Alexander Peter " Fats" Delvecchio (December 4, 1931 – July 1, 2025) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager who spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings.
Delvecchio was the last surviving member of the Red Wings' 1952, 1954 and 1955 Stanley Cup teams.
Playing career
In 1950-51, Delvecchio played for the
Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and led the league in assists that year. He made his NHL debut on March 25, 1951, playing against the Montreal Canadiens in the Red Wings' final game of the season.
In 1951–52, he spent six games with the team's minor league affiliate, the Indianapolis Capitals of the American Hockey League (AHL), for whom he scored nine points, before joining the Red Wings full-time.
He helped the team win the Stanley Cup that year.
He went on to excel both at centre and left wing for 22 full seasons and was notable as a member of the "Production Line" with linemates
Gordie Howe and
Ted Lindsay.
In 1956–57, Delvecchio was laid up by a broken ankle for 22 games, but seldom missed a game, thereafter, missing only 14 over the following 16 seasons of his career.
In NHL history, Delvecchio is surpassed only by Nicklas Lidström in the number of games played in a career spent with only one team. Despite his impressive career, Delvecchio was never the Red Wings' leading point scorer in a season, primarily due to Howe's presence. The closest he ever came was in the 1969–70 NHL season, where he was just three points behind Howe for the team lead.
Post-playing career
Following his retirement as a player in 1973, Delvecchio served two stints as Detroit's head coach and one as general manager until leaving hockey in 1977 to go into business. He founded Alex Delvecchio Enterprises, which made and engraved plaques, signs and promotional products.
Delvecchio was an "Honored Member" of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association and was active in its efforts to raise money for children's charities in
Metro Detroit.
At the time of his retirement, he ranked second only to Howe in nearly every significant offensive category in Red Wings history. He has since been passed in most of those categories by
Steve Yzerman and in assists by Nicklas Lidström, but he remains third behind Howe and Lidström in games played as a Red Wing.
Private life
Delvecchio claimed both
Slovak Canadians and Italian heritage. His mother, Annie Tapak, was a daughter of Slovak immigrants from Orava Jozef Ťapák and Anna Ťapáková.
Delvecchio died at his home in Rochester, Michigan on July 1, 2025, at the age of 93.
Career statistics
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|
|
| 1947–48 | Fort William Rangers | TBJHL | 0 | — |
| 1948–49 | Fort William Rangers | TBJHL | 53 | 0 |
| 1948–49 | Port Arthur Bruins | Memorial Cup | — | 1 |
| 1949–50 | Fort William Rangers | TBJHL | 36 | 15 |
| 1950–51 | Oshawa Generals | OHA | 36 | 5 |
| 1950–51 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 0 | — |
| 1951–52 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 22 | 4 |
| 1951–52 | Indianapolis Capitals | AHL | 4 | — |
| 1952–53 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 28 | 2 |
| 1953–54 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 34 | 7 |
| 1954–55 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 37 | 2 |
| 1955–56 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 24 | 2 |
| 1956–57 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 8 | 2 |
| 1957–58 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 22 | |
| 1958–59 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 6 | — |
| 1959–60 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 8 | 0 |
| 1960–61 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 26 | 0 |
| 1961–62 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 18 | — |
| 1962–63 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 8 | 2 |
| 1963–64 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 11 | 0 |
| 1964–65 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 16 | 4 |
| 1965–66 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 16 | 4 |
| 1966–67 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 10 | — |
| 1967–68 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 14 | — |
| 1968–69 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 8 | — |
| 1969–70 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 24 | 0 |
| 1970–71 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 6 | — |
| 1971–72 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 22 | — |
| 1972–73 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 13 | — |
| 1973–74 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 2 | — |
|
Citation:
Achievements
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Third all-time in games played in a Red Wings uniform (behind Nicklas Lidström and Gordie Howe).
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Retired as the overall leader in games played in a career spent with only one team; passed by Lidstrom in 2012; as of 2025 still a record for forwards.
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Stanley Cup champion with Detroit in 1952, 1954 and 1955.
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Named a Second Team All-Star in 1953 (at centre) and 1959 (at left wing).
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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 six players.
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Served as team captain for 12 years, a mark surpassed only by Steve Yzerman.
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As of 2025, remains 16th all-time in NHL history in games played and 39th in points scored.
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Third in points
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Ranked number 82 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players in 1998.
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Jersey number 10 retired on November 10, 1991 by the Red Wings.
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On October 16, 2008, the Red Wings unveiled a commemorative statue for him by artist Omri R. Amrany.
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Named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history in January 2017.
NHL coaching record
See also
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List of Detroit Red Wings award winners
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List of ice hockey line nicknames
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List of NHL players with 1,000 points
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List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
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List of NHL players who spent their entire career with one franchise
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Production line (hockey)
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List of Detroit Red Wings general managers
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List of Detroit Red Wings head coaches
External links
