Hockey Hall of Famer and Red Wings great Alex Delvecchio died Tuesday, the team announced.
He was 93 years old.
Delvecchio was a three-time Stanley Cup champion and spent 24 years in the NHL as one of the game’s best centers while playing alongside another NHL legend, Gordie Howe.
“Alex was more than a Hockey icon, he was a devoted husband, loving father, grandfather, great grandfather, cherished friend, and respected teammate to so many,” the Delvecchio family said in a statement. “While the world knew him as an incredible hockey player with numerous accomplishments on the ice, we knew him as someone whose humility, strength, competitiveness, kindness and heart were even greater than his professional achievements.
“For decades, your love and support meant everything to Alex and to all of us. We are deeply grateful and thankful to everyone.”
Outside of Howe, no player in Red Wings history may encompass playing for Detroit more than Delvecchio.
Delvecchio played the second-most seasons with the franchise, spending 12 as team captain — an honor only Steve Yzerman had held for longer.
Over the course of his NHL career, Delvecchio recorded 456 goals and 825 assists for 1,281 points in 1,550 games.
“When you think of the Red Wings, you think of Howe,” Bruins legend Phil Esposito told Sport magazine in 1971. “But Alex is the most underrated player in the game today — underrated by everyone but the players.”
Delvecchio became a mainstay on the Red Wings roster by the 1951-52 season, recording 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) during his rookie campaign as the Red Wings went on to win the Stanley Cup.
He would go on to become a key piece of the “Production Line” between Howe and Ted Lindsay, winning another two cups in 1954 and ’55.
during the ceremony before a NHL game at Joe Louis Arena
on Oct. 16, 2008 in Detroit. Getty Images
After retiring 11 games into the 1973-74 season, Delvecchio would go on to coach and serve as general manager of the franchise at various points through the 1976-77 season.
“Alex was a cherished part of the Red Wings family, and I’m grateful for the years my husband Mike and I shared with him, as well as the remarkable legacy he leaves behind—both in the rafters of the arena and in the hearts of Red Wings fans everywhere. My heartfelt condolences go out to the Delvecchio family during this time of loss,” Red Wings co-owner Marian Ilitch said in a statement.
Delvecchio was named to the NHL’s 100 greatest players list during its centennial season and a statue was erected of the Fort William, Ontario native outside Joe Louis Arena in 2008.
