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Kelly, Lidstrom Parallels Are Frightening |
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It was appropriate - and long overdue - that Red Kelly’s No. 4 should be pulled into the rafters at Little Caesars Arena on Friday. And it was also appropriate that No. 4 should reside forever in a place of honor next to No. 5, because in Detroit Red Wings history, Kelly and Nicklas Lidstrom share a common bond.
There were dynamic, all-star defensemen, both of them Norris Trophy winners. But more than that, they were the straws that stirred the drink for Detroit.
In the 1990s, the Wings had Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov, but they didn’t win until they got Lidstrom.
In the 1940s, the Wings had Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay, but they didn’t win until they got Kelly.
As Detroit won four Stanley Cups between 1950-55, Kelly reigned as the NHL's best defenseman. Some even viewed him as the best player in the game
During the 1953-54 season, Boston Bruins coach Lynn Patrick campaigned Kelly as the logical winner of the Hart Trophy. As far as Patrick was concerned, the man who made it all click for the Wings was Kelly.
“Kelly is the best all-around performer in our league,” Patrick told the Associated Press. “When Kelly rushes up the ice, it's something to see. He sparks Howe and Lindsay and the others. When we play the Wings, we go out to stop him. We feel there's a better chance of winning that way.”
Similar sentiments were expressed while Lidstrom was winning seven Norris Trophies and also helping the Wings to four Stanley Cup titles.
“He’s the best player I’ve ever played with,” Yzerman said of Lidstrom.
The Kelly/Lidstrom parallels continued once both men left the Wings organization.
Wings GM Jack Adams got angry with Kelly over his comments in a magazine article and after much consternation and a fizzled attempt to trade him to the New York Rangers, Kelly was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Lidstrom’s departure was far less acrimonious. He announced his retirement in 2012, ignoring desperate overtures from management and teammates that he continue playing.
Kelly went on to win four Cups with the Leafs after Toronto coach Punch Imlach moved him to center. Meanwhile, the Wings sunk to the bottom of the NHL, going 42 years between Stanley Cup celebrations.
Minus Lidstrom, the Wings have also become NHL bottom feeders. It’s going to a long road back to to elite status for Detroit, which has already gone 10 years without a Cup.
Wings fans can only hope that this departure of a generational defender doesn’t come complete with another 42-year Cup drought.
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