Editing Gordie Howe (section)

== Legacy ==
[[File:Gordie Howe Traverse City 1989.jpg|thumb|231x231px|Howe in 1989 at the opening of an arena bearing his name in [[Traverse City, Michigan|Traverse City]], [[Michigan]]]]
Howe's name and nickname, "Mr. Hockey", as well as his late wife's nickname as "Mrs. Hockey", are registered trademarks.<ref name="foundation">{{cite web |title = Mr. Hockey |url = http://gordiehowe.com/?p=55 |publisher = gordiehowe.com |access-date = June 26, 2013 }}</ref> Howe was also referred to during his career as Power,<ref>{{cite news |first = John |last = McGourty |title = Detroit honors 'Mr. Hockey' at 80 |date = March 30, 2008 |publisher = [[National Hockey League]] |url = http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=371042 |access-date = January 26, 2015 }}</ref> Mr. Everything, Mr. All-Star, The Most, The Great Gordie, The King of Hockey, The Legend, The Man, No. 9,<ref>{{cite web |last = Vancouver |first = The |url = http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=69851ce8-2418-4a06-9d8e-fd8a61e08f8a&k=24263 |title = Howe Gordie did it |publisher = Canada.com |date = March 15, 2008 |access-date = June 7, 2011 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121104062127/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=69851ce8-2418-4a06-9d8e-fd8a61e08f8a&k=24263 |archive-date = November 4, 2012 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> and "Mr. Elbows" (for his tough physical play). Howe is widely considered the most complete player in all of hockey history.<ref name="CBC obit" /> Once Howe began dominating the NHL, NHL scouts were given new directives to discover players that played the way he did. Howe's strength, scoring ability, and speed exemplified the perfect example of the modern-day role of a [[power forward (hockey)|power forward]] and someone who can play the [[200-foot game]].<ref name="Toronto Sun Impact">{{cite news | url=http://www.torontosun.com/2016/06/10/gordie-howe-impacted-the-game-of-hockey-like-no-other | title=Gordie Howe impacted the game of hockey like no other | newspaper=[[Toronto Sun]] | date=June 12, 2016 | access-date=June 12, 2016 | author=Cole, Cam}}</ref> Howe's brawn and physical play inspired the coining of the "[[Gordie Howe hat trick|Gordie Howe hat-trick]]"—a goal, an assist and a fight—which is now a standard part of hockey's vocabulary.<ref name="Toronto Sun Impact" /> Ironically, Howe himself only achieved his namesake hat-trick twice in his long career, both in the early 1950s, because few players dared to fight him after Howe soundly defeated New York Rangers [[enforcer (hockey)|enforcer]] [[Lou Fontinato]] at [[Madison Square Garden]] in 1959.<ref name="Toronto Sun Impact" /> (For comparison, the current leader in Gordie Howe hat-tricks, [[Rick Tocchet]], achieved the feat 18 times in his career.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gordie-howe-hat-trick.blogspot.ca/2014/12/career-ghhts-rick-tocchet.html|title=Gordie Howe Hat Trick: Career GHHTs: Rick Tocchet|website=gordie-howe-hat-trick.blogspot.ca|date=December 21, 2014|access-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref>)

Howe was known for being a well-mannered and trusting person off the ice who never questioned the salary the Detroit Red Wings owners paid him. When it became public knowledge Howe had scored more than 600 goals for the organization before it reluctantly offered to pay him over $40,000, his linemate, [[Ted Lindsay]], began a campaign to establish a player's association to unite for fair wages against the NHL owners. This would be the nucleus of the movement that became the [[National Hockey League Players' Association]].<ref name="Toronto Sun Impact" />

Howe's time playing with the WHA with his sons allowed the fledgling professional league to gain much-needed legitimacy and the ability to fill stadiums. The increased competition for hockey talent forced the insular NHL to seek players beyond its traditional North American sources and recruit professional European players and to expand into new cities to gain new fans.<ref name="Toronto Sun Impact" /> Wayne Gretzky was one of the players who elected to join the WHA instead of the NHL. Over the years, Howe became good friends with Gretzky, who had idolized him as a young player and who would later break many of Howe's scoring records and milestones.<ref name="hof" /><ref name="Toronto Sun Impact" /> While Gretzky surpassed Howe statistically, it was Howe who had first set the standard for consistent, high-level play.<ref name="CBC obit" /> Howe's number 9 has been worn as a tribute to him—Gretzky wore number 99 as a direct tribute to Howe since 9 was taken during the early parts of his career.

