RIP Gordie

[smackaholic]

Yeah, I know a bit late, as was somebody's death pool pick, but, he is a hockey immortal, so he deserves his own thread here.

I didn't start following Gordie's career until very late in his career. Hell other than wolfie and goobs, I doubt there was anyone here that was alive for most of his career. He joined the Whalers about the time the Whale and a few other WHL teams joined the NHL. Dude was already very close to 50 and played with his kids, Mark and Marty. He was obviously past his prime, but he still got it done. He was one tough mofo. Namesake of the Gordie Howe Hat Trick ( a goal, an assist and a fight). I was surprised to find out that he only had 2 GHHTs of his own. I think he was 51 or 52 when he retired.

I almost saw his 1000th goal. I was at a game where he let a slap shot fly that found the net. After a few minutes of the place going crazy, it was announced that Gordie got the assist as someone in front of the net tipped it. I have never seen a hometown crowd boo a hometeam goal as badly as that.

RIP Gordon.

[Wolfman]

Folks need to understand that he played at his peak before the NHL went on an expansion spree. The quality of play, offensively and defensively, was at its best. There were only 6 teams---yes, only six. Think about it. The best hockey players at the time played on only 6 teams.

[Dr_Phibes]

'The league has two tiers. Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and Gordie Howe. Then there's Boston and New York'.

- Dave Keon

[BSmack]

Folks need to understand that he played at his peak before the NHL went on an expansion spree. The quality of play, offensively and defensively, was at its best. There were only 6 teams---yes, only six. Think about it. The best hockey players at the time played on only 6 teams.

Of course they were almost to a man Canadian. Few US players and not sure if even one Euro was playing. Much smaller league, much smaller talent pool.

[smackaholic]

'The league has two tiers. Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and Gordie Howe. Then there's Boston and New York'.

- Dave Keon

Rack Dave Keon, he was another long time Whaler. The Whalers in their WHA days were pretty much the NHL hall of fame old folks home. Imagine a line with Gordie and Bobby Hull. Those two dudes had roughly half of the goals scored in the NHL in the 60s.

[smackaholic]

Folks need to understand that he played at his peak before the NHL went on an expansion spree. The quality of play, offensively and defensively, was at its best. There were only 6 teams---yes, only six. Think about it. The best hockey players at the time played on only 6 teams.

Of course they were almost to a man Canadian. Few US players and not sure if even one Euro was playing. Much smaller league, much smaller talent pool.

That is a fairly impressive statistic. Think about it for a minute. We are talking about Canada in the 50-60s before they let in the foreign hordes. I suspect roughly half of the adult male Canadians were in the NHL during the 50s.

[Dr_Phibes]

Keon only just publicly acknowledged the Leafs something like three months ago, that's how mad he was/is. Fiasco for a class act.

Gordie"s black mark for siding against a union is still there.

[smackaholic]

Just went and looked it up. For a short period the whale had Howe, Hull and Keon on a single line. I'll bet there has never been another line within 5 years of the average age of that one.