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80 Years Ago Today: Gordie Howe Scores in His NHL Debut

Howe was 18 when he scored against Toronto on October 16, 1946. Detroit’s opener ended in a 3–3 tie.

By TSP Staff
Gordie Howe drops a ceremonial puck between two players at the Utica Comets' 2013 home opener.
Gordie Howe drops the ceremonial puck at the Utica Comets’ home opener on October 23, 2013. File photograph; image scaled for display. · Credit: Lindsay A. Mogle / TheAHL — CC BY 2.0

Gordie Howe scored in his first NHL game 80 years ago Friday, beginning his Detroit Red Wings career against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 16, 1946.

The 18-year-old right winger beat Toronto goaltender Turk Broda in the second period at Olympia Stadium. Detroit and Toronto finished tied 3–3, with Sid Abel scoring the equalizer in the final seconds.

Howe wore No. 17 in his first season before switching to the No. 9 that became synonymous with his career. The NHL revisited his debut in its account of the game’s 75th anniversary.

He remained with Detroit through the 1970–71 season, winning four Stanley Cups. Howe also collected six Hart Trophies as the league’s most valuable player and six scoring titles.

His initial retirement did not end his playing career. He returned with the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association in 1973, playing alongside his sons Mark and Marty, before returning to the NHL with Hartford.

Howe finished his NHL career in 1980 at age 52 with 801 goals and 1,850 points in 1,767 regular-season games.

Sources and notes

  1. Photo: Lindsay A. Mogle / TheAHL. Scaled for display. Source and reuse licence: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:10_2313_Gordie_Howe_Puck_Drop_(50517609516).jpg
  2. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/