Hockey legend Gordie Howe appears as a contestant in this segment from a 1967 episode of "To Tell the Truth" with host Bud Collyer and panelists Tom Poston, Peggy Cass, Larry Blyden, and Kitty Carlisle.
Maybe not so many Americans did. Despite four of the six NHL teams being based in the US at the time, coverage of games on American TV was kind of limited. Back then, the league was made of mostly Canadian players, and Hockey Night in Canada had been around for a while already by then. The profile of the sport in the US was about to get upped a bit soon, because after the then-present season was done, six additional teams would be added for the following one.
Perhaps, but a panel of Tom Poston, Peggy Cass, Larry Blyden and Kitty Carlisle is not indicative of the public's knowledge of hockey or even Gordie Howe.
RIP Gordie Howe, as fine a gentleman as he was an athlete - a great ambassador for ice hockey. And, really, you just had to look at his nose to know he was a hockey player.
Hard to believe that after 22 years in the NHL To Tell The Truth would think Gordie Howe would be so unknown as to be a viable contestant. Must be Hockey Night In Canada TV broadcast didn't make it across the border. The only time I ever saw my mother get really mad was when someone walked between her and the TV when the Red Wings were on. She had been a fan since she was 13 and could take the bus in Detroit to the Arena. She was a huge Gordie Howe fan.
That was some question at 2:57 - "is there an age limit on hockey players? You can play as long as you want no matter how old your get?" Who knew Gordie would go on to play until age 51, and with his two sons?!?!?!
Actually, it gives us a good example of how pervasive media have become over the the past half century. Back then, newspapers were dominant and if you didn't follow hockey, you probably wouldn't have ever heard Gordie's name let alone seen his picture. That said, I'm impressed that Peggy was a hockey fan!
Obvious IMHO the only one who looked athletic & strong. Look at how small #2 hands were. Then if you looked at Gordie's massive hands you would should have no question. Gordie had more testorine then all the men put together in that studio. By the way I was born in Detroit in 1960 & grew up for a few years there before living in the suburbs of Detroit since then.
Didn't even know Red Kelly--and he played with Detroit. The networks in the USA did not cover hockey for a long time. Without Hockey Night and Canada and living close to the Canadian border, it was practically impossible to get even "okay" NHL coverage then. Check this episode with "Leonard Kelly" as a challenger: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4egSgRMHWuM.html
God Love Ya Gordie! Had the chance to see you play several times at the Olympia when I was a kid. You signed my autograph book a few times - and you were alway kind and polite. We are going to name an international bridge after you! Love from Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, Canada. You are always on our mind.
My Dad worked at the CBC(Canadian Broadcastig Corporation)in Halifax Nova Scotia.Gordie was at the studio one day waiting to go on to be interviewed when my Dad happened along.Always a huge fan,Dad took the opportunity to speak to Gordie and started the conversation by saying Hey Gordie I've got a Colleen too.My Mother's name and Gordie's wife's name.I guess Gordie could see the admiration in my Dad's eyes,not only took the time to say Hi,but actually spent about ten minutes talking to my Dad.My Dad was a very humble man that had the fortune to not only meet Gordie Howe ,but as a kid got to meet Babe Ruth Some of Dad's luck must have rubbed off on me because I've had the fortune of meeting Muhammad Ali.He was in Halifax to help promote a Donovan Razor Ruddick fight at the Halifax Forum.The same place where I watched on closed circuit tv Ali defeat George Foreman.I also got to see Bobby Orr play an exhibition game.
It took the brilliance of Bobby Orr to earn the NHL a TV contract with CBS, and the expansion of the league to get these guys some National television face time in the USA. I covered the Whalers in Gordie’s final NHL season (1979-80) and he gave Bobby the credit for the increase in coverage and player salaries.
IMO the best hockey player ever. Gordy was my childhood idol and that never changed. Wish he were around today to play like he played in his younger years.
"And #3, what is your name and what do you do?" "My name is Warren Johnson, and I'm an assistant with the Canadian Consulate General... and I'm from Dawson City."
