Today in Canada's Political History - February 15, 1963: Toronto Maple Leafs’ Superstar nominated for the second time to run as a Liberal candidate; calls the House the “NHL of politics”

  • National Newswatch

In any other country, the story of Leonard “Red” Kelly’s service as a MP while he continued to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL, would have been made into a movie. The hockey star won two elections and served from 1963 until 1965 in the Commons.

On this date in 1963, shortly after Prime Minister John Diefenbaker’s government was defeated on a confidence motion in the Commons, Liberals in the Toronto-area riding of York West again nominated Kelly to be their candidate for the April 1963 election. Once again, Kelly would be elected MP.

Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.



Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.