DETROIT - MARCH 11: The jersey retirement banner for Gordie Howe #9 of the Detroit Red Wings (1946-1971) hangs in the rafters during a game against the Minnesota Wild on March 11, 2010 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

By: Will Burchfield

@Burchie_kid

An enduring legend and one of the greatest hockey players ever, Gordie Howe passed away on Friday morning, June 10 at the age of 88. Howe played 25 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings, racking up six MVP awards, six Art Ross Trophies as the league’s leading scorer and a record 23 All-Star appearances, while leading the Wings to four Stanley Cups. After retiring from the NHL in 1971, he played six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA) before returning to NHL action for a final season at the age of 51. His career was full of memorable moments, but here are five that capture the sweeping greatness of Mr. Hockey.

1. 1,000th Career Goal

Combining his totals from the NHL and WHA, Howe finished with 1,071 career goals – one of only two players, along with Wayne Gretzky, to reach that milestone. In 1977 as a member of the WHA’s New England Whalers, Howe notched his 1000th professional goal. He was a spry 49 years old at the time. He’d finish the season, by the way, with 34 goals and 96 points in 76 games.

2. The Pugilist

As talented as he was, Howe was equally as tough. He became known over the years as one of the game’s most fearsome players, often pummeling those charged with intimidating him. When enforcer Lou Fontinato of the New York Rangers sucker punched Howe in a 1959 game, “Mr. Elbows” responded by beating Fontinato to a pulp. Fontinato’s face was so disfigured afterward that one reporter wrote, “It looked like he ran the 100-yard dash in a 90-yard gym.” But Howe’s most memorable bare-knuckled moment came during the 1948 All-Star Game, when he dropped the gloves with Gus Mortson. It remains the only fight in NHL All-Star Game history.

3. Bounce-back from Injury

Howe’s career was very nearly cut short in just his fourth NHL season. In the 1950 playoffs, at the age of 21, Howe crashed headfirst into the boards and was knocked unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital with a fractured skull, and his family was told Howe would likely never play again. So Gordie returned the following season and led the league in scoring.

4. A Six-Decade Career

Of all of hockey’s professional records, perhaps the most untouchable is Howe’s 2,344 games played. His career began in 1946 and concluded, officially, in 1997. That’s right – Howe played professional hockey in five different decades and took his final shift at the age of 70 for the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League.

5. Howe, from Howe

Gordie Howe finished his NHL career with 801 goals, the second most all time. The final one came in the 1980 playoffs, when Howe, then a member of the Hartford Whalers, lit the lamp against the Canadiens in the Montreal Forum. As the Forum fans came to their feet and gave Howe a standing ovation, it was announced that the primary assist came from his son, Mark.