Canada is mourning the death of hockey legend Gordie Howe with politicians and former players paying tribute and his hometown’s flags lowered to half-staff for the
man known affectionately as “Mr. Hockey.”
Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau said Canadians identified with Howe because he embodied “both our national sport and our national identity on an international stage through a national pastime. Skate on, Mr. Hockey. You will be deeply missed.”
“When he retired from professional hockey, his name appeared all over the record books from games played, to goals scored, to total points,” Reuters recalls Howe’s unparalleled career. “But, it was not only his scoring prowess that wove Howe into the national fabric of Canadian society. His tough play on the ice hid the quiet, unassuming demeanor the self-described ‘lucky old farm-boy’ had away from the rink.”
Gordie Howe died Friday, 10 June 2016, at the age of 88
This story first appeared in the blog, The Sport Intern. The editor is Karl-Heinz Huba of Lorsch, Germany. He can be reached at ISMG@aol.com. The article is reprinted here with permission of Huba.