The hockey world is saying goodbye to its greatest hero. Gordie Howe, the man known as Mr. Hockey and truly the greatest player--let alone Red Wing--to play the game has died at the age of 88.
I was too young to ever get to watch Gordie play, but you didn't have to witness his greatness first-hand, his accomplishments and his legacy are so enormous that anyone who loves the game of hockey will agree he was simply the best. There's really not much I can say that hasn't already been said, and likely in better words from people far more familiar with Gordie Howe than myself, but I felt the need deep within my hockey-loving soul to at least address the news publicly. Howe's presence in modern day Red Wings hockey was subtle but invaluable to generations of new players coming into the league. For kids like Dylan Larkin or Andreas Athanasiou to meet a man like Gordie and understand the greatness they are privileged to succeed by carrying on the Red Wing way is something many other teams simply cannot offer. Howe was quite literally a link to the Red Wings' past, and helped personify the essence of the Red Wings and what it meant to wear the Winged Wheel.
A marvelous hockey player and an outstanding human being, Mr. Hockey has earned his final sleep.