Another milestone was reached in 1997 when Howe played professional hockey in a sixth decade. He was signed to a one-game contract by the [[Detroit Vipers]] of the [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|International Hockey League]] and at age 69, made a return to the ice for one shift.<ref name="top100" /><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/11/sports/hockey/gordie-howe-dies-detroit-red-wings.html|title = Gordie Howe, 'Mr. Hockey' for the Red Wings, Dies at 88 |work = [[The New York Times]] |access-date = June 11, 2016 |date = June 10, 2016 }}</ref> In so doing, he became the only player in hockey history to compete in six different decades at the professional level, having played in the USHL, NHL, WHA and IHL from the 1940s to 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |title = Howe Becomes First to Skate Six Decades |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19971004&id=WNZWAAAAIBAJ&pg=5715,957169&hl=en |work = [[Eugene Register-Guard]] |agency = [[Associated Press]] |date = October 4, 1997 |access-date = June 10, 2016 }}</ref>

[[Image:Red Wings retired Banners.jpg|thumb|Howe's No. 9 banner hanging in Joe Louis Arena]]

Howe's first 20 seasons came during an era when the schedule was only 70 games, scoring was difficult, and checking was tight; he never scored [[List of NHL players with 50-goal seasons|50 goals in a single season]]. Howe is currently fourth on the NHL's all-time points list with 1850 total points (801 goals and 1,049 assists) after [[Wayne Gretzky]], [[Mark Messier]] and [[Jaromír Jágr]].<ref name="CBC obit" /> Howe is still third on the all-time goals list, with only [[Alexander Ovechkin]] and Gretzky ahead of him.<ref name="CBC obit" /><ref>{{cite news |title = Alex Ovechkin scores 802nd goal, passing Gordie Howe for second all-time |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/12/23/alex-ovechkin-802-goals/ |last = Pell |first = Samantha |date = 2022-12-23 |newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] |access-date=2022-12-24}}</ref> When career regular season goals from both the NHL and the WHA are combined, he ranks first in goals with 975, ahead of Gretzky's 940.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.espn.com/nhl/columns/story?id=3321891&columnist=amber_david |first = David |last = Amber |publisher = ESPN |title = As Howe turns 80, we celebrate Mr. Hockey's storied moments |access-date = June 11, 2016 |date = March 31, 2008 }}</ref>

At the time of his retirement, Howe's professional totals, including playoffs, for the NHL and WHA combined, were first. He finished with 2,421 games played, 1,071 goals, 1,518 assists, and 2,589 points. However, Gretzky would later pass him in goals (1,072), assists (2,297) and points (3,369), but not in games played or games played with one team.<ref>{{Cite news |url = http://globalnews.ca/news/2753986/gordie-howe-heres-how-wayne-gretzky-honoured-his-hockey-hero-in-2015/ |title = Gordie Howe: Here's how Wayne Gretzky honoured his hockey hero in 2015 |last = Russell |first = Andrew |date = June 10, 2016 |publisher = [[Global News]] |access-date = June 10, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url = http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/25-years-ago-today-wayne-gretzky-broke-the-all-time-scoring-mark-in-astounding-fashion/ |title = 25 years ago today, Wayne Gretzky broke the all-time scoring mark in astounding fashion |last = Ippolito |first = Casey |date = June 10, 2016 |website = [[The Hockey News]] |access-date = June 10, 2016 }}</ref> After Howe's death, Gretzky called Howe "the greatest hockey player ever",<ref name="CBC obit" /> and said that if it were up to him Howe's No. 9 would be retired for all NHL teams the same as his own No. 99.<ref>{{cite news|last=Clinton|first=Jared|title=Wayne Gretzky thinks No. 9 should be retired league-wide in honor of Gordie Howe|newspaper=The Hockey News |url=https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/wayne-gretzky-thinks-no-9-should-be-retired-league-wide-in-honor-of-gordie-howe|date=June 15, 2016|access-date=July 6, 2018}}</ref> Howe's record of 1,767 NHL games played was surpassed in April 2021 by [[Patrick Marleau]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Ramirez|first=W.G.|date=April 19, 2021|title=Patrick Marleau plays 1,768th game, overtakes Gordie Howe for most in NHL history|work=[[CBC Sports]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/nhl-patrick-marleau-games-played-record-1.5994134|access-date=April 20, 2021}}</ref> However, combining his games played in the WHA, he holds the record for most regular season games played in the major leagues with 2,186.[[File:Gordie Howe Bridge Saskatoon.jpg|thumb|[[Gordie Howe Bridge (Saskatoon)|Gordie Howe Bridge]] in [[Saskatoon]], was named after Howe in June 2016]] Howe played internationally on one occasion, at the [[1974 Summit Series]].<ref name="1974summit">{{cite web |url = http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=9138&cHash=9ea6c7a2ca7dd68bb7e2257fa4789f68 |title = Remembering 1974 |access-date = June 11, 2016 |publisher = International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) }}</ref>

