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Hockey Legend Gordie Howe Dies at 88

Jun 10, 2016  •  Post A Comment

“Gordie Howe, whose record-setting five-decade professional hockey career earned him the nickname ‘Mr. Hockey,’ has died at 88,” reports National Public Radio, adding “The Detroit Red Wings confirmed his death on Twitter.”

The story continues, “Over 32 professional seasons, the Canadian-born Howe was a fierce competitor on the ice and a beloved figure off it. Throughout his record-long career, Howe was named Most Valuable Player half-a-dozen times, was in the top 10 in scoring for 21 consecutive years (until Wayne Gretzky broke many of his records), and in the 1950s, led the Detroit Red Wings to four Stanley Cup championships.”

The NPR story adds, “Bigger and stronger than most players, and ambidextrous, Howe was an almost unstoppable scorer. He was also, in the words of one opponent, the meanest S.O.B who ever put on skates, [a] man who intimidated one player by lifting him completely off the ice, by his nostrils…”

Said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in a statement, “Gordie’s greatness travels far beyond mere statistics; it echoes in the words of veneration spoken by countless players who joined him in the Hockey Hall of Fame and considered him their hero. Gordie’s toughness as a competitor on the ice was equaled only by his humor and humility away from it. No sport could have hoped for a greater, more-beloved ambassador.”

 

Gordie-Howe Gordie Howe from a 1995 TV Interview

 

One Comment

  1. Wayne Gretzky broke many of Howe’s records playing more games per season and many more playoff games per season. We lost one “Greatest” this week. Now another. Gordie Howe was the greatest hockey player to ever live.

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