Three Stanley Cups, three Lady Byngs, and a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame: Fort William’s Alex Delvecchio is being remembered for his on-ice skill, and off-ice kindness.
Delvecchio died on Tuesday at his home in Rochester, Mich. He was 93.
Superior Morning9:07Diane Imrie: Remembering Alex Delvecchio
A Thunder Bay hockey legend has passed away. We remember Alex Delvecchio and talk about his long and very successful career in the NHL.
He’s known for a lengthy stint with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. He played for the team from 1951 to 1973 (part of the “Production Line” with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay). Following that, he was the team’s coach and general manager.
Delvecchio won three Stanley Cups with the Wings. He also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy three times for his sportsmanship, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977. A statue of Delvecchio stands on the concourse at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
“Of all of the players we’ve sent to the National Hockey League, and we have sent over 125, he by far has the most incredible record of a success,” said Diane Imrie, executive director of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. “His achievements were legendary.”
Delvecchio played over two decades with the Red Wings. And he set a long-standing record for the number of goals scored by a rookie, with 15. Six of those, Imrie said, were game winners, and he ended his rookie season with his first Stanley Cup championship.
Imrie noted that Delvecchio went on to be named captain — a title he kept for 12 seasons — and he played in 13 NHL All-Star games.
Delvecchio was scouted and brought down to the Wings training camp, where he was spotted by general manager Jack Adams.
“Adams was also born here in Fort William,” she said. “He saw something in Alex.”
Adams, Imrie said, sent Delvecchio to play for the Oshawa Generals, and Delvecchio was called up to the NHL, making his debut against the Montreal Canadiens at the end of the 1951 season, signing a contract in a hotel lobby just before hitting the ice.
“From there he went on to that great career,” she said. “He was just an incredible player.”
Thunder Bay welcomed its hockey hero home on June 14, 1970, with Alex Delvecchio Day.
“They had this huge celebration,” Imrie said. “They had a breakfast, they had a parade.”
“When your hometown gives you a parade, you know you’re somebody.”
Delvecchio’s passing prompted several tributes from the hockey world.
“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of this true legend of the game and extends its sincere condolences to his family and many friends and fans all over the hockey world,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement, calling Delvecchio “an elegant skater, deft playmaker and beloved teammate.”
And the Red Wings organization itself is “deeply saddened” by Delvecchio’s passing, Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch said in a statement posted on the team’s website.
“Alex embodied what it means to be a Red Wing: loyalty, humility, and excellence on and off the ice,” the statement reads. “For over two decades, including 12 as captain of the Red Wings, Alex earned the reputation as one of the best two-way forwards in NHL history. Following his Hall of Fame career, he continued to represent the Red Wings with class and distinction as both an executive and ambassador.”
“Our thoughts are with the Delvecchio family and all those who were fortunate enough to know and admire Alex. His legacy will forever be remembered as part of Red Wings history and Hockeytown.”
Delvecchio’s jersey, bearing the number 10, was retired by the Red Wings in 1991.
