RED KELLY: DOUBLE THE FUN

Last month, I wrote about Red Kelly having his number 4 jersey retired by the Detroit Red Wings on February 1, 2019.

The visiting team that night will be another team Kelly performed for in the Toronto Maple Leafs. After being traded to the Leafs, Kelly went on to capture four more Stanley Cups, but this time, he accomplished it as a forward.

Getting the jump on the Red Wings, the Leafs honoured Red Kelly's number 4 on October 4, 2006, when they opened the season against the Ottawa Senators. It was Toronto's tradition to honour numbers instead of having them retired. The only two retired numbers were 5 for Bill Barilko and 6 for Ace Bailey.

At the Air Canada Centre ceremony, two number 4 banners were raised to the rafters. In addition to Kelly, former Leaf player, coach and GM Hap Day had his number 4 jersey honoured.

Kelly spoke with Maple Leafs Game Day (the official program) about Hap Day. "My first recollection of Hap came from listening to games on the radio with Foster Hewitt. Then, when I played with Detroit those Maple Leafs teams coached by Hap were tough to play against. He had them well coached."

Also, Kelly was asked for his reaction to having his number 4 honoured. "I was surprised and quite honoured when John Ferguson (Jr. -  the Leafs GM) called to tell me. It was sort of out of the blue. As a kid, I dreamed of making the National Hockey League; I dreamed about playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs and I dreamed about winning the Stanley Cup. But I never, ever dreamed of them putting my number up at the top of the Gardens, which, of course, now has been replaced by the Air Canada Centre."

In a complete and unexpected reversal, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment decided to abandon the term "honoured" and referred to the numbers as being retired. Ten years after having his number 4 honoured, a new banner was hoisted to recognize that it was now a retired number. The ceremony occurred at the Leafs home opener on October 15, 2016. All honoured numbers received the same treatment and a new number was raised when Dave Keon's number 14 joined the elite group.

On February 1, Red Kelly will once again have the honour of his number being retired.