Of course, Gordie Howe is the greatest player in Detroit Red Wings history.
On the right wing will be none other than “Mr. Hockey”, Gordie Howe. He set the tone of how Detroit hockey would be played for many years after his NHL debut.
He spent the majority of his NHL career wearing the winged wheel and even had the phrase “Gordie Howe Hat Trick” named after him, which was a goal, assist, and a fight.
Not only was he known for his goal scoring but he played a physical style of game that other elite scorers were not known for.
Howe spent 25 years in the Red Wings organization, accumulating 796 goals and 1,023 assists for 1,809 points in 1,687 games. He was also a +151 and had an outstanding 1,643 penalty minutes.
He came close to being a point-per-game player in the playoffs, scoring 67 goals and 91 assists for 158 points in 164 games while amassing 218 penalty minutes over 19 seasons.
Howe was never one to play a defensive game as his play was to have an offensive touch. He would have 21 hat tricks over his career, he was 2-for-2 on penalty shots and appeared in 21 all-star games with Detroit.
He would obtain hardware as well, winning the Hart Trophy and the Art Ross trophy six times apiece. Howe would win four Stanley Cups (1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955), and lead Detroit all-time in goals (796), points (1,809), power-play goals (209), and game-winning goals (121).
Howe would also play for the Hartford Whalers of the NHL and have success there as well. He would retire at the age of 52 because of chronic wrist problems and later be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972.
Mr. Hockey passed on June 10, 2016, at the young age of 88. It was because of Howe’s play that put Detroit on the map. He was a warrior and would not go down without a fight on the ice. Truly one of the greatest players the NHL, and the Red Wings, have ever seen.