NHL.com’s Dave Stubbs wrote a lengthy column which summarizes the hockey life of Red Wings legend Alex Delvecchio, who passed away yesterday at 93 years of age:
One of the most respected and most durable players in hockey, of any generation, Delvecchio died on Tuesday at age 93. The legend affectionately nicknamed “Fats” by his teammates is survived by his wife, Judy, and the couple’s five children, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
From his first NHL appearance, March 25, 1951, at Detroit’s Olympia Stadium against the Montreal Canadiens, through his last, Nov. 4, 1973, in Atlanta against the Flames, Delvecchio played 1,550 regular-season games, all for the Red Wings, amassing 1,281 points (456 goals, 825 assists). He played another 121 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring 104 points (35 goals, 69 assists).
Delvecchio was a Stanley Cup champion in 1952, 1954 and 1955, and three times was voted winner of the Lady Byng Trophy (1959, 1966, 1969), awarded to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.
It was on Aug. 25, 1977, that this nearly indestructible center was enshrined among the greatest in hockey, welcomed to the Hall of Fame in a class that included late defenseman Tim Horton and builders John “Bunny” Ahearne, Harold Ballard and Joseph Cattarinich.
“How often do you get to be in the Hall of Fame, let alone just play in the NHL?” Delvecchio wondered, reminded of the anniversary.
