Hockey Has Lost Another Legend; Red Kelly Dies

scotian1

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
16,324
Kingston, Nova Scotia
The only player to win four cups with one team get traded and win another four Stanley Cups with his new team. A hero with both the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, this Hockey Hall of Famer was also a member of the Canadian Parliament while he was an NHL player. A true hockey gentleman; won 4 Lady Byng Trophies, the Norris Trophy as the League's Best Defenceman, was an 8 time NHL All Star, voted #22 out of the Top 100 Hockey Players of all time and was a member of the Order of Canada.
 

reggiecleveland

sublime
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 5, 2004
27,958
Saskatoon Canada
Red Kelly came to my grandfather's ranch on his honeymoon. My Grampa would drive or take the train to TO (from Saskatchewan!) I can't to watch games and it was not uncommon to have a meal or beer with the players in those days. He was one of the last true cowboys, so when he invited these NHL guys to his ranch they often game. The legend goes Red Kelly wanted to be part of the roundup, but his legs were too thick to wear chaps. Apparently a really genuinely nice guy, and incredibly strong.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
I asked my dad about him, because Kelly is a name I knew but didn't know much about.

My dad replied that Kelly was good with Detroit, but that he lost a bit of track of him when he went to the Leafs. Said Detroit was so loaded Kelly never really stood out, and he was surprised when he read the obits to see what a great career Kelly had.

He also said that "I guess his job with Toronto was to shut down Jean Beliveau and good luck with that."

One of the 100 best players ever is pretty solid...being voted in the top quarter of that group is astounding. I mean, his first year in Toronto he was 33 and was 6th in the league in scoring putting up 70 pts in 64 games. And shockingly the Norris went to a Canadien.
 

Fred not Lynn

Dick Button Jr.
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
5,253
Alberta
Or as it is said in the small community I am part of, “Pat Kelly’s dad died”...

...I spent six weeks in 1986 sharing what was essentially a small vacation apartment in a Bavarian village with Red’s son Patrick.

I did not realize at the time exactly WHO Red Kelly was - I was so focused on other things that I sort of missed the opportunity to pick Pat’s brain for Red Kelly stories. Shortly after I more or less moved to Canada, and realized what I’d missed.