Joey Payeur
The death of the man known as “Mr. Hockey” shook this puck-loving nation, and the hockey world in general, to its core.
Nobody was affected more than the family of Gordie Howe, the Hall-of-Famer and long-time Detroit Red Wings’ superstar, with one of those relatives having an indirect connection to Fort Frances.
The all-time leader in NHL games played (1,767) and seasons played (26) passed away Friday at age 88 from natural causes in Toledo, Ohio at the home of his son, Murray.
Watching the sad scene unfold from afar was Walter Howe, Gordie’s uncle and the grandfather of local resident Tammy Wielinga.
“Gordie was a really kind person,” recalled Walter, 94, from his residence in Saskatoon about his nephew from Floral, Sask., who was a 23-time NHL all-star and played his final season in 1979-80 with the Hartford Whalers at the age of 51.
“His wife, Colleen, was very ill several years back [she died from Pick’s disease in 2009] and he looked after her every day, never leaving her side.”
Family always was front and centre to Gordie, whom Walter said always took whatever opportunity he could to spend time with them.
“After Kate and Ab [Gordie’s parents] died, Gordie didn’t come home a whole lot,” he noted. “But he would always try to make it for family functions.
“A couple of years ago, he was home and wanted a family barbecue only for his brother and sisters, and I was included in that because I was his only uncle left,” he added.
“He was really happy at this get-together and really seemed to enjoy the family ties,” Walter said.
“Before his parents passed and he would be back in the city, it was hard to visit because he was always outside playing with the kids.”
Walter, who chuckled that Gordie always seemed ready to deliver one of his legendary elbows in a playful fashion to anyone who happened to be nearby, recounted the lengths his nephew went to in order to stay in peak condition in the early part of his career.
“When he first started playing hockey, he didn’t make the kind of money they do now,” Walter noted.
“[In the off-season], he would come back to Saskatoon to work with his dad doing heavy stuff like carry two 100-pound bags of cement up a ladder at one time.
“He made sure he stayed in shape for the next season.”
Gordie’s record for most career NHL points (1,850) may have been passed by Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and, just this year, Jaromir Jagr of the Florida Panthers.
But Walter was betting the revered tough-as-nails forward’s record of longevity will stand the test of time.
“I don’t think any player will play as long as he did,” he remarked.
“They make way more money now and don’t have to [play as long], and no one could love the game as much as him.”
The outpouring of tributes to Gordie Howe since Friday are just an extension of the decades’ worth of respect he garnered both during his playing days and well after them.
“He never forgot where he came from and he always had a huge turnout at any event he was at,” said Walter.
“It makes you feel pretty proud to have the same name of a really great man who is known all over the world.”
