Feb 29, 1980: Mr. Hockey Scores #800

Mr. Hockey Scores #800

Gordie Howe played 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, retiring in 1970 as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer.  Three years later he came out of retirement to join his two sons on the World Hockey Association’s  (WHA) Houston Aeros and later New England Whalers.  In 1979-80 season, Howe returned to the NHL as the now Hartford Whalers were one of four WHA teams merged into the NHL.

On February 5, 1980, at the age of 51, Howe made a dramatic return to Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena in his 23rd and final All-Star Game appearance (which coincidentally was Wayne Gretsky’s first appearance).

On February 29, 1980, Howe became the first NHL player to score 800 goals.  He would finish with 801 regular season goals and 68 playoff goals in his NHL career.  He was 52 when he scored his last goal in the playoffs against Montreal on an assist from his son

 

Mr. Hockey

At the time of his retirement, Howe’s professional totals, including playoffs, for the NHL and WHA combined, were first. He finished with 2,421 games played, 1,071 goals, 1,518 assists, and 2,589 points. Later on, however, Wayne Gretzky would pass him in goals (1,072), assists (2,297), and points (3,369), but not in games played or games played with one team.

Known as Mr. Hockey, Howe was a

• 23-time NHL All-Star and 2-time WHA All-Star
• 4-time Stanley Cup champion and 2-time WHA champion
• 6-time NHL scoring champion
• 6-time NHL MVP and a WHA MVP

In 1998, he was ranked #3 on The Hockey News’ list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players, the highest-ranking right wing on the list.

He also is the namesake of the Gordie Howe Hat Trick, where a player scores a goal, records an assist, and gets in a fight all in one game – a feat Howe accomplished twice.

 

In May 2015, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder announced that a new international bridge spanning the Detroit River would be named in honor of Howe. The Gordie Howe International Bridge is set to open in 2020

Career Stats

Regular Season

					Scoring
Season	Age	Tm	Lg	GP	G	A	PTS	Awards
1946-47	18	DET	NHL	58	7	15	22
1947-48	19	DET	NHL	60	16	28	44
1948-49	20	DET	NHL	40	12	25	37	AS-2
1949-50	21	DET	NHL	70	35	33	68	AS-2
1950-51	22	DET	NHL	70	43	43	86	AS-1,Hart-3,Ross-1
1951-52	23	DET	NHL	70	47	39	86	AS-1,Hart-1,Ross-1
1952-53	24	DET	NHL	70	49	46	95	AS-1,Hart-1,Ross-1
1953-54	25	DET	NHL	70	33	48	81	AS-1,Hart-4,Ross-1
1954-55	26	DET	NHL	64	29	33	62
1955-56	27	DET	NHL	70	38	41	79	AS-2,Hart-7
1956-57	28	DET	NHL	70	44	45	89	AS-1,Hart-1,Ross-1
1957-58	29	DET	NHL	64	33	44	77	AS-1,Hart-1
1958-59	30	DET	NHL	70	32	46	78	AS-2,Hart-2
1959-60	31	DET	NHL	70	28	45	73	AS-1,Hart-1
1960-61	32	DET	NHL	64	23	49	72	AS-2,Hart-3
1961-62	33	DET	NHL	70	33	44	77	AS-2,Hart-4
1962-63	34	DET	NHL	70	38	48	86	AS-1,Hart-1,Ross-1
1963-64	35	DET	NHL	69	26	47	73	AS-2,Hart-3
1964-65	36	DET	NHL	70	29	47	76	AS-2,Hart-3
1965-66	37	DET	NHL	70	29	46	75	AS-1,Hart-3
1966-67	38	DET	NHL	69	25	40	65	AS-2,Hart-7
1967-68	39	DET	NHL	74	39	43	82	AS-1,Hart-5
1968-69	40	DET	NHL	76	44	59	103	AS-1,Hart-5
1969-70	41	DET	NHL	76	31	40	71	AS-1,Hart-6
1970-71	42	DET	NHL	63	23	29	52
1973-74	45	HSA	WHA	70	31	69	100	ASW-1,Howe-1
1974-75	46	HSA	WHA	75	34	65	99	ASW-1
1975-76	47	HSA	WHA	78	32	70	102
1976-77	48	HSA	WHA	62	24	44	68
1977-78	49	NEW	WHA	76	34	62	96
1978-79	50	NEW	WHA	58	19	24	43
1979-80	51	HAR	NHL	80	15	26	41
25 yrs		DET	NHL	1687	786	1023	1809
4 yrs		HSA	WHA	285	121	248	369
2 yrs		NEW	WHA	134	53	86	139
1 yr		HAR	NHL	80	15	26	41
Career			NHL	1767	801	1049	1850
Career			WHA	419	174	334	508

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/28/2016.

 

Playoffs

						Scoring
Season	Age	Tm	Lg		GP	G	A	PTS
1946-47	18	DET	NHL		5	0	0	0
1947-48	19	DET	NHL		10	1	1	2
1948-49	20	DET	NHL		11	8	3	11
1949-50	21	DET	NHL	SC	1	0	0	0
1950-51	22	DET	NHL		6	4	3	7
1951-52	23	DET	NHL	SC	8	2	5	7
1952-53	24	DET	NHL		6	2	5	7
1953-54	25	DET	NHL	SC	12	4	5	9
1954-55	26	DET	NHL	SC	11	9	11	20
1955-56	27	DET	NHL		10	3	9	12
1956-57	28	DET	NHL		5	2	5	7
1957-58	29	DET	NHL		4	1	1	2
1959-60	31	DET	NHL		6	1	5	6
1960-61	32	DET	NHL		11	4	11	15
1962-63	34	DET	NHL		11	7	9	16
1963-64	35	DET	NHL		14	9	10	19
1964-65	36	DET	NHL		7	4	2	6
1965-66	37	DET	NHL		12	4	6	10
1969-70	41	DET	NHL		4	2	0	2
1973-74	45	HSA	WHA		13	3	14	17
1974-75	46	HSA	WHA		13	8	12	20
1975-76	47	HSA	WHA		17	4	8	12
1976-77	48	HSA	WHA		11	5	3	8
1977-78	49	NEW	WHA		14	5	5	10
1978-79	50	NEW	WHA		10	3	1	4
1979-80	51	HAR	NHL		3	1	1	2
Career			NHL	4	157	68	92	160
Career			WHA		78	28	43	71

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/28/2016.

Advertisements