There are many reasons to love Gordie Howe, and here are but a few

excerpted from Colleen & Gordie's authorized book "and Howe" reflecting his

on-ice demeanor.

In a Houston Aeros practice, a teammate cut Gordie's son Marty severely

over the eye. "I remember Dad going over and just jamming his fit right in

his mouth," says Marty. "A few guys yelled at Dad about it, but he said,

'If anybody wants to screw with me or my kids, here I am.'

Rookie Stan Mikita high sticked Gordie in the mouth and then said to a

teammate, "Aw, I'm not afraid of that old guy." The old guy waited four

games. Stan that night said, "All of a sudden, I woke up on the bench."

According to Gordie, "I pulled my hand out of my glove real fast and hit

him right between the eyes."

I've watched Gordie play most of his career, and I'd have to say I did not

notice his paybacks that often. The man was quick and he picked his moments

well.

"When he was on the ice, he was so different," explains Colleen Howe.

Explained Gordie when he heard of her concern: "If you're going to survive

out there, you better make them think you're a little crazy." Colleen:

 "Well, I believe in his playing days Gordie had them thinking he was a lot

 crazy."

(Taken from the book 'Century of Champions' by the Detroit Free Press.)

"February 1, 1959, Gordie Howe vs Lou Fontinato, Madison Square Garden.

Gordie was leaning on his net, watching a fight between Red Kelly and Eddie

Shack. Howe: "I took a peek and sure enough, there was Louie with his

gloves off about 10 feet away and coming my way. I truly thought he was

going to sucker punch me. If he had, I'd have been over. I pretended I

didn't see him, and when he swung, I just pulled my head aside and that

honker of his was right there, and I drilled it."

Accounts of the incident say Howe grasped Fontinato's shirt with his left

hand, pulling it half off and restricting the Ranger's movement, then

hammered him with upper cuts. Lou sagged to the ice, his nose broken, and

jaw dislocated. His reputation as an enforcer was destroyed, especially

after photos of his face were published in LIFE magazine.

His career ended in '63 when he tried to ram Vic Hadfield in a game.

Hadfield ducked him and Louie went head first into the boards and broke his

neck. That was the end of his hockey. Gordie later became friends with

Fontinato."

Thoughts from Gordie's Kids

Murray: "Sure my dad managed to dislodge a few players' faces from their

heads with one hand, while casually scoring with the other, but any

super-human athlete with superior genetic material could do that. That's

not why we named our firstborn son after him. It's because of the man

inside. He's the guy who chased a purse-snatcher on foot, then in a car,

then on foot again, until the would-be criminal gave up the goods in

exhaustion. Gordie is obsessed with helping people. After cleaning his

windshield at the gas station, he often moves on to clean the windshield of

the next car over."

Cathy: "At home he's quiet, dry witted, soft spoken, and thoughtful. We

joke a lot that my dad's hands are so large, and we'd say 'boy, if dad ever

smacked me with hands like thatŠ' but I look back on my life and never once

do I remember him spanking us. I bet I"ve heard him raise his voice

probably a handful of times in my entire life. He's like a duck. He just

lets things roll off his back. His personality is just this level line.

It's real calm."

Howe Facts

During Olympia Stadium's dismantling just before it was taken down,

Murray Howe saw a man with an automatic screwdriver removing the oak Red

Wing dressing room door. He said, "Oh, that's really great, why don't you

give it to my dad." The guy said, 'No way, screw your dad.'

That door today is the centerpiece in the basement of my home. I did not

know Gordie wanted it.  I bought it from an executive at Joe Louis Arena

for $100 and a $175 Minnesota North Star shirt.

Colleen Howe put up her and Gordie's house for collateral to start

Detroit's first private ice rink.

Howe's injuries: 500 stitches in the face, partially detached retina,

broken wrist, broken fingers, torn ribs, broken collarbone, 3 knee

surgeries, carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists, nose broken 14 times,

broken cheekbone, and he had his skull drilled to relieve pressure from his

brain to save his life.

Gordie's first number with the Wings in 1947 was $17. When a lower number

became available to him, he quickly took it. The players with the lower

numbers got the lower berth on the trains for sleeping.

Gordie's Salary: 1945, $2,000 plus a $500 signing bonus. Baseball player

Chipper Jones just signed a 6-year $90 million contract).

1946, $5,000; 1953, $7,500; 1955, $8,500; 1957, $21,000; 1963, $28,000;

1967, $49,500; 1970, $70,000 (his 24th year with Detroit); 1975, $250,000

with WHA Houston Aeros.