Alex Delvecchio

Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio, born December 4, 1931 in Fort William, Ontario, is a former player and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. 
==Playing Career==
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 centre 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. Despite his impressive career, Delvecchio was never the Red Wings' leading scorer in a season. The closest he ever came was in the 1969–70 NHL season, where he was just 3 points behind Gordie Howe for the team lead.
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.
At the time of his retirement, he ranked second in nearly every significant offensive category in Red Wings history behind only Howe. He has since been passed in most of those categories by Steve Yzerman, but still ranks second all-time in games played as a Red Wing.
==Career Statistics==
  	  	  	 	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1950-51 	Oshawa Generals 	OHA 	 	54 	49 	72 	121 	36 	 	 	 	 	 	
1950-51 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1951-52 	Indianapolis Capitals	AHL 	 	6 	3 	6 	9 	4 	 	 	 	 	 	
1951-52 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	65 	15 	22 	37 	22 	 	8 	0 	3 	3 	4
1952-53 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	70 	16 	43 	59 	28 	 	6 	2 	4 	6 	2
1953-54 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	69 	11 	18 	29 	34 	 	12 	2 	7 	9 	7
1954-55 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	69 	17 	31 	48 	37 	 	11 	7 	8 	15 	2
1955-56 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	70 	25 	26 	51 	24 	 	10 	7 	3 	10 	2
1956-57 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	48 	16 	25 	41 	8 	 	5 	3 	2 	5 	2
1957-58 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	70 	21 	38 	59 	22 	 	4 	0 	1 	1 	0
1958-59 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	70 	19 	35 	54 	6 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1959-60 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	70 	19 	28 	47 	8 	 	6 	2 	6 	8 	0
1960-61 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	70 	27 	35 	62 	26 	 	11 	4 	5 	9 	0
1961-62 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	70 	26 	43 	69 	18 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1962-63 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	70 	20 	44 	64 	8 	 	11 	3 	6 	9 	2
1963-64 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	70 	23 	30 	53 	11 	 	14 	3 	8 	11 	0
1964-65 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	68 	25 	42 	67 	16 	 	7 	2 	3 	5 	4
1965-66 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	70 	31 	38 	69 	16 	 	12 	0 	11 	11 	4
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 	 	4 	0 	2 	2 	0
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	NHL Totals 	NHL Totals	 	1549 	456 	825 	1281 	383 	 	121 	35 	69 	104 	29
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Achievements==
* Retired ranked 2nd in NHL history in career Games Played (1549), Assists (825) and Points (1281).
* Holds NHL records for seasons played and games played in a career spent with only one team.
* 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 an NHL player.
* Named a Second Team All-Star in 1953 (at centre) and 1959 (at left wing).
* Played in the All-Star Game 13 times (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.
* Second in Red Wings history in games played; third in points, goals and assists
* In 1998, he was ranked number 82 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
* On November 10, 1991 his jersey, number 10, was retired by the Detroit Red Wings.
* On October 16, 2008, The Red Wings unveiled a commemorative statue commissioned by artist Omri R. Amrany.
==Gallery==
25Oct1962-Johnston_save_Wings.jpg|Eddie Johnston makes a save in his first NHL game, October 25, 1962.
Category:Born in 1931
Category:Detroit Red Wings coaches
Category:Detroit Red Wings players
Category:Hockey Hall of Fame
Category:Lady Byng winners
Category:Lester Patrick Trophy recipients
Category:National Hockey League players with retired numbers
Category:Oshawa Generals players
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Detroit Red Wings general managers
Category:NHL All-Stars
Category:Indianapolis Capitals players
Category:Retired in 1974
Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Canadian ice hockey general managers