Gordie Howe’s family opens visitation and funeral to public

Gordie Howe, the legend who became so synonymous with his beloved sport that he was “Mr. Hockey”, has died. As I sat next to my father, who had delighted in the grand days of The Production Line and suffered through the 1970s “Dead Wings” era, I heard the stories about Gordie Howe and the things he had done with the NHL’s Red Wings at old Olympia Arena.

“I was lucky enough to find hockey when I was 6 years old”, Mr. Howe wrote in the introduction of Mr. Hockey, published in 2014 and co-authored by CBC reporter Paul Haavardsrud. Film director and producer John Hughes grew up a hockey fan in MI, and his son, James, wrote on Grantland.com in 2013 that Mr. Howe was his father’s childhood hero.

FILE – In this November 14, 2011, file photo, Hockey Hall of Famer Gordie Howe poses beside the Stanley Cup at the Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Howe practically is synonymous with the Red Wings: He played for them from 1946 to 1971, leading Detroit to Stanley Cup championships in 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955.

Howe, who finished his career with the Harford Whalers at age 52, is the NHL’s all-time leader in games played (1,767) and ranks second in goals (801), third in points (1,850) and ninth in assists (1,049).

Howe died Friday morning in Toledo, Ohio.

Fans took to social media to reflect on Howe’s career and what he meant to hockey and the world of sports. There is no nickname more fitting for him than “Mr. Hockey”. A member of the Red Wings video team will also be stationed on the concourse level for fans who wish to share a memory of Gordie Howe. Howe is regarded as one of the best hockey players of all time – known for his toughness, durability and scoring acumen.

“Gordie’s toughness as a competitor on the ice was equaled only by his humor and humility away from it”. “He was an incredible ambassador for the sport”, he said. And we all felt like we were part of the Howe family. He seemed more like a grandfather than a professional hockey player to me at six years old, but even then he could still play the game at a high level when the puck was dropped. Just walking past him on the event floor of the Bell Centre at the 2009 All-Star Game in Montreal is one of the highlights of my career and something that immediately prompted me to call my dad about how cool it was to see Mr. Hockey in person. And once the game started – it was a who’s who of National Hockey League greats, from Wayne Gretzky to Guy Lafleur – the silver-haired Howe was still out-skating and out-smarting much younger opponents.