Mr. Hockey Shoots and Scores Again in Detroit

A bronze statue of legendary hockey player, Gordie Howe, was unveiled recently in Detroit. The statue, centered on the concourse of the Joe Louis Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings, is conveniently located near the Gordie Howe Entrance. Presented in a ceremony led by Mike Ilitch, Red Wings owner, this statue was the first of many to be added to the Joe.

The 6 foot 4 inch statue weighs in at 4500 pounds, including the base, which lists Howe's hockey records and achievements. Omri Amrany, the statue's creator, also produced six statues of legendary Detroit Tigers players, at the nearby Comerica Park. Fabricated from 1500 pounds of white bronze, the statue also features glass to simulate ice. Howe is shown with four hockey sticks to capture the motion of him shooting the puck.

Many people close to the Red Wings Organization were in attendance for the unveiling. Gordie's sons, Mark and Marty Howe, Wings owners Mike and Marian Ilitch, Wings general manager Ken Holland, assistant general manager Jim Nill, former NHL players Bill Gadsby, Doug Brown and John Ogrodnick, and current Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom, Kris Draper and Chris Chelios were all on hand to see the statue come to life. "Not too may things choke me up," said Howe during the ceremony. "... So I guess that's the way of expressing the feeling that I have."

Gordie Howe, who is a NHL Hall of Fame inductee, played 25 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings. He holds many records including second all time for goals at 801 and third all time for points at 1850. He is also a four time Stanley Cup winner with the Red Wings, as the 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955 champions. Howe was selected for the NHL all star team 20 seasons from 1949 to 1970. He still holds many NHL records including most seasons and games played and most career goals, assists and points by a right wing. Howe also was a six time Art Ross Memorial Trophy winner for the NHL's leading scorer, six time Hart Memorial Trophy winner for the most valuable player and was awarded the Lester B. Patrick Award winner in 1967 for his outstanding contribution to hockey. Howe's number 9 was retired in Detroit in 1972 as well as in Hartford in 1981, where Gordie completed his NHL career, playing for with the Whalers along side his sons Mark and Marty."Gordie Howe set a standard of greatness with his play that I've always tried to uphold as the owner of this storied franchise," Ilitch said in a news release. "Gordie was the greatest player of his era and his grittiness on the ice embodied the hard-working spirit of Detroiters. I felt it was important to honor all that he has meant to this franchise and the city of Detroit."