Alex Delvecchio

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio, born December 4, 1931 in Fort William, Ontario is a former ice hockey player and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

After playing a single junior league season for the Oshawa Generals of the OHA (during which he led the league in assists) Delvecchio joined the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League for the 1952 season, and helped the team to win the Stanley Cup that year.

He would go on to excel both at center and left wing for twenty-two full seasons and parts of two others, and was notable for his spot on the Production line with linemates Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay. No player in NHL history played more games with just the one team. One of the true gentlemen in the game of hockey, he was a three-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for combining good sportsmanship with excellence on the ice.

Following his retirement as a player in 1973 -- having, at the time, played the second most games and with the second highest assist and point totals in league history -- Delvecchio served two stints as Detroit's head coach and then as General Manager, until leaving hockey in 1977 to go into business. He was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in that year.

[edit] Career Statistics

                                  Regular Season
Season  Team                    Lge   GP   G   A    Pts  PIM

1950-51 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   1    0   0    0    0
1951-52 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   65   15  22   37   22
1952-53 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   70   16  43   59   28
1953-54 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   69   11  18   29   34
1954-55 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   69   17  31   48   37
1955-56 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   70   25  26   51   24
1956-57 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   48   16  25   41   8
1957-58 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   70   21  38   59   22
1958-59 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   70   19  35   54   6
1959-60 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   70   19  28   47   8
1960-61 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   70   27  35   62   26
1961-62 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   70   26  43   69   18
1962-63 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   70   20  44   64   8
1963-64 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   70   23  30   53   11
1964-65 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   68   25  42   67   16
1965-66 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   70   31  38   69   16
1966-67 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   70   17  38   55   10
1967-68 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   74   22  48   70   14
1968-69 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   72   25  58   83   8
1969-70 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   73   21  47   68   24
1970-71 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   77   21  34   55   6
1971-72 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   75   20  45   65   22
1972-73 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   77   18  53   71   13
1973-74 Detroit Red Wings       NHL   11   1   4    5    2

                   NHL Totals         1549 456 825  1281 383

[edit] Achievements and Facts

Won three Stanley Cups with Detroit, in 1952, 1954 and 1955.
Delvecchio did not learn to skate until he was twelve years old, a remarkably late age for a NHL player, never mind a star.
Named a Second Team All-Star in 1953 (at center) and 1959 (at left wing).
Played in the All-Star Game in 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967, a total surpassed by only five players.
Served as team captain for twelve years, a mark surpassed only in Wings' history by Steve Yzerman.
Remains 8th all time in NHL history in games played and 27th in points scored.
In 1998, he was ranked number 82 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

[edit] See also

Preceded by: Gordie Howe	Detroit Red Wings captains 1962-73	Succeeded by: Nick Libett
Preceded by: Ted Garvin	Head Coaches of the Detroit Red Wings 1973-1975	Succeeded by: Doug Barkley
Preceded by: Doug Barkley	Head Coaches of the Detroit Red Wings 1976	Succeeded by: Larry Wilson
Preceded by: Camille Henry	Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy 1959	Succeeded by: Don McKenney
Preceded by: Bobby Hull	Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy 1966	Succeeded by: Stan Mikita
Preceded by: Stan Mikita	Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy 1969	Succeeded by: Phil Goyette