=== Popular culture ===
In the 1986 film ''[[Ferris Bueller's Day Off]]'', the character Cameron Frye wears Howe's Red Wings jersey throughout most of the film, even though it is set in Chicago.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=https://features.wearemel.com/why-cameron-frye-wore-a-gordie-howe-jersey-in-ferris-buellers-day-off-adfc36129fd5
 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20160812223800/https://features.wearemel.com/why-cameron-frye-wore-a-gordie-howe-jersey-in-ferris-buellers-day-off-adfc36129fd5
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-date=August 12, 2016
 |title=Why Cameron Frye Wore a Gordie Howe Jersey in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' 
 |first=John 
 |last=McDermott 
 |date=June 11, 2016 
 |publisher=MEL Magazine 
}}</ref> Howe had provided one to the filmmakers personally.<ref>{{cite magazine
|title=Q&A with Gordie Howe
|date=May 5, 2009
|url=https://www.si.com/more-sports/2009/05/15/gordie-howe
|magazine=Sports Illustrated
|first=Arash
|last=Markazi}}</ref>

Howe was featured in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Bart the Lover]]". In it, a photograph of Howe is used by [[Bart Simpson]] to fool his teacher into thinking he is a grown man who has answered her personal ad. At the end of the episode, Howe's career statistics are shown.

In Season 3 of the [[NBC]] television crime drama series ''[[Good Girls (TV series)|Good Girls]]'', in an episode entitled "The Eye in Survivor", the character of Ruby ([[Retta]]) steals an autographed [[Stanley Cup Finals]] game-worn Gordie Howe jersey from a sports bar only to have it appraised and learn that it is counterfeit.

In 2023, a children's book called ''Gordie's Skate'', written by Saskatchewan historian [[Bill Waiser]], was published. The book shares the story of Howe's family acquiring a pair of skates during the Great Depression in Saskatchewan, and how Howe had to share the pair with his sister.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Kevin |date=2023-06-03 |title=Historian tells a tale for kids about Gordie Howe's first skate (singular) and how it launched a hockey career |work=Windsor Star |url=https://windsorstar.com/sports/gordies-skate-historian-waiser-tells-a-tale-for-kids-about-gordie-howes-first-skate-singular-and-how-it-launched-a-hockey-career/wcm/b4a151cf-eea9-4f4b-a8a9-14d6985fbd29 |access-date=2023-07-10}}</ref>

=== Namesake ===
In 1993, a statue created by Michael Martin of [[Eston, Saskatchewan]], was installed across from [[Midtown Plaza (Saskatoon)|Midtown Plaza]] in Howe's hometown of Saskatoon, and then moved to what is now [[SaskTel Centre]] in 2005.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mitchell |first1=Kevin |date=June 18, 2016 |title=The rough 'n tumble tale of Gordie Howe's statue |work=Saskatoon StarPhoenix |publisher=Postmedia Network Inc. |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/sports/hockey/nhl/the-rough-n-tumble-tale-of-gordie-howes-statue |access-date=December 5, 2018}}</ref> Following his death, Howe's ashes along with wife Colleen were interred below the statue.

In May 2015, Canadian Prime Minister [[Stephen Harper]] and Michigan Governor [[Rick Snyder]] announced that a new international bridge spanning the [[Detroit River]] would be named in honour of Howe. The [[Gordie Howe International Bridge]] is currently under construction, and is set to open in 2025.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://redwings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=767693 |title = New international bridge to honor Howe |publisher = [[Detroit Red Wings]] |first = Bill |last = Roose |date = May 14, 2015 |access-date = May 14, 2015 }}</ref>

On June 27, 2016, it was announced that [[Circle Drive South Bridge|a bridge]] in Saskatoon would be named after Howe.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 27, 2016 |title=Saskatoon City Council unanimously votes to rename bridge after Gordie Howe |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/gordie-howe-saskatoon-bridge-council-1.3654340 |access-date=June 29, 2016 |publisher=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> There is also an arena and sports complex in Saskatoon named after Howe.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-01-12 |title=Saskatoon recreation centre renamed after hockey great Gordie Howe |work=nhl.com |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/saskatoon-recreation-centre-renamed-after-hockey-great-gordie-howe/c-748320 |access-date=2023-07-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bidwell |first=Derek |date=2020-06-14 |title=Gordie Howe Sports Complex chair hoping for 2021 opening |work=Global News |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7063797/saskatoon-gordie-howe-sports-complex/ |access-date=2023-07-10}}</ref>