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 Gordie "Mr. Hockey"
Howe was born on March 31, 1928 in
Floral, Saskatchewan, Canada. Howe
did not play organized hockey till
he was eight, but quickly picked up
the game. He exercised relentlessly
and gained a powerful physique
working construction with his father
during the summers. Howe was signed
by the Detroit Red Wings when he was
16 and moved through the Red Wings
Galt, Ontario junior team, to the
Omaha Knights of the USHL and
finally to the Detroit Red Wings.
Howe was soon teamed up with Ted
Lindsay and Sid Abel in what would
be called the "Production Line", one
of the all-time great NHL
combinations. Howe played 33 pro
seasons, one as a 17 year old with
Omaha of the United States Hockey
League, 25 years with the Detroit
Red Wings of the NHL, six with the
Houston Aeros and New England
Whalers of the World Hockey
Association, one season with the
Hartford Whalers of the NHL and one
game in 1997-98 with the Detroit
Vipers of the IHL...Book
Gordie Howe for Your Event
Gordie Howe set
numerous hockey records that seemed
unbreakable at the time. He was an
effortless skater with deceptive
speed, tremendous strength and a
powerful shot. In his fourth NHL
season, 1949-50, Howe began one of
hockey's most amazing streaks. The
the next 22 years, Howe scored over
20 goals a year. The Red Wings and
Howe won the Stanley Cup in 1950 and
the following year Howe was atop the
league scoring, a feat he would
repeat for the next three years. He
would go on to win a total of six
Art Ross trophies and also added six
Hart Memorial Trophies as the league
MVP. As 41 year old in 1968-69, he
scored 44 goals and added 59 assists
for a career high 103 points. At 43,
Howe retired from the Red Wings in
1971 after injuries slowed him down.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall
of Fame immediately.
Two years after his retirement,
Gordie Howe could not resist the
opportunity of playing with his sons
as he signed along with Marty and
Mark Howe with the Houston Aeros of
the World Hockey Association. He was
an instant success in the WHA and
tallied 508 points in 419 WHA games.
In 1979 he returned to the NHL with
the Hartford Whalers when they moved
from the WHA to the NHL. Howe played
that season as a 51 year old,
appearing in all 80 games and
collecting 41 points. He made his
final professional hockey appearance
with the Detroit Vipers in 1997,
making him the only player to have
played in 6 different decades.
Book
Gordie Howe for Your Event
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