Gordon Howe was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seasons were spent with the Detroit Red Wings. Nicknamed "Mr. Hockey", Howe is often considered the most complete player to ever play the game and one of the greatest of all time. At his retirement, his 801 goals, 1,049 assists, and 1,850 total points were all NHL records that stood until they were broken by Wayne Gretzky, who himself has been a major champion of Howe's legacy. A 23-time NHL All-Star, he shares the NHL record for seasons played with Chris Chelios, and his all-time NHL games played record of 1,767 was only surpassed in 2021 by Patrick Marleau. In 2017, Howe was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players".
Howe with the Detroit Red Wings in the 1960s
Gordie Howe (2nd from left, back row) on the 1945–46 Omaha Knights (USHL)
Howe made his NHL debut for the Detroit Red Wings in 1946
Howe relaxing at "Gordie Howe Hockeyland" in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, circa 1966
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and are one of the Original Six teams of the league. Founded in 1926, the team was known as the Detroit Cougars until 1930. For the next two seasons, the team was named the Detroit Falcons, before changing their name to the Red Wings in 1932.
Making his NHL debut in 1946, Gordie Howe played alongside Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay from 1947 to 1951, forming the Production Line.
Team photo of the 1952 Detroit Red Wings
On December 27, 1979, the Red Wings played their first game at Joe Louis Arena, moving from the Detroit Olympia.
Named team captain in 1986, Steve Yzerman captained the Red Wings until his retirement in 2006.
