Gordie Howe, hockey’s ironman, passes away at age 88. Howe, known as Mr. Hockey, was the greatest goal scorer in hockey history until Wayne Gretzky eventually passed his record. Gordie Howe played in his first NHL game on October 16, 1946 for the Detroit Red Wings. The right winger would score a goal in that first game at the age of 18. Wearing the number 17 during his rookie season, he would switch to number 9 the following year, and wear that number for the rest of his career. He would go on to lead the Detroit Red Wings to four Stanley Cup championships during the 1950’s.
During those dominating years, Gordie was part of one of the greatest lines in NHL history. The Production Line teamed Howe with “Terrible” Ted Lindsay and Sid Abel. He would go on to lead the league in scoring six times. He also won the Hart Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the league six times as well. He would appear in his 23rd NHL All-Star Game at Joe Louis Arena less than two months before his 52nd birthday in 1980. Gordie actually still holds several of the Detroit Red Wings franchise records with 786 goals, 1,809 points, and 1,687 games played.
After retiring from Detroit in 1971, he took a job with the Red Wings front office. However, in 1973 he came out of retirement to join the newly formed World Hockey Association. The Houston Aeros of the WHA had signed Gordie’s sons mark and Marty. The Howe’s would go on to led the Aeros to back to back championships. With Houston folding prior to the start of the WHA’s last season, the Howe trio were traded to the New England Whalers. The newly named Hartford Whalers would be one of four teams to join the NHL following the WHA’s final season in 1979. Gordie would play for the Hartford Whalers for their first NHL season before retiring again in 1980.
Gordie Howe suffers stroke
Gordie Howe had a stroke two years ago. He had been suffering from symptoms of dementia for the two years prior to the stroke. Due to this declining health, Howe had been spending his time living alternately with his four children. He was staying with his daughter Cathy in Lubbock, Texas when he suffered his stroke in 2014. Mr. Howe went to Mexico to undergo stem cell treatment, one of two he would receive. Despite these therapies, Gordie’s health would continue to decline. He passed away just outside of Toledo in the town of Sylvania, Ohio, on June 10, 2016 at 88 years of age.
A Gordie Howe tribute video can be viewed at this link: Mr. Hockey
