Gordie Howe

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Howe made his NHL debut on October 16, 1946, at age 18, initially wearing number 17. After Roy Conacher joined the Chicago Black Hawks, Howe accepted number 9 to secure a lower Pullman berth on road trips, keeping that number for the rest of his career. Along with linemates Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay, he formed "The Production Line," a trio that finished one-two-three in NHL scoring during the 1949–50 season. Their dominance helped lead Detroit to first place in regular-season play for seven consecutive years (1948–49 to 1954–55). Howe's physical strength and toughness were legendary; he fought so often in his rookie season that head coach Jack Adams told him, "I know you can fight. Now can you show me you can play hockey?" This blend of skills birthed the term "Gordie Howe hat trick," describing a goal, an assist, and a fight in one game, though he recorded the feat on multiple occasions during his career.

In Their Own Story

In the 1950–51 season, Howe returned from a career-threatening injury where his skull was fractured and cheekbone broken after checking Toronto's Ted Kennedy into the boards. He responded by playing every game that season, leading the NHL in goals, assists, and total points (86) to win his first scoring title by 20 points. This began a four-year period of unprecedented dominance where he won four straight Art Ross Trophies (1950–51 to 1953–54). In 1952–53, he became the first NHL player to score 90 points in a season, finishing with 95 points and 49 goals. He later added two more scoring titles in 1956–57 and 1962–63. His longevity was unmatched; he ranked among the top ten scorers for 21 consecutive years and finished in the top five for 20 straight seasons, an unsurpassed feat.

Reader's Guide

Howe's career path offers a unique blueprint for durability and adaptation. After retiring in 1971 and entering the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972, he returned two years later to play with his sons Mark and Marty on the Houston Aeros of the WHA. Despite being in his mid-40s, he scored over 100 points twice, won two Avco World Trophies (1974, 1975), and was named MVP in 1974. He later became the first player to score 1,000 career goals when traded to the New England Whalers in 1977. When the Whalers joined the NHL for the 1979–80 season, Howe played all 80 games at age 52 before retiring weeks after turning 53. He remains one of only three players to play professional hockey across six decades (including a 1997 IHL game), and he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in 2017.

Did You Know?

• Howe was the first player to play a professional hockey game at age 50 and score 1,000 career goals.
• He is the only player to have competed in the NHL in five different decades (1940s through 1980s).
• The 'Gordie Howe hat trick' (a goal, an assist, and a fight) was coined for him, though he achieved it on multiple occasions during his career.
• He shares the NHL record for most seasons played with Chris Chelios at 26 seasons in the league.
• Howe led the NHL in playoff points six times during his career.