Mr. Hockey forever: Fans' best run-ins with Gordie

So many of us have Gordie stories.

That time we met Gordie Howe at a Red Wings game, autograph signing or charity event. That time he told a joke, crushed a handshake or posed for a picture – throwing a mock elbow at the last second.

Those moments make him Mr. Hockey, an ambassador for the game, more than one of the greatest players of all time. They connect the legend to the fans. They bring alive the past for people too young to have seen him play.

And they're especially important now — not just to us, but to him.

"Clearly that's the best medicine for him, being able to be Mr. Hockey, being able to be recognized by people and to reach out to people and to be a hero for them," said his son Murray, a radiologist. "So I look for every opportunity to kind of have him out there."

A year ago Monday, Gordie suffered a major stroke. He rallied for a couple weeks and then declined, unable to walk, speak or use his right arm and leg. He was hospitalized Dec. 1 for dehydration and discharged two days later with a recommendation for hospice care.

Whatever it was — stem-cell treatments, the strength that allowed him to play in the NHL at 52 — Gordie rallied again. He went home to Saskatoon for a dinner in his honor Feb. 6, when Wayne Gretzky said: "He is, he was, he will always be the greatest." He celebrated his 87th birthday March 31.

He still suffers from dementia and spinal stenosis. Instead of living with his children on a rotating basis — Cathy, Mark, Marty and Murray — he has settled with Murray and Murray's wife, Colleen, in Sylvania, Ohio. This way, he's close to Detroit and most of his family and friends.

"This is the final period," Murray said. "We've just come to the conclusion that this is home for him."

But Gordie still has his personality and still moves on his own. He still can fire the puck in the backyard or the basement, at least with a spotter.

The dinner in Saskatoon was supposed to be his final public appearance. But Gordie is doing so well Murray takes him to the park, the grocery store, the zoo. He took him to a Wings exhibition Sept. 24, and new Wings Mike Green and Brad Richards couldn't wait to meet him. He took him to the library Tuesday night, and as Gordie tousled kids' hair, parents explained who he was.

Murray spoke at the Troy Community Coalition Celebrity Night Dinner on Thursday at the San Marino Club, and he brought his dad along, knowing Gordie would steal the show. Gordie shook hands, gave hugs and glowed.

"It juices him up," Murray said. "Even though he may not remember the following day that it actually occurred, it has an impact on him. … He loves being Mr. Hockey. He loves making people's day."

Read our fans' Gordie stories

The Free Press has collected a few Gordie stories from fans. Share yours in our chat window below or use #GordieStories on Twitter!

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This was 2001. I was 21 and working for the Kalamazoo Wings. We hosted "Gordie Howe Night," complete with Gordie bobbleheads that he signed for fans in the lobby.

Our staff eagerly awaited Gordie's arrival around 6 p.m. for the 7:30 game. I figured he would show up with one or two handlers and be somewhat insulated.

We got a call at about 6:10 p.m. that Gordie was running late. Turns out he missed the exit. About 10 minutes after that, a minivan pulled into the parking lot. Out sprang the driver — Gordie.

He wore slacks and a sweater and a ball cap and looked like my grandfather. He slid open the van door, picked up a large cardboard box full of more bobbleheads and rested them on his massive shoulder like a sack of potatoes. No handlers. No shiny, fancy car. Just Gordie goin' to work.

I offered to help him carry something. He didn't want or need it.

He told me stories as we walked to the locker room, and every player had lined up with a stick, ready to shake his hand and have him sign a piece of memorabilia. He chatted with our coach for a few minutes, and as I escorted him back upstairs, he told me stories again. He dropped the ceremonial first puck, signed autographs all night for fans and then climbed back into his gray minivan for the two-hour drive back to Detroit.

— Rick Shanley, Charlotte, N.C.

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My dad and my brother are both named "Gordon Howard" after the legend. I've been told my dad's name at the hospital was actually "Gordon Howe" but they later changed it to "Howard" (my Grandpa's first name).

Gordie is a total sweetheart. He loves kids, especially taking pictures giving the classic Gordie elbow. When we were younger, I know Gordie used to visit our neighbor's grandson in the hospital. Sometimes my brother would tag along and they would spend the afternoon together.

