Family, friends and the hockey world bid farewell to Red Kelly at the NHL great’s funeral on Friday.
The eight-time Stanley Cup champion, who played 20 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, died last week at age 91.
Leonard Patrick Kelly started his hockey career as a defenceman, but switched to centre after getting traded to Toronto.
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969, Kelly was elected as a member of Parliament in Toronto twice in the 1960s while he was playing for the Leafs and was a member of the franchise’s last team to raise the Stanley Cup in 1967. The native of Simcoe, Ont., died on May 2 — exactly 52 years to the day of that victory.
Honorary pallbearers at the funeral included Frank Mahovlich, Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald, Bob Baun, Dick Duff, Ron Ellis, Dave Keon, Eddie Shack and Jim Gregory. Leafs president Brendan Shahanan, general manager Kyle Dubas, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and former Toronto captain Wendel Clark were also in attendance.
Kelly is survived by Andra, his wife of 60 years, their four children and eight grandchildren.