Let’s go back to October 1989. Wayne Gretzky is entering his second season with the L.A. Kings, soon to become the NHL’s leading scorer by beating Howe’s 1,850 points. A 31-year-old named Sergei Makarov is about to win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, prompting the NHL to establish an age limit. The Red Wings have made the playoffs five seasons out of six since drafting Steve Yzerman (just don’t ask how 1989-90 ends).
Oh yeah, and Gordie Howe wants to play again. Sort of.
In what was blown out of proportion due to the sheer intrigue of such a decision, Howe considered coming back in the 1989-90 season to notch his sixth decade of NHL appearances. The L.A. Kings were believed to have interest in adding him as veteran — real, veteran —depth. It was dream, never really let out of fantasy land. But Howe considered it, and if anyone could pull off appearing in an NHL game at 61, it was probably Howe.
Mr. Hockey did not make his return in the 1989-90 season. He did, however, play professional hockey in his 60s, skating in a game for the IHL’s Detroit Vipers in October 1997 at the ripe old age of 69.
Back before Howe put the rumors — and his dream of one more NHL shift — to bed, The Hockey News’ Steve Dryden wrote a column about the whole spectacle. Here’s a look back at almost-history.
“Howe Come Mr. Hockey Wants to Play Again” by Steve Dryden
October 27, 1989 / Vol. 43, Issue 06
For now it is merely a fantasy which will be given some further thought by Gordie.—Colleen Howe
Say it ain’t so, Gordie. Say you’re not coming out of retirement to play a meaningless game for a meaningless record.
You have already established an unsurpassable mark for longevity. Nobody will ever match your 26 NHL seasons and 32 professional years—a career that spanned five decades.
Who cares about a sixth?
Nobody will ever play to the age of 52 as you did. What possible satisfaction could come from playing one more shift as a 61-year-old?
If you want to play again, see about appearing in the 1990 All-Star Game. Now that’s the perfect place for another opportunity to play with Wayne Gretzky.
A regular-season NHL game is not. It would undermine the league’s credibility. The Los Angeles Kings have a responsibility to ice the best team possible every single game of the season. The Kings may not have great depth, but surely they’ve got someone younger than half Howe’s age who can skate faster than Gordie.
Kings’ coach Tom Webster is saying all the right things. You know, the stuff about giving you a boot in the behind to get you on the ice. But if he really wants to sacrifice a place in his lineup, then he’s been listening to Bruce McNall too much.
And Bruce, settle down already. Good work on Gretzky. Way to change the Kings’ uniforms. And thanks for getting rid of Ftorek. But don’t fool with Father Time. Howe was bom in 1928, for God’s sake. He’s almost as old as the NHL itself. It was just 11 years earlier that the league was founded.
The temptation is to say the entire suggestion is below Howe’s dignity, but that’s nonsense. Dignity has nothing to do with this. This is about common sense.
Do you see the Montreal Canadiens proposing Jean Beliveau emerge from retirement to play with Stephane Richer? Let’s see. Beliveau played in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. He could play Dec. 23 when the Philadelphia Flyers visit the Forum. At 58, he should be good for a couple of goals.
Then, having played in his fourth decade, he could rest for two weeks and play Jan. 6 when the Buffalo Sabres travel to Montreal. It would be a nice touch that the Sabres’ first year in the league, 1970-71, was his last.
That would make it five decades for Beliveau. And, he’ll only be 69 in the year 2000, so he could work out a little and play again following the turn of the century. Pas de problem.
It could be a great crowd-pleaser in other sports too. Maybe Don King could get Muhammad Ali to get in the ring again for one more punch to the head. Man, wouldn’t that be great? Or George Blanda could make one last completion.
How about Ted Williams thumbing his nose at the fans just once more? Hell, why not? Minnie Minoso has made pinch-hitting appearances in the ’70s and ’80s to stretch his elongated career to five decades. Like Howe, he played in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. But unlike Howe, he did not make legitimate appearances during the ’70s and ’80s.
The Chicago White Sox dressed him for three games in 1976-—Minoso was 53—and twice more in 1980—when he was 57—to make it five decades. (For the record, he had one hit in eight 1976 at bats and none in two 1980 at bats.) They plan to have him make one more appearance in 1991—he’ll be 69—when the new Comiskey Park is opened.
Baseball allows such departures. They have designated hitters, don’t they? Besides, the sport truly serves players of all shapes and sizes. After all, Terry (The Big Tub of Goo) Forster pitched for the Atlanta Braves. And only enormous egos keep bellies in proportion with a good number of baseball players.
Traditionally, the NHL has been a little more choosy than Major League Baseball about who plays. (Although some thugs have provided contrary evidence.). Call it one of hockey’s charms that players are expected to exert themselves for more than five-second intervals.
Howe long ago earned the nickname, ‘Mr. Hockey.’ It is richly-deserved. The legend is complete, although he continues to serve the game and the NHL well. But the league doesn’t owe him one last skate around the rink. Not that he expects it. Howe isn’t twisting any arms.
The next time I see Gordie Howe on the ice, I hope it’s to present an NHL award, not to achieve a milestone that will be a millstone around the game’s neck. Sure, it would all be in good fun, but it would be more the stuff of Saturday Night Live than Hockey Night in Canada. ■
The THN Archive is an exclusive vault of 2,640 issues and more than 156,000 stories for subscribers, chronicling the complete history of The Hockey News from 1947 until today. Visit THN.com/archive and subscribe today at subscribe.thehockeynews.com
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