Mr. Hockey died June 10th and we didn't even know
Mr. Hockey died June 10th and we didn't even know
Gordie with an 11-year old Wayne Gretzky. Little did Gordie know this kid would steal most of his records
You only need to use any search engine, and type in just the word "Gordie" and your computer will furnish the rest of his name automatically, and pages of articles.
Every Saturday night from the time I was a little kid was Hockey Night in Canada - on the radio listening to Foster Hewitt calling the shots and scores. Until Gretzky, who was born and grew up half an hour's drive from where I was born and grew up, surpassed most of Gordie's records, Gordie Howe was the "Great One" - HE was Mr. Hockey, and nobody could deny it.
A story I once read told about whenever Gordie would drive across the Detroit-Windsor border into Canada, the immigration officers would see Gordie was driving, ask him "Playing in Toronto tonight, Gordie?" Even if Gordie had said that he was going to rob the Royal Bank of Canada they would wave him through immediately. He could have had a trunk full of explosives and cocaine but no Canadian immigration officer would stoop so low as to want to inspect his car.
There are enough stories about Gordie on the internet - perhaps some who remember him as their hockey hero, as I did, would take a moment away from politics and shootings and take a look at Gordie's accomplishments.
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R.I.P. Gordie. Hockey will never be the same without you.
Looks like there aren't any hockey fans on this site. Oh well, not enough Canadians here, I guess.
There used to be an old saying in Chicago , say 30 years ago. "There are 20,000 hockey fans in Chicago and they all go to every game."
This was a way of saying that hockey has a niche following in many places in the U.S. Hockey fans are a smaller, but more loyal, group than the fans of the other sports. Here in Chicago, since the Blackhawks won the championship 3 times in recent years, and are the most popular team in hockey these days, there are a lot of front runners in Chicago that glom onto the excitement and success. If the team falls back in the standings, most of those fans will fall back too.
I expect it is the same in most of the other US pro hockey cities. America is a football country these days, pro and college, and even high school. Pro football is by far the most popular sport.
Another reason the Gordie Howe passing doesn't get a lot of attention is his age. He was in his late 80's, never been a presence on twitter or facebook , never had any "buzz" in the media, presumably because he was normal. Younger generations don't know him from Adam.
Howe was from the days when hockey players didnt wear helmets or have as much padding. Tough guys, and he was one of the toughest.
RIP
Plenty of hockey fans here Buzz, and for those who aren't, my daughter more than makes up for a couple of hundred of them. She absolutely loves the Redwings. Sorry John, she totally hates the Blackhawks. On the upside of that, she's a Cubs fan from childhood. That's what happens when you live halfway between Detroit and Chicago; you tend to get a split sports personality.
Gordie Howe stands out in Hockey in the same way that Lou Gehrig does in Baseball and for many of the same reasons. He was always there when needed, he was an expert at doing his job and he was always a gentleman. We've lost another good example of how decent people should live.
Sabres fans, here in WNY are Sabres fans every day....all day. Funny, a comedian the other day was appearing in Toronto and in the radio commercial said, yup, appearing in Toronto, where Hockey Dreams come to die.
Gordie is the first person I ever heard of in the hockey world and the most enduring......played more years than many ever did or ever would. R.I.P. Gordie.....
"Toronto, where Hockey Dreams come to die."
Sad, but true.
Sorry it took me some time-you're up far later than I'm up early.....
I'm not a hockey fan, but I'm sorry he passed away. May he rest in peace!
Considering the abuse his body took due to the roughness of the sport, for so many years, surviving to 88 was amazing. It would have been so symbolic had he survived at least to 90 - his number, number 9.
Of course, I think he was a lot harder on other players than they were able to be on him.
I knew all about it, Buzz. Die-hard Red Wings fan here. Rest in peace #9
Floral , Saskatchewan , Canada
Sylvania , Ohio , United States
1973–1980
Gordie was the best. You knever went into the boards with Grodie, cuz he was the only one that would skate out undamaged.