From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
Red Kelly
Canadian ice hockey player and coach (1927–2019)
Canadian ice hockey player and coach (1927–2019)
| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| name | Red Kelly | |
| halloffame | 1969 | |
| image | Red Kelly Maple Leafs Chex Card.jpg | |
| caption | Kelly with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1960s | |
| image_size | 230px | |
| birth_date | ||
| birth_place | Simcoe, Ontario, Canada | |
| death_date | ||
| death_place | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
| height_ft | 6 | |
| height_in | 0 | |
| weight_lb | 195 | |
| position | Defence / Centre | |
| shoots | Left | |
| played_for | Detroit Red Wings | |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| career_start | 1947 | |
| career_end | 1967 | |
| {{Infobox officeholder | embed | yes |
| name | Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly | |
| honorific-suffix | ||
| constituency_MP | York West | |
| parliament | Canada | |
| predecessor | John Hamilton | |
| successor | Robert Winters | |
| term_start | June 18, 1962 | |
| term_end | November 7, 1965 | |
| party | Liberal | |
| spouse |
Toronto Maple Leafs | honorific-prefix = | honorific-suffix = Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly (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). | access-date = July 22, 2025 | access-date = July 22, 2025
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.
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. | access-date = July 22, 2025 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20250624134044/https://stmichaelscollegeschool.com/faculty-member/mr-leonard-red-kelly-c-m | archive-date = June 24, 2025 | access-date = July 13, 2025 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111027083121/https://www.hhof.com/htmlSpotlight/spot_oneononep196903.shtml | archive-date = October 27, 2011 | url-status = dead
NHL career
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. | author-link = Frank Orr | access-date = July 13, 2025 | access-date = July 14, 2025 | access-date = July 14, 2025 | url-access = registration | access-date = July 14, 2025 | access-date = July 14, 2025
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." 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. | access-date = July 14, 2025
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. 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. | access-date = July 13, 2025 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111027083121/https://www.hhof.com/htmlSpotlight/spot_oneononep196903.shtml | archive-date = October 27, 2011 | url-status = dead
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), | access-date = July 13, 2025 | access-date = July 13, 2025 | access-date = July 13, 2025 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20250514215320/https://thehockeywriters.com/10-nhl-players-with-most-stanley-cups/ | archive-date = May 14, 2025 | url-status = live | access-date = July 13, 2025 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090417080503/http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=25435 | archive-date = April 17, 2009 | url-status = dead | access-date = July 13, 2025 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170126133154/https://www.nhl.com/fans/nhl-centennial/100-greatest-nhl-players | archive-date = January 26, 2017 | url-status = live
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,{{cite news | access-date = March 7, 2015
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. | access-date = July 12, 2025 | access-date = July 12, 2025 | access-date = July 12, 2025 | access-date = July 12, 2025 | access-date = July 12, 2025
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. | access-date = July 12, 2025 | access-date = July 12, 2025 | access-date = July 12, 2025
| access-date = July 13, 2025
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. | access-date = September 11, 2023 | url-access = subscription | access-date = September 11, 2023 | url-access = subscription | access-date = September 11, 2023 | url-access = subscription | access-date = September 11, 2023 | url-access = subscription | access-date = September 11, 2023 | url-access = subscription
| access-date = July 22, 2025
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.
Achievements and data
.jpg)
- 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.
- Toronto Maple Leafs#4 retired on October 15, 2016
- 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.
- Detroit Red Wings#4 was retired on February 1, 2019
Personal life
Kelly married fellow red-head Andra Carol McLaughlin, an American figure skating star, in 1959. They had four children. Kelly's son Leonard Patrick Kelly Jr. represented Canada in the 1992 Albertville and the 1994 [[1994 Winter Olympics | Lillehammer Olympics]] in Long-track speed skating. | access-date = July 27, 2025 | author-link = Steve Simmons | access-date = July 27, 2025
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 | NHL totals | 1,316 | 281 | 542 | 823 | 327 | 164 | 33 | 59 | 92 | 51 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | G | W | L | T | Pts | Finish | Result | LA | 1967–68 | LA | 1968–69 | PIT | 1969–70 | PIT | 1970–71 | PIT | 1971–72 | PIT | 1972–73 | TOR | 1973–74 | TOR | 1974–75 | TOR | 1975–76 | TOR | 1976–77 | 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | 31 | 33 | 10 | 72 | 2nd in West | Lost in quarter-finals (3-4 vs. MIN) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 76 | 24 | 42 | 10 | 58 | 4th in West | Won in quarter-finals (4-3 vs. OAK) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lost in semi-finals (0-4 vs. STL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 76 | 26 | 38 | 12 | 64 | 2nd in West | Won in quarter-finals (4-0 vs. OAK) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lost in semi-finals (2-4 vs. STL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 78 | 21 | 37 | 20 | 62 | 6th in West | Did not qualify | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 78 | 26 | 38 | 14 | 66 | 4th in West | Lost in quarter-finals (0-4 vs. CHI) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 42 | 17 | 19 | 6 | (73) | 5th in West | (fired) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 78 | 35 | 27 | 16 | 86 | 4th in East | Lost in quarter-finals (0-4 vs. BOS) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 80 | 31 | 33 | 16 | 78 | 3rd in Adams | Won in preliminary round (2-1 vs. LA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lost in quarter-finals (0-4 vs. PHI) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 80 | 34 | 31 | 15 | 83 | 3rd in Adams | Won in preliminary round (2-1 vs. PIT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lost in quarter-finals (3-4 vs. PHI) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 80 | 33 | 32 | 15 | 81 | 3rd in Adams | Won in preliminary round (2-1 vs. PIT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lost in quarter-finals (2-4 vs. PHI) |
Electoral record
References
References
- McFarlane, Brian. "50 Years of Hockey". Greywood Publishing Ltd..
- "History – Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly". Official website of the Los Angeles Kings.
- Levy, Gary. (June 1, 1989). "Interview: Leonard (Red) Kelly". [[Canadian Parliamentary Review]].
- (Autumn 1989). "Interview: Leonard (Red) Kelly".
- "To Tell the Truth".
- "Red Kelly". [[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]].
- (October 15, 2016). "Toronto Maple Leafs retire the numbers of 17 players".
- Beam, Todd. (October 11, 2018). "Detroit Red Wings to retire Red Kelly's No. 4".
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about Red Kelly — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report