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Saskatchewan is famous for two things: a grain elevator, built in 1927,
that stands to this day, and the birthplace of the greatest hockey player
of all time--Gordie Howe. His journey to glory is an epic story of a man
whose love for the game is shared by his family. And there is no one else
who has the right to the nickname.
World War II had just ended when Gordie Howe first entered the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings. When he played his final NHL season 33 years later, Wayne Gretzky was playing his first. Over the five decades in which he played, Gordie Howe didn't just survive, he was dominant - on the scoring lists, in battles in the corners, on game-winning goals and awards. It was often said that Gordie Howe played a little dirty. His elbows were notorious across the league, and yet Gordie was unrepentant. “If you play a little rough, you get respect…and with respect you get just a little bit more space on the ice.” Gordie’s philosophy got him to the top and kept him there.
Through
it all was his loving wife Colleen. Together they raised four children,
three sons and a daughter. Colleen viewed her husband's career as a family
business and she treated it that way. She became his agent. Mrs. Hockey’s
most famous negotiation came in 1973 when the Howe family made hockey history
with the Houston Aeros of the WHA. At 45 years of age Gordie came out of
retirement to play with sons Marty and Mark on the same line.
Howe the ageless wonder played for seven more seasons. His final triumph was his record 21st appearance on the NHL 1980 all-star game at the age of 51. And to cap it all it was played in Detroit - the city where it had all begun in 1946.
For
the next two decades Gordie and Colleen watched their family and business
empire grow. Then at the age 69, Colleen was diagnosed with frontal temporal
dementia, or Pick disease. Now, at age 72, she still battles this terrible
disease. Each day is a struggle. For Gordie and his family dealing with
the emotional pain of Colleen’s condition is hard. He prays for a
cure, but he knows he must be as strong as his beloved Colleen. Armed with
her memory Mr. Hockey, soldiers on.
Links
Mr. and Mrs. Hockey: Gordie and Colleen Howe's web site
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