Alex Delvecchio quietly built a Hall of Fame career with the Detroit Red Wings

By the age of 23, Alex Delvecchio had placed his name on the Stanley Cup three times. He kept skating with the Detroit Red Wings until he was 41, but he never won another championship.

For nearly a quarter-century, he quietly put together one of the greatest careers in National Hockey League history, though few outside Detroit paid much notice. The forward never won a scoring title, never was named a first-team all-star, never won a most-valuable-player award. Overshadowed by teammate Gordie Howe, it was barely noted upon Mr. Delvecchio’s retirement as a player that he was the league’s second-highest scorer of all time, trailing only his famous linemate.