Hockey legend Gordie Howe dies at 88

While other hockey greats could skate and put the puck in the net, “Mr. Hockey” could do more than that, Howe, who died Friday at the age of 88, was a physical force as well as an offensive superstar. He took the Detroit Red Wings to win four Stanley Cup trophies. He retired in 1971 because of wrist injuries, but returned to play in the World Hockey Association and then once more in the NHL with the Hartford Whalers alongside sons Mark and Marty.

The kid was Wayne Gretzky, who would go on to break Howe’s National Hockey League record of 1,850 points in 1989.

The LA Kings join the world of hockey in mourning the loss of Gordie Howe.

“To Gordie’s surviving family, I offer my honest condolences, in particular to his son Mark, my former teammate and colleague, who can not help but remind me of his father every time I see him”.

Howe is the fourth all-time leading scorer with 1850 points, won 4 Stanley Cups in Detroit, won six Hart Trophies as the leagues leading scorer and six Art Ross trophies as league MVP. “I think he taught me that”.

Henderson played with Howe in the 1960s in Detroit, recalling an Olympian presence in the rink named the Olympia.

“I think growing up when you hear the name Gordie Howe, the name was synonymous with how you felt the game should be played”.

So great was Howe’s influence that he was known simply as “Mr. Hockey”, a richly deserved nickname.

Among the marks Howe left on CT is at Quinnipiac University, where he raised money to build the TD Bank Sports Arena. “Gordie’s greatness travels far beyond mere statistics”. “No sport could have hoped for a greater, more-beloved ambassador”.

“Not too may things choke me up”, Howe said at the time, per ESPN. Late in their National Hockey League careers, the two got caught up in a contentious game and Howe finally exhausted of the shoves, elbows and cross-checks that were Baun’s stock in trade.

“He was built to be a hockey player”, Paul Henderson said in an interview.

“Our heartfelt condolences on the passing of Gordie Howe, Mr. Hockey”, he wrote on Twitter.

Cavanagh was reinstated though – Menary believes it was because he signed with the team first – while Howe could play exhibition games and practice.

Howe has said the violence was less emotional than tactical – an early elbow to an opponent translated into more room to manoeuvre the next time around.

In 1950, during a playoff game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Howe crashed into the boards, fracturing his nose and cheekbone and lacerating his eyeball.

“He was a gentleman, but he was also a tough guy”.

Howe, without a doubt, was most proud of his family.