Two seasons later, after the 24-year-old Howe tallied 86 points and 47 goals as the Red Wings ran the table in the playoffs, sweeping the Maple Leafs and Canadiens to become the first National Hockey League team with a flawless record in a postseason.
Advertisement
Gordie Howe, a former Hartford Whaler and one of the greatest hockey players of all time, has died at the age of 88 and people in CT are remembering him for the legacy he left behind as well as the mark he left on our state.
Howe retired from the Detroit Red Wings after 25 years in the league, but he had a successful return to hockey playing for the Houston Aeros and Hartford Whalers.
Hockey Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald says Gordie Howe represented hockey “with great dignity and always had time for his legions of fans”.
Yzerman, the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, released a statement on the passing of Howe Friday at age 88. “He may have been the most well-rounded athletic player that I’ve ever seen”.
“This week, we say goodbye to another giant of the sports world, Gordie Howe”.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expressing sadness at the death of hockey Hall of Famer Gordie Howe, who was born in Saskatchewan. He is fourth on the all-time scoring list with 1,850 career points. “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”.
DeBoer said he’d met Howe in the past but had never spent any amount of time talking with him. Howe was strong, he was fast and he loved to play hockey. That way, Howe could park himself in the slot or behind the net, get control of the puck and force defensemen and goalies to gamble on which side he’d choose.
Along with his scoring ability, Howe was also known for his physical play. In the community, he was someone that remained a pillar after he finished his career. He won the Art Ross Trophy for the top point scorer six times in 1950-1953, 1956 and 1962. “But I knew when they started scoring 80 goals in a season I was in trouble”.
Former NHL executive Bill Torrey, who went to training camp with Gordie Howe in the 1960s, remembered him as a shy, mellow person off the ice and someone who was the opposite on the ice. “He was an incredible ambassador for the sport”.
“As a human being, he was incredible”, Holland added.
Advertisement
Howe, without a doubt, was most proud of his family. They became personal and professional partners as the woman known as “Mrs. Hockey” championed the game for children and later became her husband’s agent. The Aeros were preparing for an exhibition game against the Michigan Stags while Howe and his sons were returning from Russian Federation after playing in the Summit Series.