— Kayla German, Westland

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My brother, who was 15 or 16 at the time, ended up being the goalie for a between-periods shoot-out between Mr. Hockey and Phil Esposito. Gordie's grandson was also involved, and he was probably 5 or 6.

Somehow we ended up in the elevator with Gordie, and he finds out my brother is the goalie. He looks at my brother and says, "If my grandson doesn't score on you tonight, you will find out what made me famous." He then proceeded to point at his elbow!

— Tim Jordan, Glastonbury, Conn.

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A few years ago at a conference in Toronto, I asked if he would stand in for a picture. Just before it was snapped, Gordie raised his arm and pretended to give me an elbow. He proceeded to tell me that I was lucky that his shoulder was arthritic and his range of motion was limited, so he was no longer able to give me a "real Howe elbow."

— Luc Miron, Harrisburg, Pa.

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At a book signing at the NHL All-Star Game in Denver in 2001, I walked to the other side of the table and knelt next to Gordie Howe. Feeling bold, I asked, "Mr. Howe, would you throw an elbow at me?" He laughed and said he couldn't do it, and we took the picture.

As soon as the camera clicked, his right elbow rose and made contact with my cheek. He finessed it in with enough firmness to be felt, but not enough to hurt. When I looked at him, he flashed a huge smile. Made my day.

— Scott Terry, Richmond, Va.

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I met Gordie in Calgary in 2011. Finally he wasn't surrounded by a swarm of people, so we went up to get a picture. He asked me what hand I shot, and I told him right. So he told me how to hold my stick and said, "You gotta get in close with the defender."

And … wham!

An elbow just grazed the whiskers on my chin. You could tell he still had great control and precision with that elbow, which he has used a time or two before. We all laughed for several minutes, and it will be a moment I will never forget. Mr. Hockey elbowed me in the chin, and I've never been happier.

— Matt Lamirande, Chestermere, Alberta

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When I was a kid, I was in Toronto for a Leafs game. Walking down the street, my uncle recognized Howe. My cousin and I ran after him and asked for an autograph. Neither of us had a Sharpie, but Gordie did. He asked where I wanted my autograph.

Before I could answer, he ticked the Sharpie across my nose, leaving a blue mark, and joked, "How about here?" Then he signed our Leafs jerseys. For years, we joked that Gordie Howe had signed my nose.

— James McConnell, Madoc, Ontario

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At an event, he was telling stories from his playing days, and it was overwhelming to hear him mention watching Maurice skate down the wing, a joke that Ted said or some advice that Jack gave him, then letting it sink in that he was referring to Maurice Richard, Ted Lindsay and Jack Adams.

— Paul Connors, Dayspring, Nova Scotia

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Mr. Hockey was doing an autograph signing at a local sports store on Aug. 11, 2011, in Buffalo. After a couple hours of waiting, I had my chance to meet him. I politely introduced myself. He replied: "Nice to meet you. I'm Gordie." I sat down next to him for a photo opportunity.

Mr. Howe took a look at me and noticed something strange. My hat was slightly crooked to the side, and he decided that it needed to be fixed. So he reached towards me, fixed my hat to his liking and said, "I never liked the way that looked on people." In the picture, it looks like Mr. Howe is about to punch me in the face!

— Brandon Andersen, Buffalo, N.Y.

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About 20 years ago, Gordie was the celebrity spokesman for the National Novice Hockey Association. It was an instructional league with about an eight-game regular season and then playoffs. My buddy Don and I joined the Chicago-area league, and our team played for the championship, which we lost.

The week after the championship game, the two finalists played another game with Gordie. Gordie decided to be on the losing team, as we needed more help. He and I were set up as a defense pair. Gordie fed me a pass across, and I fired a laser beam (traveling maybe 5 m.p.h.) into the net for a goal.

It was awesome, but what I'll remember most is Gordie on our bench telling stories. It got to the point that guys didn't want to take shifts because they were too engrossed in Gordie's stories, so the guys on the ice were out there for about 5 minutes at a time.

