The legend section in heaven is getting crowded.
The latest to check in of course is Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe. Odds are he tossed a good elbow when going through the pearly gates and then backhanded a puck past another legendary goalie who had seen that shot before and maybe stopped it once or twice.
So what happens to fans of these legends when they all of a sudden become mortal and leave us?
Many mourn the passing in a very personal way. Others will make note of the date and then move on. A good portion of those who were fans of the man will have memories come to the surface of occurrences connected to the individual.
For me it was being able to watch Gordie Howe play on tv with Detroit but then in person at the Winnipeg Arena when he was a member of the Houston Aeros. The icing on the cake however came years later when the Jets got into the NHL and I worked for a local radio station. Gordie was back in the league he owned for many years as a Hartord Whaler and I was allowed into the dressing room to do an interview. My hand was shaking and my voice sounded an awful lot like I was just reaching puberty (you want fries with that?).
Gordie waited behind while his team mates were showered and heading to the bus. He answered all my questions, shook my hand and said thanks. He thanked me! I am certain I gave him a nod, accompanied by some goofy smile and an incoherent thank you. But I will never forget that moment.
Howe was a legend of course with the way he played the game and as legends go, most of the tales were true with some maybe being stretched a bit.
The “Gordie Howe Hat Trick” is still trotted out today by sports folk around the world. It involved a goal, an assist and a fight. The fact is #9 had 22 fights in his six decades of pro hockey and only two fit the category of the “hat trick.” No matter. It still means what it means and hockey people will use it long after I’m gone.
His son Marty talked of a game where he went in the corner to get a puck and was hit by an opposing player. He said he bounced off the boards only to be hit by the same player right away. He looked up and saw it was his dad who had hit the player into him. Gordie was always looking out for his boys.
His work off the ice was legendary as well, becoming a spokesperson for so many products but the one which really made him stand out was when he became the face of the Alzheimer’s Society. It’s ironic that the man who provided so many people with a hockey bag full of memories was linked with a charity dealing with memory loss. Or is it? I mean, that’s what legends do right?
Thanks Gordie.
