Applause rose as Red Kelly appeared on the Jumbotron, his wife seated to his right.
Friday’s ceremony at Little Caesars Arena honored one of the great players in Detroit Red Wings history, in NHL history. Five decades after he hung up his skates, the Wings bestowed upon Kelly a rare honor: He became the eight player in franchise history to have his number retired, joining Terry Sawchuk (No. 1), Nicklas Lidstrom (No. 5), Ted Lindsay (No. 7), Gordie Howe (No. 9), Alex Delvecchio (No. 10), Sid Abel (No. 12)and Steve Yzerman (No. 19).
The ceremony at Little Caesars Arena began at 7 p.