Alex Delvecchio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alex Delvecchio |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1977 | |||
Delvecchio with the Detroit Red Wings in the 1960s
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| Born | December 4, 1931 Fort William, Ontario, Canada |
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| Died | July 1, 2025 (aged 93) Oakland County, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre/Left Wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Detroit Red Wings | ||
| Playing career | 1951–1973 | ||
Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio (December 4, 1931 – July 1, 2025) was a famous Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager. He played his whole career in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings.
He played for the Red Wings from 1951 to 1973, playing 1,549 games and scoring 1,281 points. When he retired, he was one of the top players in NHL history for games played, assists, and total points. He won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy three times for being a very fair and sportsmanlike player. He also helped the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup three times!
Alex is one of only three NHL players who played their entire career with just one team for over 1,500 games. The other two, Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidström, also played for the Red Wings! After he stopped playing in 1973, Alex became the head coach for the Red Wings. He also became the team's general manager in 1974, holding both jobs until 1977. He was added to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977. In 2017, he was even named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" of all time! Alex was the last living player from the Red Wings teams that won the Stanley Cup in 1952, 1954, and 1955.
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Alex Delvecchio's Hockey Journey
Before joining the NHL, Alex played for the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) in 1950-51. He was amazing, leading the league in assists that year! He played his very first NHL game on March 25, 1951, with the Red Wings against the Montreal Canadiens.
In the 1951-52 season, he played a few games with the Indianapolis Capitals in the American Hockey League (AHL) before joining the Red Wings full-time. That same year, he helped the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup! For 22 seasons, he was a fantastic player, playing both as a center and a left wing. He was famous for being part of the "Production Line" with his teammates Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay.
In the 1956-57 season, Alex broke his ankle and missed 22 games. But after that, he was incredibly tough, missing only 14 games in the next 16 seasons! In NHL history, only Nicklas Lidström has played more games for just one team than Alex. Even with his amazing career, Alex was never the top scorer for the Red Wings in a single season. This was mostly because Gordie Howe was also on the team! The closest he got was in the 1969-70 season, when he was just three points behind Howe.
After His Playing Days
After retiring as a player in 1973, Alex became the head coach for the Red Wings twice. He also served as their general manager until 1977. He then left hockey to start his own business. He started a company called Alex Delvecchio Enterprises, which made things like plaques, signs, and promotional items.
Alex was an "Honored Member" of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association. He worked hard to help raise money for charities that support children in the Metro Detroit area. When he retired, Alex was second only to Gordie Howe in many important scoring records for the Red Wings. Later, Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidström passed him in some of these records. But Alex still ranks third in games played for the Red Wings, behind only Howe and Lidström. Alex Delvecchio passed away on July 1, 2025, at the age of 93.
Amazing Achievements and Awards
- He played the third-most games for the Red Wings, after Nicklas Lidström and Gordie Howe.
- When he retired, he had played the most games for a single team in NHL history. Later, Nicklas Lidström passed him, but Alex still holds the record for forwards!
- He won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings three times: in 1952, 1954, and 1955.
- He was named a Second Team All-Star twice, once as a center (1953) and once as a left wing (1959).
- He played in the NHL All-Star Game 13 times! Only six other players have played in more.
- He was the team captain for 12 years, a record only beaten by Steve Yzerman.
- He is still 11th all-time in NHL history for games played and 27th for total points scored.
- For the Red Wings, he ranks third in points and goals, and fourth in assists.
- In 1998, The Hockey News magazine ranked him as the 82nd greatest hockey player ever.
- The Red Wings retired his jersey number 10 on November 10, 1991, meaning no other player on the team will ever wear it again.
- On October 16, 2008, the Red Wings revealed a special statue of Alex, made by artist Omri R. Amrany.
- In January 2017, he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history.
See also
- List of Detroit Red Wings award winners
- List of ice hockey line nicknames
- List of NHL players with 1000 points
- List of NHL players with 1000 games played
- List of NHL players who spent their entire career with one franchise
- Production line (hockey)
- List of Detroit Red Wings general managers
- List of Detroit Red Wings head coaches
