TOR@DET: Red Wings raise Kelly's No. 4 to the rafters
ByNHL.com @NHLdotcom
Red Kelly was a perfect fit for the Detroit Red Wings, and not just because of his name.
One of the NHL's premier offensive defensemen, he had a tuft of red hair on top of his head while helping the Red Wings win four Stanley Cup championships (1950, '52, '54 and '55) during his 13 seasons in Detroit (1947-60). Kelly was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969 and named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017 On Friday, he received another big honor when the Red Wings retired his No. 4 at Little Caesars Arena before Detroit's 3-2 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kelly played his final eight seasons for Toronto, winning four titles with the Maple Leafs before retiring in 1967.
The 91-year-old, the first winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 1954 and a four-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for ability and gentlemanly play, was showered with gifts including a framed jersey, a portrait and a No. 4 Waterford crystal.
"To win you have to have a great group of players," Kelly told the crowd. "We had that in Detroit those years. They were great years. I'll never forget them as long as I live." Kelly's became the eighth retired number in the Red Wings' 93-year history. His banner joined those for Terry Sawchuk (1), Nicklas Lidstrom (5), Ted Lindsay (7), Gordie Howe (9), Alex Delvecchio (10), Sid Abel (12) and Steve Yzerman (19) in the rafters.
Delvecchio, former Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman and former Detroit defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov were among the special guests in attendance. Even before the ceremony, there was a Kelly tribute: during warmups, every Detroit player wore Kelly's name and No. 4 on his back.
