenceman, Red Horner. He continued to play hockey even after not making the Toronto bantam feeder team for the St. Michael's high school team.<ref name = "Post Obituary"/>

His family was Catholic and in 1943, paid for him to attend St.Michael's, which was a Basilian Order Catholic school. In 1944, he made the school's top-tier junior ice hockey team.<ref name = "St. Mike's Majors"> Template:Cite web</ref> However, while playing junior hockey for the St. Michael's Majors, he was encouraged to refine his style by his coach, former Leaf great Joe Primeau.<ref name = "HHOF Interview 2003"> Template:Cite web</ref> With the Majors, he won a Memorial Cup in 1947, as the best junior ice hockey team in Canada. He played with the team until he graduated in 1947.<ref name = "St. Mike's Majors"/>

NHL career

File:Red Kelly 1958.JPG

Red Kelly with the Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings

The Maple Leafs passed on Kelly after a scout predicted he would not last 20 games in the NHL (despite the Majors' long relationship with the Leafs) and the 19-year-old joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1947.<ref name ="Frank Orr Obit 2019"> Template:Cite news</ref> In 1954 he was runner-up to Chicago's Al Rollins for the Hart Memorial Trophy.<ref name = "1954 Hart Voting"> Template:Cite news</ref> On April 29, 1954 Kelly won the inaugural James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top defenceman, getting 162 out of possible 180 votes, with Montreal's Doug Harvey coming in at distant second with 57 points.<ref name = "Inaugural Norris Winner"> Template:Cite news</ref> He also won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1951, 1953 and 1954 as the NHL's most gentlemanly player.<ref name="HockeyChron"> Template:Cite book</ref> In over 12 years as a Red Wing, the team won eight regular-season championships and four Stanley Cups. He was chosen as a First Team All-Star defenceman six times.<ref name = "Forever Red 2019"> Template:Cite news</ref>

Kelly played much of the 1958–59 season with a broken ankle. However, this was a closely guarded team secret until midway through the next season, a reporter asked Kelly why he had been off his game for much of 1959. Kelly replied, "Don't know. Might have been the ankle."<ref name="Frank Orr Obit 2019" /> When Red Wings GM Jack Adams got wind of the story, he was furious, and immediately brokered a four-player deal in which Kelly was sent to the New York Rangers. However, Kelly scuttled the deal when he announced he would retire rather than go to New York.<ref name = "Free Press Obit 2019"> Template:Cite news</ref>

Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs head coach and general manager Punch Imlach stepped in and tried to talk Kelly into playing for him. Though he disliked Maple Leaf Gardens and was still smarting from the scout's assessment of him 13 years earlier, Kelly agreed to be traded to the Leafs.<ref name="Free Press Obit 2019" /> Once Kelly arrived in Toronto, Imlach asked him to switch positions and become a full-time centre, figuring that Kelly could easily match up against the Montreal Canadiens' Jean Béliveau. The switch proved to be a success, as, already a great playmaker, Kelly turned Frank Mahovlich into one of the most lethal goal scorers in NHL history.<ref name = "HHOF Interview 2003"> Template:Cite web</ref>

Kelly won his fourth Lady Byng Award in 1961. In his eight seasons with the Leafs, they won four Stanley Cups–the same number of times he had won in Detroit. In 1,316 regular season games, he scored 281 goals and 542 assists for 823 points. At the time of his retirement, Kelly was seventh all time in career points, fifth in assists, 13th in goals, and second only to Gordie Howe in games played. In 164 playoff games, he scored 33 goals and 59 assists for 92 points.

Over his 20-year playing career, he won eight Stanley Cups, four each with Detroit and then Toronto. These cup victories are more than any other player who never played for the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens ahead of him are: Henri Richard (11),<ref name = "Richard 1975"> Template:Cite news</ref> Jean Beliveau (10),<ref name = "Beliveau 1971"> Template:Cite news</ref> Yvan Cournoyer (10),<ref name ="Stanley Cup Champ Leaders"> Template:Cite web</ref> and Claude Provost (9).<ref name ="Stanley Cup Champ Leaders"/> He was also one of the only two players to have never played for the Canadiens and to be part of two of the nine dynasties recognized by the National Hockey League (NHL) in its history.<ref name - "NHL Dynasties"> Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, Kelly was named one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” in history.<ref name="100 Greatest NHL Players"> Template:Cite web</ref>

Coaching career

Los Angeles Kings

After the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1967, Kelly announced his retirement as a player, and negotiated with the expansion Los Angeles Kings to be their inaugural coach on the strength of Imlach's assertion that Toronto would not stand in the way of Kelly's coaching career. Imlach insisted, however, that Los Angeles draft Kelly in the expansion draft,<ref name = "Coaching LA" >Template:Cite news</ref> and after the Kings failed to do so, refused to release Kelly's rights until Los Angeles traded minor-league defenceman Ken Block to the Leafs.<ref name="50Years">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kelly guided the Kings to second place in the West Division and made the playoffs two years in a row.

