OHL Mourns the Loss of Red Kelly

The Ontario Hockey League family is deeply saddened by the loss of NHL legend and former Memorial Cup champion Leonard “Red” Kelly who passed away on Thursday in Toronto at the age of 91.

An eight-time Stanley Cup champion and the NHL’s first-ever Norris Trophy recipient, Kelly played 20 NHL seasons and over 1,300 career regular season games between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs between 1947-67. He was also a four-time Lady Byng Trophy recipient as the NHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the Kelly family as we mourn the loss of a man whose impact on the hockey world won’t be forgotten,” said OHL Commissioner David Branch. “Red was a family man with a sharp mind and a tremendous passion for the game.”

The NHL mourns the passing of Leonard ‘Red’ Kelly – a man whose hockey career is so storied and distinguished that it may never be duplicated.

Full statement from Commissioner Bettman: https://t.co/CQAJbv6ZJI pic.twitter.com/r32IHG9ZZn

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 2, 2019

After winning a Memorial Cup as a member of the 1947 Toronto St. Michael’s Majors, Kelly spent his first 13 NHL seasons in Detroit where he won Stanley Cup titles in 1950, ’52, ’54 and ’55. He joined the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1959-60 season and helped guide them to NHL supremacy in 1962, ’63, ’64 and ’67. His eight Stanley Cups are the most by any NHL player to have not played for the Montreal Canadiens.

The Simcoe, Ont. native was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969 as he was in the midst of a 10-year coaching career behind the benches of the Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The entire Toronto Maple Leafs organization is deeply saddened today to learn of the passing of Red Kelly.

A family man and a fierce competitor, Red played eight seasons with the Leafs and won four Stanley Cups in Toronto.

Statement: https://t.co/glokStLM8T pic.twitter.com/JeMP07PkxL

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 2, 2019

Kelly’s endeavours extended beyond the world of hockey. He served as a member of Parliament during his time as a player in Toronto, being elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1962 federal election at the York West riding under the Liberal party led by Lester B. Pearson. He served two terms in the 25th and 26th Canadian Parliaments before leaving federal politics in 1965.

One of the game’s true greats, Kelly’s number 4 is retired by both the Maple Leafs and Red Wings. In January 2017, he was included in the first group of players to be named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players of all-time.

For more on the life and career of Red Kelly, visit nhl.com.