Despite Gordie Howe's long career, he only won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings (1950, 1952, 1954, 1955). He won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player six times, as well as the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion six times. He retired for the first time in 1971, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972. However, when a new professional league, World Hockey Association (WHA), started up, he came out of retirement to sign with the Houston Aeros, where two of his sons, Mark and Marty, had already signed. They played together as a line. He would win the Avco World Trophy as WHA champions with the Aeros in 1974 and 1975. In 1977, the Howes would end up with the New England Whalers. In 1979, after the WHA folded, the renamed Hartford Whalers took the Howes with them into the NHL, where Gordie played one last season before retiring for good. His NHL totals included 1850 points (801 goals, 1049 assists) in 1767 career games, a total which has since been broken by Wayne Gretzky, and his WHA totals include 508 points (174 goals, 334 assists) in 419 games. He also played one shift in 1997 with the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League (IHL), making him the only player to compete in six decades. No wonder they call him Mr. Hockey.
21 years in a row was a Top 5 NHL scorer from 1949 to 1969 and top 10 in 1970. Then in the WHA was a Top 10 scorer in 1974 to 76 and 78. He missed in 1977 due to injury missing 18 games. At age 50 he scored 96 points. Do that Wayne Gretzky.
Only won four Stanley Cups? If Jack Adams didn't screw up those Stanley Cup teams they certainly would have won more in the 1950s. Only Alex Delvecchio, Gordie Howe, Marcel Pronovost, Red Kelly, Terry Sawchuk were on the 54-55 teams and 59-60 teams.
@@sarkisiangeorgeYeah, Adams gave away the great Glenn Hall and Ted Lindsay because they had the audacity to be involved with the fledgling players’ Union. Hall, especially, went on to have a stellar career with the Blackhawks.
Got the opportunity to see Gordie Howe play with his sons when he/they jumped from the NHL to the new WHA and they played for the Houston franchise. Early 70's.
Right #3 looked like he would run from a mouse & #2 had puny weak looking hands. Playing hockey your gonna have strong big hands & no one had them in Hockey like Gordie did.
I'm assuming you were alive during that era? I like learning about hockey history, & what people have to say about different hockey eras. Because the game changes so much between generations in a way not seen in other sports. I've heard Gretzky say that he might not have been able to score as many goals, points, or assists if he played in the original six era.
@CJ Dillon The NHL didn't really start tapping Europe extensively until the 70s, and that was because their rival at the time, World Hockey Association, had started to do it in order to maintain their credibility as a serious competitor to the NHL.
@@bluebear1985 European players were as talented as Canadian players. Expansion and the WHA were the best things that ever happened to professional Hockey!
Interestingly, the Stanley Cup Finals in 1967, was an all Canadian affair between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Canada was celebrating its Centennial year. That autumn the league added six new franchises (Los Angeles,Philadelphia,Pittsburgh,Minnesota,Oakland and St. Louis) to the original six (Boston,New York Rangers,Montreal,Detroit,Toronto,Chicago).
Being from Michigan, it's difficult to imagine not knowing who Gordie was, then again, these were Hollywood people and this was probably filmed in LA, but Peggy was awesome, obviously a fan!
Gordie was the only one who even looked athletic up there. To me if I did not know his face which since I am from Detroit since 1960 & did know his face. Just look at the size of his hands & wrists would be a dead give away.
A few give aways. Gordies hands are huge & strong looking. #2 had dante little hands not the kind that would play hockey. #3 looked like he could not take a check from a 12 yr old let alone a grown strong man.
There was a rule on this show that if you had seen any of the subjects on this show, you could question the challengers, but you couldn't vote. That happened on a few occasions on this show.
Only Kitty Carlisle asked reasonable questions. Then she voted for #1 because she knew him to see him. Pretty good indicator it was #1. So the next panelist voted for #3. The only one not to vote #1. Where do they get these panelists from?
Indeed, though that was ten years earlier. I'm actually surprised that Peggy Cass didn't disqualify herself here since she said (in the end) that she recognized him.
Only won four Stanley Cups? If Jack Adams didn't screw up those Stanley Cup teams they certainly would have won more in the 1950s. Only Alex Delvecchio, Gordie Howe, Marcel Pronovost, Red Kelly, Terry Sawchuk were on the 54-55 teams and 59-60 teams.
Nothing to do with them being "elites". It's just that hockey wasn't as popular in the US at that time, nor were athletes' face as widely known to the public as they are today. But Peggy, who evidently was a hockey fan, had seen him at the Garden often and did know his face.
WRONG! Bobby Hull was the Babe Ruth of Hockey. During the 1960's many Americans couldn't even name the 6 NHL teams. However, many Americans knew Bobby Hull.