Pittsburgh Penguins

He left the Kings for a one-year contract to succeed Red Sullivan as coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 2, 1969.<ref> Template:Cite news</ref> After the Penguins ended the 1969–70 season with its first-ever playoff appearance and advanced to the semifinals, Kelly signed a five-year, $250,000 contract on May 21, 1970, to continue as coach, and also replaced Jack Riley as general manager.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref> Template:Cite news</ref> With the team struggling in sixth place in the NHL West Division during a stretch of winning only two of 22 contests and having failed to qualify for the postseason in 1970–71, Kelly was pressured to relinquish his general manager title back to Riley on January 29, 1972, in order to concentrate on his coaching duties.<ref> Template:Cite news</ref> Amid a slump in which the Penguins won only two games with three draws and seven losses and slid into fifth place in the eight-team NHL West Division, Kelly was fired and replaced by Ken Schinkel on January 13, 1973.<ref name ="Fired 1973>Template:Cite news</ref>

Toronto Maple Leafs

Kelly returned to the Maple Leafs after signing a four-year contract to succeed John McLellan as coach on August 20, 1973.<ref name ="Coach of the Leafs"> Template:Cite news</ref> He stayed in the position from the 1973–74 season to 1976–77. The team earned a playoff berth in all four seasons with Kelly as head coach but got eliminated in the quarterfinals each time. A bizarre aspect of his tenure as Maple Leafs coach occurred during the 1975–76 quarterfinal series when he promoted pyramid power amongst his players to counter the Philadelphia Flyers' use of Kate Smith's rendition of "God Bless America." He hung a plastic model of a pyramid in the team's clubhouse after a pair of away defeats to start the series. The players embraced the superstition after observing team captain Darryl Sittler first place his hockey sticks beneath the pyramid and then stand under it for exactly four minutes. The Maple Leafs managed to win all three of its home matches before losing the series' decisive Game 7.<ref name = "Pyramid Power"> Template:Cite news</ref> Kelly was fired at the end of the 1976–1977 season, on June 17, 1977.<ref name ="Fired as Coach of the Leafs"> Template:Cite news</ref> That ended 30 consecutive years at ice level in the NHL as a player and coach. Kelly coached 742 regular season games during his NHL career of which his team won 278, lost 300 and tied 134. He coached 62 NHL playoff games winning 24 of these.<ref> Template:Cite book</ref>

Political career

Kelly was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1962 federal election in the York West electoral district, the first Liberal party member to do so since 1935.<ref name="Kelly Wins"> Template:Cite news</ref> He defeated Conservative incumbent John Hamilton, 30,762 to 27,060 votes.<ref name="First Goal Stand Up"> Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="1962 Results"> Template:Cite news</ref> He was easily re-elected in the following year's election, beating his Progressive Conservative opponent, future NHL agent Alan Eagleson by an almost 13,000 vote margin.<ref name="1963 Electrion"> Template:Cite news</ref> The victory meant that he was now part of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson's newly elected Liberal government.<ref name="Pearson Government"> Template:Cite news</ref> Kelly continued to play with the Toronto Maple Leafs during his terms as a Member of Parliament and won two more Stanley Cups in that time.<ref name=CPG1965> Template:Cite book</ref> During the Great Canadian Flag Debate, he received opposition from Leafs owner Conn Smythe who opposed Pearson's plans to replace the Red Ensign flag with the Maple Leaf.<ref name=CPR>Template:Cite web</ref> He did not seek re-election in 1965, but left federal politics after his two terms in the 25th and 26th Canadian Parliaments, because he wanted more time with his family.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He was succeeded in York West by fellow Liberal Robert Winters.

While a member of parliament, Kelly appeared as himself on the October 29, 1962, episode of the game show To Tell the Truth. He received three of four possible votes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Achievements and data

File:Red Kelly Statue at Legends Row (photo by Djuradj Vujcic).jpg

Kelly is immortalized with a statue at Legends Row in front of Scotiabank Arena

• Named a first team All-Star on defense in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955 and 1957.
• Named a Second Team All-Star on defense in 1950 and 1956.
• Name was engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955 (with Detroit)
• Name was engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967 (with Toronto).
• Kelly was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969.
• In 1998, he was ranked number 22 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 greatest hockey players.
• In 2001, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
• Inducted to the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Toronto Maple Leafs#4 retired on October 15, 2016<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• In the fall of 2016, Kelly published his autobiography "The Red Kelly Story" by ECW Press with co-authors L. Waxy Gregoire and David M. Dupuis, both from Penetanguishene, Ontario. This book went on to win the 2016 Ontario Speaker's Book Award.
• In January 2017, Kelly was part of the first group of players to be named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.<ref name="100 Greatest NHL Players"/>
• Detroit Red Wings#4 was retired on February 1, 2019<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Kelly married fellow red-head Andra Carol McLaughlin, an American figure skating star, in 1959.<ref name="Frank Orr Obit 2019" /> They had four children. Kelly's son Leonard Patrick Kelly Jr. represented Canada in the 1992 Albertville and the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics in Long-track speed skating.<ref name = "Jr. 1992 Olympics"> Template:Cite news</ref><ref name = "Jr. 1994 Olympics"> Template:Cite news</ref>

