The sports world has lost another one of its greats.
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Visitation will be held 9 a.m. -9 p.m. Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena, honoring Howe’s iconic sweater number while allowing fans to pay their respects to Mr. Hockey and the Howe Family, according to the Wings. His death comes on the same day boxing legend Muhammad Ali is buried in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucy.
Howe was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1972. Howe held league records for goals and points for years until they were broken by Wayne Gretzky in 1999. “The greatest players define their game for a generation; over more than half a century on the ice, Mr. Hockey defined it for a lifetime”. The Howe Family will be present to greet the public, and Gordie Howe will lie in state inside the arena bowl.
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 at Facebook.com/GordieHoweTributes.
The team changed its twitter avatar to Howe’s No. 9.
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Bill Ford, Jr., executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, and great-grandson of Henry Ford, said in a statement Friday that when he’s asked who his role models are, the list is short: Henry Ford and Gordie Howe. “A remarkable athlete whose mastery of our sport was reflected by the longevity of his career and by his nickname, ‘Mr. Hockey, ‘ Gordie’s commitment to winning was matched only by his commitment to his teammates, to his friends, to the Red Wings, to the city of Detroit and – above all – to his family”.
