One of the best two-way defenseman in NHL history, Mark Howe joins his famous father in Hockey's Hall of Fame.
When Gordie Howe was asked what was the best part of his career invariably he would say it was playing alongside his sons Mark and Marty as the three played together from 1973 to 1980 with the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the WHA and one year with the Hartford Whalers in the NHL.
Tonight Gordie will be in Toronto with Mark and Marty and the rest of the Howe family as Mark is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is already a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
You can only imagine how proud Gordie will be.
If you are thinking that Mark is entering the Hall of Fame because of his last name, you are dead wrong.
Most hockey observers know that Mark was one of the best two-way defenseman in the 1980s. Howe played 16 seasons in the NHL and six in the WHA. He was a three-time runner up for the Norris Trophy, a four-time all star, and nearly helped lead his Philadelphia Flyers to a Stanley Cup championship as the team fell short in the finals twice.
Mark, who grew up in Lathrup Village, played junior hockey for the Detroit Jr. Red Wings, and as a 15-year old led his team to the U.S. Junior Championship in 1971.
As a 16-year old he became the youngest hockey player ever to win an Olympic medal when the U.S. captured the Silver Medal in Sapporo, Japan. He later ended his junior hockey career playing for the Toronto Marlboros of the OHL where he was the MVP when the Marlies captured the Memorial Cup in 1973. That same year Mark, Marty and Gordie started playing for the Houston Aeros in the WHA. The Howes lead the Aeros to the Avco Cup championships in 1974 and 1975.
After the 1991–92 season, the Flyers granted Howe free agency and he fulfilled a dream of playing with the Red Wings. In his final season, Howe once again played in the Stanley Cup Finals but the Wings were swept by the New Jersey Devils in 1995.
One of the smartest minds in hockey, Howe serves in the Red Wings front office as the team’s Chief Pro Scout.
Being the son of Gordie Howe definitely had its advantages but in some ways it was not always easy. In an interview with Damien Cox ofThe Toronto Star, Mark had this to say:
“As a kid being compared to my father, it was a no-win situation. My mother taught me how to set my own standards. Eventually my goal became to play a perfect game every night.”
Obviously the Hockey Hall of Fame thinks he did.