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Post by guiltyparty on Jun 10, 2016 10:01:50 GMT -5
ESPN is reporting Red Wings legend, "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe has passed away. "Hockey legend Gordie Howe died Friday, the Detroit Red Wings have confirmed. He was 88. Few players were able to do it all like Gordie Howe -- score, set up plays, hit, fight and stick up for his sons, who were his linemates. The game is a better place for having had him in it. Howe, who was known as Mr. Hockey, holds NHL records for most games (1,767) and seasons (26). His 801 career goals rank second to Wayne Gretzky's 894. The Hall of Famer played on four Stanley Cup championship teams in Detroit during a 25-year stint that began in 1946. He retired from hockey for good when he was 52. Recent years had been challenging for Howe. Memory loss from the early stages of dementia became a problem even before his wife, Colleen, died in 2009 after battling Pick's disease, a rare form of dementia similar to Alzheimer's. Howe suffered two disabling strokes in October 2014. His family said his health had improved after he underwent a stem-cell treatment as part of a clinical trial in Mexico. Howe, one of nine siblings, was born in Floral, Saskatchewan, a tiny community just southeast of Saskatoon. The family moved to the city when he was an infant." link to Story
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Post by jimsteel on Jun 10, 2016 10:18:11 GMT -5
R.i.p.
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Post by EventHorizon on Jun 10, 2016 21:45:03 GMT -5
The only time in my life I've ever been starstruck is the time I was in the same room as Gordie Howe. My wife's family have been NJD season ticket holders since day one of the franchise (and I came out of the womb saying 'let's go Rangers'; best not to ask how that works). Anyway, one of the season ticket holder perks they were doing for longtime members was a tour of the Prudential Center. There were other options but we picked that one even though since her father is in the media we got the tour already anyway from him. Well I'm glad we did choose that because as the tour guide is taking us into the press conference room he says, "sometimes you'll run into a few current or ex-players here.......for example Gordie Howe" as he points out the legend. Our jaws all dropped (including the tour guide who was just as shocked as we were). I mean there we are and there's a living legend, hockey royalty right in the same room with us. Now I'm sure what I probably saw was an older man in his 80s, frail and unremarkable but in my memory, what I saw was a big, strong imposing figure with bright eyes and a big smile who seemed to have an aura surrounding him, lighting up the room. I guess the reality is probably somewhere in between those two descriptions but either way, I saw Mr. Hockey and it's something I'll never forget.
RIP
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