His cause of death was not disclosed.
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Unfortunately we lost the greatest hockey player ever today, but more importantly the nicest man I have ever met, Gretzky tweeted. Gordie played an incredible 26 seasons in the National Hockey League, 25 of those with the Detroit Red Wings. After his final retirement, those in the sport dubbed any player who had a goal, an assist and a fight in the same game with the honor of scoring a “Gordie Howe Hat Trick”.
Those who wish to pay their respects but cannot attend the visitation can join the thousands who have already shared their Mr. Hockey stories on the Red Wings’ “Gordie Howe Tributes” fan page on Facebook.
His impact: “When Gordie came into the NHL”, then-NHL President Clarence Campbell said in 1980, “hockey was a Canadian game”.
There’s debate as to whether Howe is the greatest hockey player of all time.
In his own words: “You’ve got to love what you’re doing”. If you love it, you can overcome any handicap or the soreness or all the aches and pains, and continue to play for a long, long time.. “Mr. Hockey” left an indelible mark on the sports landscape both locally and nationally.
Former Canadiens star Serge Savard said players were all scared of Howe in his prime and that “everyone was happy when he retired”.
Howe, of course, was a different player than Gretzky, perhaps a more complete player if not as great a scorer.
Howe had an unparalleled combination of talent, toughness and his longevity made him arguably the greatest player of all-time.
Red Berenson’s relationship with Gordie Howe goes back 45 years when the two were teammates with the Detroit Red Wings. Away from the rink, Howe worked just as hard to become one of the most likable superstars in any sport.
Fellow Hall of Famer Phil Esposito, in his autobiography “Thunder and Lightning: A No B.S. Hockey Memoir”, co-authored by Peter Golenbock, recalled the first time he faced Howe as a Blackhawks rookie in the 1963-64 season.
The two ended up playing 10 seasons together before MacGregor was moved to the New York Rangers. Howe still ranks second all time in goals.
For the visitation, fans will be able to park in the Riverfront Executive Lot (located directly west of Joe Louis Arena) or in the Joe Louis Arena Garage (900 W. Jefferson Ave.) and enter the building at street level through the arena’s west entrance.
He spent Friday soaking in one Gordie Howe memory after another. He skated for one shift in 1997, at age 69, for the minor league Detroit Vipers, putting a close on 33 years of playing professional hockey. She died in 2009. She managed the business affairs of Howe and sons Mark and Marty.
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Howe’s sister, Saskatoon resident Helen Cummine, told the CBC that Dr. Murray Howe, the hockey great’s youngest of four children with longtime love, the late Colleen Howe, was with his father when he passed away at the OH radiologist’s home on Friday morning. “He was a tough guy to play against”. He showcased the best of what Canadians like to think of themselves as, highlighted with our national sport and our national identity on an worldwide stage through a national past time.
