Red Kelly was a national hockey hero, MP and gentleman

Family, friends and the hockey world bid farewell to Red Kelly Friday morning at a funeral mass at Holy Rosary Catholic Church at St. Clair Ave. and Tweedsmuir Ave. .The eight-time Stanley Cup champion, who played 20 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, died last week at age 91. Leonard Patrick Kelly started his hockey career as a defenceman, but switched to centre after getting traded to Toronto. Kelly was Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969 and was elected as a member of Parliament in Toronto twice in the 1960s while he was playing for the Leafs. He was a member of the franchise’s last team to raise the Stanley Cup in 1967. The native of Simcoe died on May 2 exactly 52 years to the day of that victory. Honorary pallbearers at the funeral included Frank Mahovlich, Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald, Bob Baun, Dick Duff, Ron Ellis, Dave Keon, Eddie Shack and Jim Gregory. Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, general manager Kyle Dubas, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and former Toronto captain Wendel Clark were also in attendance. Red Kelly is survived by Andra, his wife of 60 years, their four children and eight grandchildren.