— Tom Quinn, Tinley Park, Ill.

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It wasn't anything big or amazing. But as an 8- or 9-year-old kid, it was everything to me. And I still remember it pretty vividly to this day.

I attended the Hartford Whalers summer camp growing up in Avon, Conn. Mr. Hockey could be seen around the rink, usually up in the far corner of the old wooden bleachers they had there at the time. I remember thinking how awesome it was that the greatest player of all time (to me at least) was just up there hanging out ... watching ME play hockey.

He came down several times and met the parents, all of us kids. He was very personable and friendly. I was in heaven, obviously, and so nervous at the same time.

— Nicholas Mercadante, Old Saybrook, Conn.

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In 2011, at a pro-am tournament in Toronto that raised funds for Alzheimer's awareness, my teammates and I were the last to get in line for autographs. I was the last one from our group and had a few extra minutes to talk with him.

We had a really great chat. but he was complaining about knee pain and was scheduled to drop the puck for the opening face-off of the tournament's all-star game. He said to me, "Put your hand on my knee and move it side to side." Well, feeling a little awkward, I did as he said, and I'll never forget feeling the clicking he had in the knee.

— Brad Hopkins, Toronto

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Gordie Howe would sign copies of his book in the concourse at Joe Louis Arena. I paid for my book and went up to Gordie and asked him about his rival Maurice (Rocket) Richard. His response was hilarious. He said that he "knocked him on his ass" and proceeded to tell me that he was a great hockey player ... but a terrible golfer.

As I finished laughing, I went to shake hands. What I didn't expect was to get absolutely crushed by Gordie's catcher's mitt-like hand. I couldn't hold anything without pain the rest of the night. The fire and strength he had during his playing career was still there.

— Raymond Bennett, Lincoln Park

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About 17 years ago, Mr. Howe and his wife went to Denny's near Lakeside Mall. My friend worked there and knew I was a rabid Wings fan. She called me and said, "You have to come down here!"

I raced over to Denny's, sat down at my usual table with my friends and looked at him in awe from afar. I waited until they were finished eating and then slowly walked over to their table.

"Excuse me ... Mr. Howe? It would be an absolute honor to shake your hand."

He did shake my hand. Following that, both he and Colleen talked to me a little bit, asked me where I was from, general friendly chit-chat. I thanked them both and returned to my table, completely starstruck.

You know how they usually say you should never meet your idols because they'll destroy your image of them? This wasn't one of those cases.

— Kevin Wojtaszek, Hopatcong, N.J.

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I was 7 years old living in Chicago in the mid-1990s. Gordie Howe was at the grand opening of a mall about an hour and a half away from my house. The autograph session ended at 6:30 p.m.

With Chicago traffic, it took us 2 1/2 hours to get there. I remember telling my dad the whole time, "We're not going to make it. We're not going to make it."

Sure enough, we pulled into the lot right at 6:30. We raced out of the car and walked inside. There's Gordie and Colleen, surrounded by a few security officers, about to walk out of the mall.

To this day, I'm not sure what my Dad said to the cops and Gordie. But next thing you know, I'm being picked up by this Hall of Famer and taking a picture between him and Colleen.

— Mark J. Burns, Atlanta

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About five or six years ago, my son was playing in a tourney in Chicago. They had an NHL alumni game, and Gordie was signing autographs with Bobby Hull. The line's a mile long, so my son ducks out to grab a bite to eat at the concessions. We come back, and the line is closed off.

Gordie stops us and tells us to jump over the ropes used to form the lines. We ended up sitting with Gordie and Hull for the last two periods. Just the four of us.

— Joe Norlin, Farmington, Minn.

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One night after a game, we went to Chuck Joseph's Place for Steak, a popular hockey hangout. Word spread that there was a Howe party in the private room. When Gordie, Mark and Marty and their spouses arrived, applause exploded. We all stood and cheered. He headed for the room, and we figured, "Well, that was it. We saw Gordie."

But not 10 minutes later, he came out beer stein in hand and mingled and talked with every one of us! He could have so easily hidden and not been seen again. But that wasn't Gordie.

— Mary Beth Busto, Royal Oak

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