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Gordie Howe "Mr. Hockey" |
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Born: March 31, 1928
Birth Place: Floral, Saskatchewan
Position: Right Wing
First Season: 1947- 48
Last Season: 1970 - 71
Jersey Number: 9
Jersey Retired: March 12 - 1972
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| Biography |
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Gordie Howe was born March 31,1928 in Floral, Saskatchewan. He joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1946, after spending a season each with junior teams in Saskatoon and Galt and one minor pro season in Omaha with the USHL League. Even though the majority of Gordie's career would be spent with the Detroit Red Wings, it could have been very different. In 1943, Howe was invited to pre-season workouts by the New York Rangers but the team sent him home because he was homesick and they felt he was too scrawny to play successfully in the NHL.
As Howe matured, he filled out to an impressive 6 foot, 205 pounds. Gordie had remarkable speed and was able to shoot from either side with equal dexterity. He was known by many nicknames, including "Mr. Elbows" by opponents and "Mr. Hockey" by his fans.
During his career, Gordie established several NHL records. Among them, seasons played (26), regular-season games (1,767), career goals in regular-season play (801), and selections to NHL All-Star teams (21, twelve times to the first team, nine to the second).
In addition, Gordie holds records for winning goals (122), games including playoffs (1,924), goals including playoffs (869), career assists by a right winger (1,049), and career points by a right winger (1,850). Hall of Famer and former Red Wing teammate Bill Gadsby said of Howe, "he was not only the greatest hockey player I have ever seen, but also the greatest athlete". The only player to accumulate more NHL records is the great Wayne Gretzky.
Gordie's importance to his team in the 1950s and 60s is summed up by his impressive six Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player and his six scoring titles all within that period. Gordie's career is punctuated by his drive and tenacity both on and off the ice. An experience in the opening round of the 1950 Stanley Cup Playoffs sums up that drive. Gordie skated in on Teeder Kennedy of the Toronto Maple Leafs who was in the corner-carrying the puck. Seconds before impact, Teeder pulled up sending Gordie sprawling head first into the boards. Gordie slumped to the ice covered in his own blood, a victim of a fractured skull. After a lengthy operation, Gordie survived. Most doctors felt that he was lucky to escape the tragic accident with his life and that he would never play the game of hockey again. The following season he was not only back to playing the game, he led the entire league in scoring.
During his career, Gordie shared the ice with some of the greatest hockey players of all time. As you can imagine, there were many comparisons made between Howe and the most popular players of the day. The most notable of these comparisons came in the earlier days of his career to the Montreal great Maurice Richard. During their playing days, there was constant debate over which of these future Hall of Famers was the better performer. When Richard retired, he put the debate to rest by admitting that Howe was the better of the two. "Gordie could do everything" he said.
Howe's other notable on-ice association came with Detroit's fabled Production Line. The first incarnation of this line included Hall of Famers Ted Lindsay and Sid Abel. Later in Gordie's career the line was reassembled, this time including Howe and two more future Hall of Famers - Alex Delvecchio and Frank Mahovlich. In addition to his teammates, Gordie opposed some of the most notable hockey players in the history of the game, names like Bobby Hull, Wayne Gretzky, and Maurice Richard.
Gordie Howe was the ultimate all-around player whose versatility has forever left an impact on the game of hockey. One example of this fact is today's reference to the Gordie Howe Hat Trick. Unlike the conventional scoring Hat Trick, this triad represents a more all-around style of play. The distinction of the Gordie Howe Hat Trick is given to the player who, in the same game, scores a goal, assists on another and participates in a fight.
Gordie spent 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and three with the Hartford Whalers before being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972. When Gordie retired he was 52 years old and a grandfather. No one could compare to Howe when it came to longevity. To put that into perspective, Gordie Howe was in the National Hockey League in 1948 when Boston Bruins great Bobby Orr was born and he was still in the league when Orr retired in 1979.
Gordie first retired from hockey in 1971 to take a front office job with his old team the Detroit Red Wings. After two years behind a desk Howe made an incredible come- back. At the age of 45, Gordie signed with the Houston Aeros of the WHA. As if this wasn't impressive enough, two of his teammates on the Aeros were his sons Mark and Marty. The Howe trio would lead the Houston Aeros to the Avco cup twice before moving on to the Hartford Whalers. When the Hartford Whalers left the floundering WHA to join the NHL Howe would once again be playing in the National Hockey League at the age of 51.
On October 3, 1997, Gordie added a record that may never be matched. He took the ice for one shift with the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League. That evening launched him into the record books as the only professional hockey player to ever appear in a professional game during six consecutive decades (1940s-1990s).
Gordie Howe defined the term "power forward" before it even existed. Unlike any other player in the history of the game Howe exhibited incredible offensive and defensive capabilities which make him more than deserving of the name "Mr. Hockey".
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| Games and Awards |
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1948-49 All-Star Selection - Second Team
1949-50 All-Star Selection - Second Team
1950-51 Art Ross Trophy - All-Star Selection - First Team
1951-52 Art Ross Trophy - Hart Memorial Trophy - All-Star Selection - First Team
1952-53 Art Ross Trophy - Hart Memorial Trophy - All-Star Selection - First Team
1953-54 Art Ross Trophy - All-Star Selection - First Team
1955-56 All-Star Selection - Second Team
1956-57 Art Ross Trophy - Hart Memorial Trophy - All-Star Selection - First Team
1957-58 Art Ross Trophy - All-Star Selection - First Team
1958-59 All-Star Selection - Second Team
1959-60 Hart Memorial Trophy - All-Star Selection - First Team
1960-61 All-Star Selection - Second Team
1961-62 All-Star Selection - Second Team
1962-63 Art Ross Trophy - Hart Memorial Trophy - All-Star Selection - First Team
1963-64 All-Star Selection - Second Team
1964-65 All-Star Selection - Second Team
1965-66 All-Star Selection - First Team
1966-67 Lester Patrick Trophy - All-Star Selection - Second Team
1967-68 All-Star Selection - First Team
1968-69 All-Star Selection - First Team
1969-70 All-Star Selection - First Team
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| Seasonal Statistics |
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