For Immediate Release: October 23, 2018
Queen’s Park – Yet again, Red Kelly was the topic of discussion at Queen’s Park.
Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop let members of the Ontario Legislature know that earlier this month, Detroit Red Wings president and CEO Christopher Ilitch announced the organization would be honouring Leonard “Red” Kelly by retiring his number 4 jersey.
“In our neck of the woods, the Simcoe born Kelly is a household name, not only for his defensive skills on the ice but also his service as a member of Parliament,” said Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett. “I live on Red Kelly Line and am proud to say Red is the guy who taught me how to skate when I was young.
“Red has garnered attention from all over North America and people are always taken with his stories of determination, ambition and passion,” Barrett said.
Penetanguishene writers David Dupuis and Waxy Gregoire, according to MPP Dunlop, spent two years recounting The Red Kelly Story – the book won the Ontario Speaker’s Book Award in 2016.
There will be a special retirement celebration on February 1, 2019, which will be an opportunity for more people to learn of Red’s life and legacy.
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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446, 905-765-8413 or 1-800-903-8629
Leonard “Red” Kelly
Ms. Jill Dunlop: Earlier this month, Detroit Red Wings president and CEO Christopher Ilitch announced that they would be honouring Leonard “Red” Kelly by retiring his number 4 jersey.
Kelly, born in Simcoe, Ontario, played 13 seasons with the Red Wings and eight seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969 and, in 2001, he was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Mr. Kelly was a top defenceman. He played on eight Stanley Cup teams, won three Lady Byng trophies and a Norris trophy and, in 2017, he was named one of the 100 greatest NHL players in history.
Not only was Red an incredible hockey player and coach, but he also had a great sense of civic duty, serving as a federal member of Parliament for three years, from 1962-65. His core values, such as hard work, determination, ambition and passion, inspired communities throughout North America. Red was, and continues to be, an inspiration for so many, so much so that two constituents from my riding of Simcoe North spent two years telling Red’s story. David Dupuis and Waxy Gregoire are two writers from Penetanguishene who co-authored the book entitled, The Red Kelly Story. We were all thrilled when the biography won the Ontario Speaker’s Book Award in 2016, and both men were proud they were able to have a part in recounting Red’s life, one that was lived well, on and off the ice.
Red even coached our own member from Haldimand–Norfolk, MPP Barrett.
I’m looking forward to Mr. Kelly’s jersey retirement and special celebration on February 1, 2019, and I hope more people continue to learn about his great legacy.