Kelly's grandson George Waddell represents GBR in ice dance with his partner Sasha Fear. Another grandson Bruce Waddell represents Canada in ice dance with his partner Natalie D'Alessandro. Kelly was the granduncle of hockey player Mark Jankowski of the Calgary Flames. On May 2, 2019, Kelly died at the age of 91.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1943–44	St. Michael's Midgets	Minor-ON		8	10	5	15	—		—	—	—	—	—
1944–45	St. Michael's Buzzers	Big-10 Jr. B		11	15	13	28	7		11	16	8	24	6
1944–45	St. Michael's College Majors	OHA-Jr.		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1945–46	St. Michael's College Majors	OHA-Jr.		26	13	11	24	18		11	1	0	1	7
1946–47	St. Michael's College Majors	OHA-Jr.		30	8	24	32	11		9	3	3	6	9
1946–47	St. Michael's College Majors	M-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		9	5	5	10	2
1947–48	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		60	6	14	20	13		10	3	2	5	2
1948–49	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		59	5	11	16	10		11	1	1	2	6
1949–50	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		70	15	25	40	9		14	1	3	4	2
1950–51	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		70	17	37	54	24		6	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	19	27	46	8		6	0	4	4	0
1953–54	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		62	16	33	49	18		12	5	1	6	4
1954–55	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		70	15	30	45	28		11	2	4	6	17
1955–56	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		70	16	34	50	39		10	2	4	6	2
1956–57	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		70	10	25	35	18		5	1	0	1	0
1957–58	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		61	13	18	31	26		4	0	1	1	2
1958–59	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		67	8	13	21	34		—	—	—	—	—
1959–60	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		50	6	12	18	10		—	—	—	—	—
1959–60	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		18	6	5	11	8		10	3	8	11	2
1960–61	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		64	20	50	70	12		2	1	0	1	0
1961–62	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		58	22	27	49	6		12	4	6	10	0
1962–63	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		66	20	40	60	8		10	2	6	8	6
1963–64	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		70	11	34	45	16		14	4	9	13	4
1964–65	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		70	18	28	46	8		6	3	2	5	2
1965–66	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		63	8	24	32	12		4	0	2	2	0
1966–67	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		61	14	24	38	4		12	0	5	5	2
NHL totals				1,316	281	542	823	327		164	33	59	92	51

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season						Post season
		G	W	L	T	Pts	Finish	Result
LA	1967–68	74	31	33	10	72	2nd in West	Lost in quarter-finals (3-4 vs. MIN)
LA	1968–69	76	24	42	10	58	4th in West	Won in quarter-finals (4-3 vs. OAK) Lost in semi-finals (0-4 vs. STL)
PIT	1969–70	76	26	38	12	64	2nd in West	Won in quarter-finals (4-0 vs. OAK) Lost in semi-finals (2-4 vs. STL)
PIT	1970–71	78	21	37	20	62	6th in West	Did not qualify
PIT	1971–72	78	26	38	14	66	4th in West	Lost in quarter-finals (0-4 vs. CHI)
PIT	1972–73	42	17	19	6	(73)	5th in West	(fired)
TOR	1973–74	78	35	27	16	86	4th in East	Lost in quarter-finals (0-4 vs. BOS)
TOR	1974–75	80	31	33	16	78	3rd in Adams	Won in preliminary round (2-1 vs. LA) Lost in quarter-finals (0-4 vs. PHI)
TOR	1975–76	80	34	31	15	83	3rd in Adams	Won in preliminary round (2-1 vs. PIT) Lost in quarter-finals (3-4 vs. PHI)
TOR	1976–77	80	33	32	15	81	3rd in Adams	Won in preliminary round (2-1 vs. PIT) Lost in quarter-finals (2-4 vs. PHI)
LA Total		150	55	75	20	130		7-11 (0.389)
PIT Total		274	90	132	52	232		6-8 (0.429)
TOR Total		318	133	123	62	328		11-19 (0.367)
Total		742	278	330	134	690		24-38 (0.388)

See also

• Captain (hockey)
• List of NHL players with 1,000 games played

External links

• Template:Icehockeystats
• Template:Canadian Parliament links