Bob “Battleship” Kelly

Born June 6, 1946, in Fort William, Ontario, Canada
Height: 6’ 2”  Weight: 195 lbs

John Robert (Bob) Kelly played 425 games in the National Hockey with the St Louis Blue, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Chicago Black Hawks between 1973 and 1979. Although official NHL records cite him as Bob Kelly, he was commonly known during his NHL career as J. Bob Kelly to differentiate himself from the Bob Kelley who played primarily with the Flyers at that time.

Known for his size, strength and toughness, he was nicknamed “Battleship” during his playing days with Reds, a moniker given to him by then Reds publicist and radio broadcaster, George Patrick Duffy.

Bob played only two seasons with the Reds, 1970 & 1971, scoring only 3 goals in total. However, his tenure has become legend, primarily as an enforcer and rugged competitor.

His offensive skills blossomed over his 7 NHL seasons, most notably with the Penguins where he notched 62 goals during his 3 seasons in Pittsburgh.

Bob was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

Bob “Battleship” Kelly
Left Wing