I came to the USA in 1983. I moved to Detroit. I started playing soccer (being English), for a team called the Marauders. We won the soccer league and went to a store called Little Bill's Trophies in Redford, to pick up the trophy. I went with my manager that I was tagging around with as I didn't know a lot of people. John came up to me and said Hey Matt, there's someone here I want you to meet. He said Matt, meet Geordie Howe. I held out my hand and said hello mr Howe, pleased to meet you, I'm Matt Pace. Gordie said you're from across the pond eh? I said yes sir been here about 6 months. Gordie: How do you like it? Me: I love it here, lots of space and everyone is very friendly. Then the best part, Gordie said Kid you have no idea who I am do you? I said No I'm sorry I don't, are you famous? My manager said you dummy, this is Mr Hockey. Gordie said leave him be, sometimes it's nice not to be recognized. Other than that I remember most that his hands were so strong as he shook my hand. But he was a really kindly man. Of course, I found out afterwards I had just had a brush with greatness.
Greatest of their era*** these guys are legends yes, but they'd look like a bunch of benders in today's NHL. I mean, the goalies weren't much more than moving pylons.
Howe is a true legend. There's a clip for the 1976 Canada Cup tournament in which Howe enters the ice at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens to present the awards for outstanding players in the game. The crowd went nuts when they saw him. It's well worth watching.
I chauffeured comedian Freddy Lewis to this game. He was thrown out during Howe's ovation. He held up a sign that was inappropriate for 1980's standards.
I grew up in Detroit...saw Gordie play at the old Olympia....he wasn't flashy like Orr or Gretsky...he just exuded Power and Grace....to anyone watching the game he was always the best player on the ice. All my heros growing up are gone and I am saddened. Muhamad Ali and Bobby Fischer were great ..and were heros not just for their talent which was immense .. but for their independence of mind and the ability to take a stand when most humans would have buckled......they are gone ...and so is Gordie and great for slightly different reasons..He towered as an iconic figure in hockey for 5 decades
This game was in Detroit, where Howe played for 25 years, but I think he would have gotten that kind of ovation even if that game were played in another city ... New York, Boston, Montreal, Chicago, wherever.
God blessed us all, giving us Gordie Howe to watch and enjoy. Gretzky, Orr, Lemieux, Beliveau, The Rocket, Sawchuk and Plante, too. But Gordie, for me, is the Greatest Of All Time.
Glad you said that because I got teary eyed too watching this for about the tenth time.. One of the most inspiring moments in Sports history. It takes way too long to catalogue all Gordie's Records and what he did for the game..All I know is that I saw him play growing up in the 60's at the old Olympia stadium...I would go there just to see Gordie play...Gordie was already a living legend when I first saw him play in 65. He scored a goal that night almost single handedly against the Toronto Maple Leafs...with Tim Horton and Bobby Baun (both great defensemen) draped all over him...What a player.
Geordie Howe is 35 !!! years older than Wayne,and they are on the same ice,playing in highest level,they were even teammates in WHA all-star team,that can only happen in hockey
It was and remains one of the precious memories of my childhood. Honestly back then I was more interested in basketball, because the game played faster. But there was nothing (no rock concerts yet) that could compare to Gordie skating out onto the ice and tens of thousands of people losing their minds. I cherish it , as I do most of my childhood. Wish I could beam it into your frontal lobe, you seem like such a good guy!
This chokes me up every time. You can have Gretzky and McDavid. To me, Mr Hockey was the greatest there will ever be. He was a man of distinction, class and humility. God bless you Gordie and RIP.
That's when the All Star game was semi game not the farce it is now Tons of HOF players that season with 2 of the 4 greatest (Howe, Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux)
Good stuff here. This is when all-star games used to be REAL games with guys actually skating hard, playing D and hitting each other. Not the no-defense just-for-show crap that they have nowadays.
I think they should go back to the old format, the team that won the Stanley Cup the previous season plays the all-stars from the rest of the league. RIP: Mr Hockey, will be missed around here in Detroit.
when they played hockey then..they played for the love of the game...not for the money..shame on the players of today...because their outrage salaries the average joe cant afford to take his family to an NHL game.
It's the "good hitter" bit that does it for me. Ask Kariya about that. I could never stand high-flying defencemen who score a bizillion goals but rarely lay anybody out in the process. Was never really a fan of a guy like, say, Paul Coffey. Stevens always got my respect because he was a hard-hitter, but, not a goon. A true 2-way defenceman, and never a liability at the offencive end, NJ didn't make him the first Devil to have his number retired for nothing. The best I've seen during my 38 years.
The Joe Louis Arena opened December 12, 1979. The Red Wings played at the Olympia for 2 months that 1979-1980 year so the Allstar game was at the Joe Louis Arena here.
Fraevo10 Thanks to the knowledge.The Red Wings changed the home arena during the season 1979-80.I remember reading somewhere,that Olympia was included in the part of the celebration of the 1980 All Star Game.So strictly speaking Gordie Howe did not skate in his old home arena here.Gordie never wore Red Wings shirt on the Joe Louis Arena ice.
