Gordie Howe

From ArticleWorld

Gordie Howe, nicknamed “Mr. Hockey”, is considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time. He was born in 1928 in Floral, Saskatchewan, Canada. In 1946, at the age of 18, he made his first NHL appearance playing for the Detroit Red Wings. He played the right wing position and was quickly able to establish himself as a force on the ice.

NHL

Playing for the Detroit Red Wings, Gordie Howe became the “go to guy” for goal scoring. He ranked in the top five in scoring for twenty consecutive seasons. A feat unmatched. In any sport. Ever. He helped lead the Red Wings to Stanley Cup victory four times and first place in the league for seven straight years; an NHL record. After playing for twenty-five years, Howe was forced to retire due to a chronic wrist injury and he decided to continue working for the team in the front office.

WHL

A year after he retired, Howe was offered a contract by the newly formed World Hockey League. He decided to undergo surgery to fix his wrist so he could return to the ice. In 1974, Howe was named the WHL’s Most Valuable Player. He was 46. In 1979, the WHL’s and the NHL merged. Fifty-one year old Gordie Howe signed on with the Hartford Whalers and played a full 80 game season before he retired. In 1997, Howe came back to the ice for one game. The Detroit Vipers, an IHL team, asked him to return. At 70 years old, Gordie Howe returned to the ice for one shift. His career now spanned six decades.

Records and awards

Throughout his career, Howe was a record breaker. At one point he held at least 20 hockey records. His friend Wayne Gretzky has broken eight of those records. He won the Art Ross Memorial Trophy six times and was named MVP and awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy six times. In addition, in 1967 he was awarded the Lester B. Patrick Award, he was Made and Officer of the Order of Canada in 1971 and inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in ’72. He appeared in the NHL All-Star Game 23 times as well as the WHA All-Star Game twice. Finally, in 1974, he was awarded the Gary Davidson Trophy.