Hockey Hall of Fame unveils permanent statute of Gordie Howe

Throughout his legendary career Gordie Howe look out for his teammates. It’s only fitting that a smiling statue of the man known as Mr. Hockey now watches over visitors to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Hockey’s hallowed shrine celebrated Howe’s career Friday with a permanent statue its entrance. Howe’s sons, Mark and Marty, participated in the unveiling of the 2.4-metre-sculpture. “When I was young I’d see all these kids come up to Gordie Howe and he looked like this mountain of a man,” said Mark Howe, a Hall of Fame inductee in 2011. “Now people from of all walks of life are going to come here and see he was truly a mountain of a man.

“For Dad to be honoured this way, he would never say it but, yeah, he deserved it. I think the Hall has done a wonderful thing and Marty and I are glad to be here and try to continue the legacy of Gordie Howe.”

The six-foot, 205-pound native of Floral, Sask., spent 26 seasons in the NHL, playing 1,687 of his 1,767 career games (both league records) with the Detroit Red Wings, who he led to four Stanley Cup titles.

Howe’s 801 goals were the most in NHL history until Wayne Gretzky passed him in 1994 but remain tops among right-wingers. He also amassed 1,850 career points - another league mark that Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr and Mark Messier have since surpassed. Howe was the first NHL player to play in 1,500 career games, made a record 23 all-star appearances and remains the oldest player to participate in a game (52 years, 11 days).

Howe also spent six seasons in the now-defunct World Hockey Association, playing with his sons with both the Houston Aeros and NHL’s New England Whalers.