Bruce MacGregor spent 11 seasons playing with Gordie Howe on the Detroit Red Wings. As a second-line winger, MacGregor usually went on the ice right after Mr. Hockey came off.
"But he just never wanted to come off. He wanted to play the whole game. I never saw anyone who loved to play the game more than Gordie did," MacGregor said Friday from his home near Edmonton, Alberta. "We darn near thought he'd play forever."
He darn well almost did, or at least it seemed that way. Howe died Friday at 88, and tributes poured in from around the globe to one of hockey's Mount Rushmore figures. His incredible career spanned from 1946-80, starting in Detroit and ending in Hartford, Conn., as a Whaler. He played one shift for the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League at age 69.
In the 1940s and '50s, Howe and Maurice "Rocket" Richard were the NHL's two biggest stars. But while the Rocket retired in 1960, Howe—who joined the league only four years after Richard—just kept on playing. When he retired from the NHL in 1980, at age 52, Howe was the league's all-time leading scorer, with 801 goals and 1,850 points in 1,7 ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Adrian Dater
Gordie Howe Was Unforgettable, Say Those Who Played with and Against Him
June 10th, 2016 by Adrian Dater Leave a reply »
Advertisement