Detroit Red Wings legend Alex Delvecchio died on Tuesday, July 1, at the age of 93, the team announced. The forward starred on the Red Wings’ famed “Production Line” of the 1950s and won three Stanley Cups with the franchise before going on to serve as coach and general manager in the 1970s.
Here’s everything you need to know about the player Hockey Illustrated called “Quiet, But Great” in 1970, some four decades before he was honored with a statue by the Red Wings.
Just the facts on Alex Delvecchio
Full name: Alexander Peter Delvecchio.
Nicknames: “Fats” and “Fatty.”
Born: Dec. 4, 1931, at Fort William, Ontario (now known as Thunder Bay).
Died: July 1, 2025.
Vitals: 6 feet, 195 pounds.
Shoots: Left.
Family: Wife, Judy; sons, Ken, Alex Jr. and Lenny; daughters, Janice and Corrine; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Alex Delvecchio on the ice
Position: Center.
Jersey: No. 15 (1951-54), No. 10 (1954-73). No. 10 retired Nov. 10, 1991.
As a player: Red Wings, 1951-73; 456 goals, 825 assists, 1,281 points in 1,550 games; 35 goals, 69 assists and 104 points in 121 playoff games.
After retirement: Red Wings coach, 1973-77 (82-131-32, .400); Red Wings general manager, 1974-77; Red Wings broadcaster, at various times in the 1980s.
Awards: Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct) — 1959, ’66, ’69. Lester Patrick Trophy (service to U.S. hockey) — 1974. Second-team All-Star — 1953 (center), ’59 (left wing).
All-Star Games: 13 appearances (1953-59, 1961-65, ’67).
Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1977. Elected in first year of eligibility.
Stanley Cups: 1952, ’54, ’55. Lost in finals 1956, ’61, ’63, ’64, ’66.
What they said about Alex Delvecchio
Notable quotable: Said in 2008 by Mickey Redmond, the Wings’ first 50-goal scorer: “He made people around him better by the way he could pass the puck. Very few in the game could deliver the puck like Alex could.”
He said it: “The goals are nice, of course, but I’ve always taken a lot of pride in assists. It’s a centerman’s job to get assists.”
From the Wings: “I am honored to have known our dear friend and Red Wings legend, Alex Delvecchio,” Marian Ilitch, Red Wings owner, said in a statement Tuesday. “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.”
Where the stats for Alex Delvecchio stand in Detroit Red Wings history
Points: 3rd
| 1. Gordie Howe, 1946-71 | 1,809 |
| 2. Steve Yzerman, 1983-2006 | 1,755 |
| 3. Alex Delvecchio, 1951-73 | 1,281 |
| 4. Nicklas Lidstrom, 1991-2012 | 1,142 |
| 5. Henrik Zetterberg, 2002-18 | 960 |
Goals: 3rd
| 1. Gordie Howe, 1946-71 | 786 |
| 2. Steve Yzerman, 1983-2006 | 692 |
| 3. Alex Delvecchio, 1951-73 | 456 |
| 4. Sergei Fedorov, 1990-2003 | 400 |
| 5. Henrik Zetterberg, 2002-18 | 337 |
Assists: 4th
| 1. Steve Yzerman, 1983-2006 | 1,063 |
| 2. Gordie Howe, 1946-71 | 1,023 |
| 3. Nicklas Lidstrom, 1991-2012 | 878 |
| 4. Alex Delvecchio, 1951-73 | 825 |
| 5. Henrik Zetterberg, 2002-18 | 623 |
Games: 3rd
| 1. Gordie Howe, 1946-71 | 1,687 |
| 2. Nicklas Lidstrom, 1991-2012 | 1,564 |
| 3. Alex Delvecchio, 1951-73 | 1,550 |
| 4. Steve Yzerman, 1983-2006 | 1,514 |
| 5. Kris Draper, 1994-2011 | 1,137 |
Game-winning goals: 4th
| 1. Gordie Howe, 1946-71 | 121 |
| 2. Steve Yzerman, 1983-2006 | 94 |
| 3. Sergei Fedorov, 1990-2003 | 79 |
| 4. Alex Delvecchio, 1951-73 | 75 |
| 5. Henrik Zetterberg, 2002-18 | 64 |
