Who is known as 'Mr. Hockey'?

Gordie Howe is known as “Mr. Hockey.” The Canadian right wing earned the nickname through extraordinary longevity, physical strength, scoring ability, and all-around play during a professional career that stretched from the 1940s into the 1980s.

Howe spent his first 25 NHL seasons with the Detroit Red Wings after debuting in 1946. He won four Stanley Cups with Detroit and captured the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player six times. At the time of his NHL retirement, he held league records for 801 goals, 1,049 assists, 1,850 points, and 1,767 regular-season games.

His career continued beyond the NHL. Howe played in the World Hockey Association with his sons Mark and Marty, returned to the NHL with the Hartford Whalers in 1979–80, and later appeared in an International Hockey League game for the Detroit Vipers in 1997. That appearance made him the only professional player to compete in six different decades.

The “Gordie Howe hat trick”—a goal, an assist, and a fight in one game—is named for his blend of skill and toughness. Ironically, Howe recorded that exact combination only twice in his career.